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Police have seized in excess of 1,000 firearms and gun parts as part of a sweep targeting the spread of illicit guns in Australia and New Zealand.

International Operation Results in Apprehensions and Recoveries

The week-long international effort led to more than 180 detentions, as reported by customs agents, and the recovery of 281 DIY guns and parts, such as units made by additive manufacturing devices.

Regional Finds and Apprehensions

Within NSW, police found multiple three-dimensional printers together with glock-style pistols, ammunition clips and 3D-printed holsters, along with other gear.

State law enforcement reported they detained 45 individuals and seized 518 weapons and firearm parts in the course of the initiative. Multiple suspects were faced with offences including the manufacture of banned weapons without a licence, importing prohibited goods and owning a electronic design for production of firearms – a crime in certain regions.

“These 3D printed components may look vibrant, but they are not toys. When put together, they become dangerous tools – totally unlawful and highly hazardous,” a high-ranking officer stated in a release. “That’s why we’re focusing on the full supply chain, from fabrication tools to foreign pieces.

“Community security forms the basis of our firearms licensing system. Firearm users need to be registered, firearms must be recorded, and conformity is mandatory.”

Increasing Trend of Homemade Guns

Data collected during an investigation indicates that over the past five years in excess of 9,000 guns have been taken illegally, and that in 2025, police conducted confiscations of DIY guns in the majority of administrative division.

Court records reveal that the digital designs being manufactured within the country, powered by an online community of designers and supporters that support an “complete liberty to own and carry weapons”, are more dependable and lethal.

Over the past several years the development has been from “very novice, barely operational, practically single-use” to more advanced weapons, police stated at the time.

Customs Discoveries and Online Purchases

Parts that are difficult to fabricated are commonly acquired from e-commerce sites overseas.

An experienced border official commented that more than 8,000 illicit firearms, parts and add-ons had been detected at the frontier in the previous fiscal year.

“Overseas weapon pieces can be constructed with additional homemade pieces, producing dangerous and untraceable guns making their way to our neighborhoods,” the officer stated.

“Numerous of these products are available for purchase by e-commerce sites, which may lead users to wrongly believe they are not controlled on import. Numerous of these websites just process purchases from abroad acting as an intermediary lacking attention for border rules.”

Further Confiscations Throughout Various Areas

Recoveries of products such as a crossbow and fire projector were additionally conducted in the state of Victoria, the western territory, Tasmania and the the central territory, where law enforcement stated they discovered a number of privately manufactured weapons, in addition to a fabrication tool in the distant settlement of the named area.