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Police taken possession of more than 1,000 firearms and firearm components in a sweep aimed at the spread of illegal weapons in Australia and New Zealand.

Cross-Border Effort Results in Arrests and Seizures

This extended cross-border effort led to more than 180 arrests, according to border officials, and the confiscation of 281 homemade firearms and components, including units created with three-dimensional printers.

Local Revelations and Apprehensions

Across the state of NSW, law enforcement found multiple three-dimensional printers together with semi-automatic handguns, ammunition clips and fabricated carrying cases, along with other gear.

Regional police said they arrested 45 individuals and took possession of 518 guns and firearm parts during the effort. Numerous individuals were faced with offences among them the manufacture of illegal guns unlicensed, importing illegal products and possessing a computer file for production of firearms – an offense in certain regions.

“Those 3D printed components may look bright, but they are not toys. Once assembled, they become lethal weapons – totally unlawful and very risky,” an experienced detective said in a release. “That’s why we’re focusing on the entire network, from printers to imported parts.

“Public safety is the foundation of our firearms licensing system. Firearm users are required to be licensed, weapons are obliged to be registered, and conformity is mandatory.”

Increasing Trend of Homemade Weapons

Information collected as part of an inquiry indicates that during the previous five years over 9,000 firearms have been taken illegally, and that in 2025, police executed recoveries of privately manufactured firearms in nearly all administrative division.

Judicial files reveal that the digital designs currently produced domestically, fuelled by an online community of designers and enthusiasts that advocate for an “absolute freedom to possess firearms”, are increasingly reliable and deadly.

During the last few years the development has been from “highly unskilled, minimally functional, nearly disposable” to higher-quality firearms, police reported earlier.

Immigration Seizures and Web-Based Transactions

Components that cannot be reliably fabricated are often acquired from online retailers internationally.

A senior customs agent stated that over 8,000 illicit weapons, parts and attachments had been discovered at the border in the last financial year.

“Overseas gun components may be assembled with additional DIY pieces, creating hazardous and unregistered weapons filtering onto our streets,” the officer added.

“Numerous of these items are offered by online retailers, which might cause individuals to wrongly believe they are not controlled on import. Many of these services only arrange transactions from abroad on the buyer’s behalf without any considerations for border rules.”

Further Recoveries In Various Territories

Confiscations of items including a projectile launcher and fire projector were also made in the southeastern state, Western Australia, Tasmania and the the NT, where law enforcement said they found multiple DIY weapons, as well as a 3D printer in the distant settlement of the named area.