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Authorities have seized more than 1,000 firearms and gun parts during a operation targeting the spread of illicit firearms in Australia and its neighbor.

Transnational Operation Results in Detentions and Seizures

This extended cross-border effort led to in excess of 180 detentions, according to customs agents, and the confiscation of 281 privately manufactured weapons and components, among them units created with three-dimensional printers.

Local Finds and Apprehensions

Within NSW, authorities found multiple three-dimensional printers alongside glock-style pistols, ammunition clips and 3D-printed holsters, in addition to various pieces.

State authorities said they apprehended 45 individuals and took possession of 518 guns and gun components in the course of the initiative. Numerous suspects were faced with offences such as the production of illegal guns without proper authorization, bringing in banned items and owning a computer file for manufacture of weapons – an offense in some states.

“Those additively manufactured parts may look colourful, but they are far from playthings. After construction, they become dangerous tools – totally unlawful and highly hazardous,” an experienced detective stated in a announcement. “This is the reason we’re focusing on the full supply chain, from manufacturing devices to overseas components.

“Community security sits at the core of our gun registration framework. Shooters are required to be licensed, firearms are obliged to be registered, and conformity is absolute.”

Growing Issue of DIY Guns

Statistics gathered as part of an probe reveals that over the past five years over 9,000 guns have been taken illegally, and that in 2025, authorities executed recoveries of homemade weapons in nearly all state and territory.

Legal documents indicate that the digital designs being manufactured domestically, driven by an digital network of creators and enthusiasts that promote an “complete liberty to possess firearms”, are steadily functional and lethal.

During the last several years the pattern has been from “highly unskilled, minimally functional, practically single-use” to superior weapons, police reported at the time.

Immigration Seizures and Web-Based Purchases

Parts that are difficult to additively manufactured are often ordered from digital stores internationally.

A senior customs agent commented that more than 8,000 illegal guns, components and add-ons had been found at the customs checkpoint in the previous fiscal year.

“Foreign-sourced weapon pieces may be assembled with additional DIY parts, creating hazardous and unregistered guns making their way to our neighborhoods,” the official stated.

“A lot of these goods are being sold by e-commerce sites, which could result in individuals to mistakenly think they are permitted on entry. A lot of these services just process purchases from overseas for the customer lacking attention for import regulations.”

Additional Confiscations Across Various Regions

Recoveries of products such as a bow weapon and flame-thrower were also made in the southeastern state, Western Australia, the southern isle and the Northern Territory, where police reported they found several privately manufactured guns, in addition to a 3D printer in the isolated community of Nhulunbuy.