Two men have been charged this evening after police busted an alleged firearm manufacturing ring in Melton.
Detectives from Melton Crime Investigation Unit, with assistance from the Special Operations Group, executed a search warrant at an Oneills Road address about 8.30am.
Two men and a woman were arrested without incident.
Officers then searched the property with assistance from Australian Federal Police's specialist forensic search team.
During the search they located and seized:
• more than a dozen handguns and homemade handguns
• firearms parts
• ammunition
• six litres of 1,4 Butanediol
• blueprints
• a 3D printer
• a knuckleduster, baton and knives
• electronic devices and an electrical bypass.
Investigators from the North West Metro Regional Crime Squad, with assistance from the Clandestine Laboratory Squad, then executed a second search warrant at an address on Hawtin Street in Templestowe and located:
• four handguns
• an improvised explosive device
• homemade projectiles
• ammunition
• a 3D printer
• Taser cartridge
• pre cursor chemicals
• firearm components
• Electronic devices
This evening, a 41-year-old Melton man was charged with:
• traffick dod - commercial quantity
• possession of a trafficable quantity of unregistered firearms
• manufacture category c,d,e, e handgun or general category handgun without a licence
• possess firearm parts - manufacture general category handgun
• possess equipment - manufacture general category handgun
• possess ammunition without a licence
• possess substance, equipment or material for trafficking
• theft
• fail to provide information that is reasonably necessary to access data held in a computer device
A 33-year-old Melton man was charged with:
• possession of a trafficable quantity of unregistered firearms x 2
• manufacture category c,d,e, e handgun or general category handgun without a licence x 2
• possess firearm parts - manufacture general category handgun x 2
• possess equipment - manufacture general category handgun x 2
• possess ammunition without licence x 2
• possess a prescribed precursor or chemical x 2
• possess substance, equipment or material for trafficking
• possess explosive substance
• fail to provide information that is reasonably necessary to access data held in a computer device
The pair were remanded to appear before Melbourne Magistrates' Court on 13 July.
A 30-year-old Melton woman was released pending further enquiries.
Quotes attributable to Melton Acting Inspector Scott Williams:
"We dismantled a sophisticated alleged firearm manufacturing ring today and removed more than a dozen illicit firearms from the streets.
"Illicit firearms have absolutely no place in our community, and we are committed to removing them from the wrong hands."
