Australian Border Force (ABF) officers have seized a number of weapons from a house in Victor Harbor during a joint operation with the South Australian Police last week.
The weapons, seized under the Customs Act, included an unfinished firearm barrel, a blow dart gun, a quantity of blow darts, blow dart tips and tails, a quantity of Airsoft BB pellets. South Australian Police also seized a double-edged dagger.
ABF Inspector Regional Investigations South Australia, Mark Bateman said the man allegedly admitted during an interview that he had purchased the weapons online from China with the intention to manufacture a gel blaster firearm.
"These types of guns may be considered innocent toys but can be indistinguishable from real guns and that makes them dangerous to both the public and law enforcement agencies when they are in the wrong hands," Inspector Bateman said.
"This is why the ABF takes the importation of gel blasters seriously. If you import these without a valid permit, you are committing an offence."
The seizure was part of a Serious and Organised Crime Coordination Committee national week of action known as Operation ATHENA, which targeted people responsible for the importation of illicit firearms and firearm parts and accessories into Australia.
The operation comes a month after the arrest of a 24-year-old Kangaroo Island man for firearms offences including manufacturing of firearms, possessing prescribed firearms, possessing ammunition without licence, insecure ammunition, possessing prohibited weapons and possessing instructions for making explosive devices.
SA Police and ABF officers located a 3D printer, several homemade firearms and other prohibited weapons. The man has been bailed to appear in the Kingscote Court on November 21.
