Man, teen charged after police seize homemade guns, 3D printer in NSW
Police have seized a stash of privately manufactured machine guns in regional NSW. (Supplied: NSW Police)
In short:
A man and teenager have been charged, and another man is awaiting extradition from Queensland, over an alleged gun manufacturing operation.
Police discovered multiple homemade machine guns, a 3D printer and gun parts at a home in Gerroa, on the NSW South Coast.
What's next?
The 45-year-old man and 16-year-old boy are due to face court today.
A man and a teenager are due to appear in court charged in connection with the alleged supply of homemade guns in south-east New South Wales.
A third man has been arrested in Queensland and is being extradited to NSW.
Strike Force detectives, with assistance from the Tactical Operations Unit, Police Dog Squad and Pol Air, arrested a 45-year-old man at Shellharbour, south of Sydney, around 12:30pm on Monday.
Police allege he had two home-made machine guns, ammunition, and balaclavas in his possession.
Items seized during a search of the man's property in Gerroa. (Supplied: NSW Police)
Officers said during a search of his property at Gerroa, on the NSW south coast, they located four loaded pistols, ballistic vests, a 3D printer and firearm parts, including slides, barrels, triggers and magazines.
They said paperwork, mobile phones and thousands of rounds of ammunition were also found.
The man was charged with 20 offences, with 19 related to firearms.
He was refused bail to appear in Wollongong Local Court.
Police have charged a 45-year-old man with 20 offences including manufacturing firearms. (Supplied: NSW Police)
A teenager was arrested at Farmborough Heights in Wollongong at 12:30pm on Monday, and is facing 16 charges, including participating in a criminal group and charges related to the supply and manufacture of firearms.
Police said he was taken to Illawarra Police Station and refused bail to appear before a Children's Court.
Police seek extradition of man from Qld
In Queensland, a 43-year-old man was arrested at Burleigh Beach with the assistance of Queensland Police Force Maxima.
He was taken to Southport Watch House where NSW Police attached to the Raptor Squad are seeking his extradition.
Raptor Squad Commander Andrew Koutsoufis said the 45-year-old man from Shellharbour was allegedly a former law enforcement officer, who left the police in 2012.
"The alleged actions of this 45-year-old ex-law enforcement officer, in my view, are completely abhorrent," he said.
"These actions go completely against our values and to put himself in that position is something that I can't even fathom.
"To have fallen that far down from his previous standing is beyond my comprehension, to be honest."
Mr Koutsoufis alleged the syndicate was actively involved in selling highly dangerous firearms, including automatic machine guns, to people involved in serious crimes.
"We haven't seen firearms of this quality too often so we are very happy to have seized these … and to have taken these people off the street," he said.
Police said the two older men were associates.
More arrests are expected to take place.