Update: charges following ongoing firearms operation
Today, police from State Crime Command’s Drug and Serious Crime Group have charged a 36-year-old man with a number of firearm related offences following the location of a large scale weapons production facility late last year.
On November 18, 2016 and as part of Operation Oscar Quantum, Officers from the Drug and Serious Crime Group with assistance from Gold Coast police and the Australian Border Force, executed search warrants on four residential properties (Oxenford, Maudsland, Broadbeach Waters and Robina) and two business premises located at Nerang.
At one of the Nerang business addresses officers located an illicit weapons manufacturing facility containing drill presses, lathes and other equipment used to produce fully automatic machine guns, Police also located four homemade machine guns, three silencers, computer equipment, ammunition, magazines, a taser, drugs and other gun parts.
Today, and as a result of ongoing investigations, a 36-year-old man has been charged with two counts of unlawfully possessing category R weapons and two counts of manufacturing weapons whilst not licensed. He will appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court on June 27.
“The manufacture of these weapons is irresponsible and dangerous. We believe the individual had no consideration or concern for the impact that these weapons could have on the general public,” Detective Inspector Lance Vercoe of the Drug and Serious Crime Group said.
If you have information for police, contact Policelink by providing information using the online suspicious activity form 24hrs per day at www.police.qld.gov.au/reporting.
Report crime information anonymously via Crime Stoppers. Call 1800 333 000 or report online at www.crimestoppersqld.com.au.
