22 October 2012

US, Australian police bust gun supply ring

Three men have been arrested in the United States over what police say was an illegal gun ring smuggling firearms into Sydney.

The men from Nashville, Tennessee have been charged this week with giving false statements to buy guns, which they had allegedly arranged to send to Australia.

New South Wales Police say they have identified 20 guns that have already been sent to Sydney from Nashville.

They include a handgun which was seized along with six other firearms during a police raid at Fairfield on January 21.

The arrests came after a joint operation involving NSW Police, Australian Customs, and US authorities.
Police say they expect to make further arrests in Sydney.

"This has been an exhaustive investigation to detect and close down a supply route for illegal firearms between Nashville and Sydney," NSW Police Force Firearms and Organised Crime Commander, Detective Superintendent Ken Finch, said.

"Some crimes are not bound by state or national borders and this operation shows the importance of Australia law enforcement agencies building strong relationships with their international counterparts on illegal gun supply."

Detective Superintendent Finch says the weapons syndicate could be linked to Sydney's escalating gun crime.

"We have noticed over the last ten or 11 months that there has been an increase, particularly in hand guns, on the streets of Sydney," he said.

"Whether that correlates with this particular syndicate, it's difficult to say, but certainly in that period we have discovered this syndicate and another syndicate that were illegally importing hand guns."

abc.net.au 19 Oct 2012

Australian politicians just recently introduced another gun amnesty.

Citizens have been urged to hand in their weapons, in a no questions asked deal.

The 'honest' general populous are to hand in their weapons, whilst criminals still hold on to theirs, and import more, with the help of corrupt Customs Officers.

Another dim witted approach to hindering crime, or really is it?

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