Police in firearms crack down across Southland

Southern police have seized 52 guns, more than $250,000 and made 44 arrests as part of a national crackdown on guns ending up in the hands of gang members.

Police carried out 75 warrants, and found 3D-printed and semiautomatic weapons since Operation Tauwhiro began in February. It has now been extended for another six months.

Arrests were made in Invercargill, Gore, Mataura and western Southland.

Detective inspector Stu Harvey, who leads the operation for the southern police district, said it was set up for the safety of the public and police officers, and to tackle the problem that there were a lot of guns in criminals hands.

Southern district police also started a national movement of liaising with every firearm retailer, to find out who was buying from the retailers, Harvey said.

‘‘It’s gone from, ‘let’s just go and find the guns and lock up the baddies’, to well actually ‘where did they get the gun from at the start?’’’

It was not always possible to figure out the source, but police were putting more time into investigations, he said.

While some people thought guns usually ended up with criminals because they had been burglarised, guns were either imported, or firearms licence holders handed them over, he said.

In the past five to 10 years, burglaries where many firearms were taken had declined, Harvey said.

New Zealand was a national market for guns, just like for drugs, so while the weapons might not change hands or have been stolen in Southland, ‘‘they will get brought in just as easily as anything else that’s moved around New Zealand,’’ Harvey said.

Overseas trends had been found in the south, like blank firing pistols which could be converted, and 3D-printed guns, Harvey said.

Of the 44 arrests in the Southern police district, about one-third were gang members or associates and a lot of the rest were involved with drug dealing.

Those arrested in Southland included Mongrel Mob and Black Power associates, and King Cobras associates in Dunedin, he said.

Seventy-five search warrants were done at Southern district residential properties, as part of the operation since February.

Some search warrants did not result in charges and lots of drug referrals were made, Harvey said.

Significant amounts of methamphetamine, cannabis and least one semi-automatic rifle were found in Southland, Harvey said.

Harvey said warrants would continue in the south, and there was a national gun ‘‘sourcetracing’’ project in the works.

Nationally, the operation to date has led to 987 firearms and nearly $5 million in cash seizures, as well as 865 arrests.

‘‘It’s gone from, ‘let’s just go and find the guns and lock up the baddies’, to well actually ‘where did they get the gun from at the start?’’’ Detective inspector Stu Harvey