Police have seized 80 firearms and revoked nine firearm licences in a blitz on gun owners with alleged links to organised crime groups - some of those in the Hunter.
Operation Pendula is a joint initiative by the NSW Firearms Registry, State Crime Command's Raptor Squad and the State Intelligence Unit to revoke firearm licences from those identified as having alleged links to Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs (OMCG) or Organised Criminal Networks (OCN).
On Wednesday, September 27 - with assistance from the Southern and Western regions - officers spoke to 19 licence holders for the purpose of conducting safe firearm storage inspections, serving revocation or suspension notices, and seizing firearms and ammunition.
The targets were spread across the state from West Wallsend, Mount Hutton, Greta, and Kempsey in the state's north, to Mendooran in the west.
In the south, police visited Coniston, Brayton, Tongarra, Horsley, Woonona and Bombala, as well Leumeah, Matraville, Silverdale and The Oaks in the Greater Sydney area.
In total, police seized 80 firearms, approximately 30,000 rounds of ammunition, revoked nine firearm licences and suspended five.
In Mount Hutton, a 34-year-old man was charged with not keeping a firearm safely and possessing a prohibited weapon without a permit after police located a slingshot and identified a number of breaches during a storage inspection. He will appear in Belmont Local Court on Wednesday, November 8.
At the Greta address, police charged a 50-year-old man with possessing an unauthorised prohibited firearm and not keeping a firearm safely after police located a firearm with an attached silencer during a safe storage inspection. He will appear in Cessnock Local Court on Wednesday November 8.
Commander of the NSW Firearms Registry, Detective Superintendent Cameron Lindsay, said Operation Pendula was all about making sure firearms don't end up in the wrong hands.
"The NSW Firearms Registry has stringent integrity testing of all firearm applicants for licences and permits and continually assesses that licence holder's suitability to retain their licence," he said.
"In the case of many of these identified targets - due to their alleged links to organised crime - their firearm licences and firearms were either revoked or suspended.
"This operation is an important reminder to all firearm licence holders that the NSW Firearms Registry has an exhaustive list of grounds to revoke a licence, and we will do so if there's even the slightest risk to the community."
Commander of State Crime Command's Raptor Squad, Detective Acting Superintendent Stuart Gordon, said firearm licence revocation a additional tool police were using to target violence and organised crime.
"This operation is all about removing criminals' access to guns - whether lawfully held by other people or not," he said.
"Firearm regulation is an ongoing tactic in disrupting organised criminal networks and working with the NSW Firearms Registry to revoke licences and seize guns from their associates is just another tool in our arsenal.
"Whilst it is not alleged any person subject to this operation is themselves involved in criminal activity, it's another reminder of the price of involvement in OCN or OMCGs. The NSW Police Force have significant powers to keep the community safe and choosing to be involved in organised crime - or associating with those who are - guarantees police attention."
