In a first case of its kind, Police have charged a firearms licence holder for possessing a firearm that should have been accounted for in the new Firearms Registry, but had not been.
Tomorrow, a 49-year-old man will appear in the Manukau District Court on six charges of unlawful possession of ammunition related to alleged straw purchases of ammunition he had made on behalf of associates involved in the cannabis trade.
Last week, search warrants were conducted at multiple addresses in relation to unlawful possession of firearms.
A shotgun was located at the licence holder’s address. Subsequently, he has been charged under the Arms Act for failing to provide information for the Firearms Registry in accordance with Section 94 of the Arms Act 1983.
Police allege that earlier in the year the firearms licence holder had registered a rifle into the Firearms Registry a few days after he had purchased it.
Purchasing a firearm is what is known as an ‘activating circumstance’ for the Firearms Registry, which means a licence holder then has 30 days from the purchase to enter all of the firearms in their possession into the Registry.
The shotgun found at the address had not been registered as required.
“This is the first prosecution of its kind,” Angela Brazier, Executive Director of Te Tari Pūreke – Firearms Safety Authority says.
“It demonstrates the positive impact the Registry can make on linking firearms to individual licence holders.
“If any licence holder is found with a firearm that ought to be in the Registry, but for whatever reason they might have tried to circumvent these obligations and keep firearms invisible in the community, they can expect to face the consequences.”
The maximum penalty for failing to provide information for the registry without a reasonable excuse is a $10,000 fine.
Image credit: Kool C
