A Queensland man has been charged with illegally importing hundreds of gun parts from the US.
Police allege 34-year-old Grafton Kaifoto sent individual firearm parts to multiple addresses in Queensland and Victoria over the past month, intending to assemble the weapons and sell them for $20,000 each.
Australian Border Force (ABF) officials stopped Mr Kaifoto at Brisbane International Airport on June 26.
The unpackaged weapons frames – police allege the illegal guns would be sold for $20,000 each once assembled. (Supplied: AFP)
Its alleged the Brisbane man — who arrived on a flight from the US — was travelling with consignment details for nine packages which were later found to contain firearm parts.
The matter was referred to the Australian Federal Police (AFP) for investigation.
Mr Kaifoto allegedly sent the individual parts under false descriptions to false names at multiple addresses before being intercepted by the ABF.
ABF Acting Assistant Commissioner James Copeman said he was stopped and searched at the airport on June 26, after being flagged as a person of interest linked to the discovery of cocaine hidden in boxes of decorative mugs from Italy the week before.
“Over the next five days, authorities intercepted the illegal firearm parts, which were declared and concealed in remote control car parts,” he said.
“This attempt was methodical. It was calculated. It was sophisticated. But we saw right through it.”
An X-ray of the alleged illegal weapons parts imported from the United States. (Supplied: AFP)
AFP Detective Superintendent Adrian Telfer said the packages contained hundreds of individual weapon parts.
“If they were assembled, [they] could have created more than 30 Glock-style handguns,” he said.
“This is a significant attempt to allegedly import illegal firearm parts into Australia.”
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) arrested a Brisbane man for allegedly trying to import parts to make up more than 30 illegal guns from America. (Supplied: AFP)
Mr Kaifoto was arrested and charged with nine counts of attempting to traffic in firearm parts on June 26.
The side of the weapons parts police allege were part of a black market plot to import Glock-style handguns into Australia. (Supplied: AFP)
His matter was first mentioned before Brisbane Magistrates Court the following day and he was granted conditional bail.
“The maximum penalty for this offence is 10 years’ imprisonment,” Detective Superintendent Telfer said.
The matter was mentioned in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Friday and will return to court on September 19.
Detective Superintendent Telfer said both the AFP and ABF were committed to protecting the community from serious criminal threats.
“Our successful joint operation has prevented dozens of firearms entering the black market,” he said.
“Anyone involved in the tracking trafficking of illegal weapons from Australia with the intention of providing them into the hands of criminal groups should be warned.”