A Northern Tasmanian man has had his firearms licence suspended after police seized 36 firearms, illegal firearms parts and about 250kg of ammunition following a storage inspection.
Members of Firearms Services conducted the random inspection at an address in Norwood on Friday, locating four registered firearms stored unlawfully in a vehicle in the backyard and ammunition stored insecurely throughout the garage.
During a subsequent search of the property, police located a further eight firearms - all unregistered - stored incorrectly at the address.
Police also located a stripped bolt action rifle, believed to have been stolen from a private residence at Patersonia in 2015 as well as a silencer, and insecure firearms parts.
The 78-year-old Norwood man has since been served with a licence suspension notice, and police have seized a further 27 registered firearms from the property as well as the 250 kilograms of ammunition.
The man will be proceeded against for multiple firearms-related offences including possessing a stolen firearm, possessing unregistered firearms, possessing a silencer, and failing to comply with prescribed storage of firearms and ammunition.
Every unsecured or illegally held firearm represents a potential threat to community safety.
Tasmania Police encourages anyone with concerns about illegal firearms or unsafe storage practices to contact Tasmania Police on 131 444, or Triple-Zero (000) in an emergency.
People can also contact Crime Stoppers Tasmania anonymously on 1800 333 000 or via the Crime Stoppers website.
For more information about firearms licensing and registration in Tasmania, visit https://fas.police.tas.gov.au/
