As police crack down on illicit firearms, tough new federal laws mean illegal gun traffickers will face a mandatory five years in jail.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Friday said even a small number of illegal firearms could have a significant impact on crime on the streets.
"Illegal guns are being imported and distributed throughout our country," he told a law and order meeting in Melbourne on Friday.
"Light sentencing sends the wrong message. Criminals need to know they will face the full severity of our law."
His comments come as the recent two-week Operation Unification recovered almost 200 firearms and resulted in more than 42 arrests, according to figures by the Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Agency (ANZPAA).
The Australian Crime Commission (ACC) conservatively estimates that there are more than 260,000 guns in the illicit firearm market, and ANZPAA's chief executive Jon White says authorities must remain "determined and relentless" in efforts to get guns off the streets.
"The problem we have with firearms crime is it's not going away and we need to just be persistent about trying to get as many as we can out of circulation," Mr White told AAP.
Operation Unification, conducted in June, shut down a home-made gun supply syndicate operating in Casula in Sydney's southwest.
Mr White, a former assistant commissioner with 36 years experience with New Zealand Police, said cases of people trying to "disguise" their ownership or use of illegal firearms by importing parts were particularly concerning.
"The manufacturing is quite concerning really. Apart from anything else, it must be incredibly unsafe," he said.
The federal government will introduce legislation to create uniform minimum five-year jail terms for firearms trafficking.
The ACC estimates there are about 10,000 illegal unregistered handguns and up to 250,000 unregistered longarms in the community.
Mr Abbott said the government had increased funding to Customs to boost inspections of incoming mail and cargo.
"We don't just have to stop criminals coming into our country. We need to stop the means of criminal activity coming into our country," he said.
Share
