SKIP TO MAIN CONTENT

Qld farmers charged over huge gun haul

Police have uncovered 328 guns and more than four tonnes of ammunition during a raid on a farm in Queensland's southeast.

2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP


Skip to article content

More than 320 guns and four tonnes of ammunition found in a raid on a Queensland farm could have been destined for criminal gangs, police say.

It's believed to be the largest cache of illegal weapons ever found in the state.

Police found the enormous stash in several buildings on an 800-hectare property at Moonford, west of Bundaberg, on Monday.

A father, 69, and his two sons, 42 and 46, have been charged and are due in court next month.

Many of the weapons including military-style rifles, semi-automatic rifles and hand guns had been modified or converted.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Queensland police are working with their federal counterparts, customs and the Australian Crime Commission to determine whether or not the men were selling the weapons to criminal gangs.

They included an MP5 navy sub machine gun, used in counterterrorism operations, and an SLR light machine gun, a weapon used in the Vietnam War.

Detective Superintendent Jon Wacker said the find was "alarming".

"This is probably the largest cache we've located," he told reporters on Thursday.

"These firearms are high calibre firearms. If they got into the wrong hands they can certainly be used in a nasty way."

The guns were brought to Brisbane overnight under police escort and are being catalogued.

The men are long-standing local farmers.

They have each been charged with one count of unlawfully possessing more than 10 weapons and are due in the Biloela Magistrates Court on December 18.


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world