Police have charged three men with allegedly stealing antique pistols from a regional museum.
Twenty-seven rare weapons were allegedly stolen from the Lithgow Small Arms Factory Museum in the Central Tablelands region of New South Wales early on the morning of August 25.
On Thursday, three men aged 46, 41 and 27 were arrested in police raids across New South Wales and taken to Nowra Police Station.
Police seized 13 of the 27 firearms allegedly stolen, a shortened shotgun, a BMW X5, seven New South Wales vehicle registration plates, shotgun ammunition, $3,500 in cash, electronic devices and small amounts of methamphetamine and cannabis.
The men, aged 46 and 27, were charged with two counts of aggravated burglary and committing an indictable offence.
The 41-year-old man was charged with aggravated burglary, committing an indictable felony, participating in a criminal group, contributing to criminal activity and stealing a motor vehicle.
They all appeared in Nowra Local Court on Friday and were refused bail.
CCTV footage released by New South Wales Police of the alleged theft revealed that display cases at the museum were smashed to remove the historically significant weapons valued at more than $200,000.
Three men have been arrested following the alleged theft of 27 rare weapons from the Lithgow Small Arms Factory Museum in New South Wales.
The weapons included a pistol gifted by the Sultan of Oman and another from the 18th century.
The Lithgow Small Arms Factory Museum had disabled the weapons, but police allege the three men were attempting to make firing pins to make them work.
Detective Superintendent John Watson, commander of the drugs and firearms squad, said: “There is no doubt that their sole purpose was to make a profit from the sale of these weapons.”
Of the 14 weapons still to be recovered, Detective Superintendent Watson said: “There is information to suggest that these weapons have been moved.”
We believe these firearms may have been sold to members of the public who are unaware that they are stolen.
The stolen weapons included a pistol gifted by the Sultan of Oman and another from the 18th century.
“For this reason, we are asking members of the public to return these firearms as quickly as possible,” Detective Superintendent Watson said.
‘New South Wales currently has an amnesty in place for unregistered and prohibited firearms, meaning you will not be prosecuted for returning these firearms to a registered gun dealer or police station.’
“Detectives are working hard to return the firearms we seized to the museum in the hopes that the public can continue to visit and learn about the history of these guns,” he said.
Talking with 7 NewsKerry Guerin, from the Lithgow small arms factory, implored anyone in possession of the weapons to hand them in.
The 13 recovered weapons will be forensically examined before being returned to the Lithgow Small Arms Factory Museum.
“Please do not destroy them, they are part of our heritage and our history,” he said.
The 13 recovered weapons will be forensically examined before being returned to the Lithgow Small Arms Factory Museum.
The museum opened in 1998 on the site of the former Lithgow Small Arms Factory, established in 1912.
It is community-owned and volunteer-run and funded through admissions and shop sales.
The museum website He says it is “widely recognised for its extensive collection of modern firearms from around the world, but more than that, it is a showcase of Australian manufacturing.”