A man has been charged following a 45-hour police operation in the Lake Macquarie region.
Officers from the Hunter Region Enforcement Squad attended a home on Lake Road, Swansea, about 3pm Wednesday (11 October 2023), and attempted to speak with a 33-year-old man.
Police will allege in court the man instead entered the house and refused to leave.
A perimeter was established and specialist police, including negotiators, were called to the scene.
Attempts to negotiate with the man continued until about 12.10pm today (Friday 13 October 2023), when the man was taken into custody by officers from the Tactical Operations Unit (TOU).
Police seized eight firearms from the home including a sawn-off rifle, a shotgun, a lever action rifle and five pistols.
He was taken to Belmont Police Station where he was charged with 35 offences including:
- Use offensive weapon to prevent lawful detention
- Armed with intention to commit indictable offence
- Three counts of possess unauthorised firearm
- Two counts of possess unregistered firearm not pistol or prohibited firearm
- Three counts of not keep firearm safely not pistol or prohibited firearm
- Possess unregistered firearm prohibited firearm
- Two counts of possess or use a prohibited weapon without permit
- Goods suspected stolen in or on premises
- Six counts of possess ammunition without holding licence or permit or authority
- Five counts of possess unauthorised pistol
- Three counts of not keep firearm safely pistol
- Three counts of possess unregistered firearm pistol
- Possess less than three unregistered firearms, one is prohibited or pistol
- Two counts of possess prohibited drug
- Supply prohibited drug commercial quantity
He has been refused bail to appear in Newcastle Bail Court tomorrow (Saturday 14 October 2023).
