OFF THE WIRE
FIRST ON 7: 7News can expose a legal loophole allowing bikies to arm themselves,
and police cannot stop them.
As officers today showed off illegal weapons
they have seized, the Police Commissioner admitted he is frustrated by the
loophole.
It comes just days after a motorcycle gang member shot a man
with a gun he legally owned.
Ninety guns have been seized in New South
Wales as part of a two-week national crackdown on illegal firearms Operation
Unification.
"We've received 50 pieces of information that are in varying
states of investigation," Assistant Commissioner Mark Jenkins
said.
Twenty-six weapons were uncovered in one haul alone from an
86-year-old collector at Rydalmere.
"There are many members of motorcycle
gangs that are licenced firearm holders," Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione
said.
"It does cause us to think that there may be a better way. It does
frustrate us from time to time."
Nomads bikie Matthew Zahra used his
legally-owned and registered rifle to shoot a man in the back near Penrith eight
days ago.
He said it was in self-defence.
Zahra does not have a
criminal record so he can own a gun just like anyone else.
"As soon as we
arm bikies we're going to see those guns misused," Gun Control Australia's
Roland Browne said.
http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/newshome/17412865/police-frustrated-over-bikie-gun-law-loophole/
