Police have raided homes across the Illawarra during a firearms blitz on gun owners with alleged links to organised crime groups.
Homes in Coniston, Tongarra, Horsley and Woonona were targeted during the statewide operation on Wednesday, September 27.
On the day, 80 firearms and around 30,000 rounds of ammunition were seized. Nine firearm licences were revoked and five were suspended.
Operation Pendula targeted 19 licence holders during the blitz and conducted safe firearm storage inspections, and served revocation or suspension notices in southern and western regions of the state.
The operation's aim was to ensure firearms don't end up in the wrong hands, Commander of the NSW Firearms Registry, Detective Superintendent Cameron Lindsay said.
"In the case of many of these identified targets - due to their alleged links to organised crime - their firearm licences and firearms were either revoked or suspended," he said.
Raptor Squad Commander, Detective Acting Superintendent Stuart Gordon, said the operation aims to remove criminals' access to guns, whether lawfully held by other people or not.
"Firearm regulation is an ongoing tactic in disrupting organised criminal networks and working with the NSW Firearms registry to revoke licences and seize guns from their associates is just another tool in our arsenal," he said.
"While it is not alleged any person subject to this operation is themselves involved in criminal activity, it's another reminder of the price of involvement in OCN or OMCGs.
Supt Lindsay said the NSW Firearms Registry has stringent integrity testing of all firearm applicants for licences and permits, and continually assesses that licence holder's suitability to retain their licence.
"This operation is an important reminder to all firearm licence holders that the NSW Firearms Registry has an exhaustive list of grounds to revoke a licence, and we will do so if there's even the slightest risk to the community."
Operation Pendula is a joint initiative by the NSW Firearms Registry, State Crime Command's Raptor Squad and the State Intelligence Unit.
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