{"id":278795,"date":"2025-10-05T05:13:15","date_gmt":"2025-10-05T05:13:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/278795\/"},"modified":"2025-10-05T05:13:15","modified_gmt":"2025-10-05T05:13:15","slug":"more-than-100-guns-seized-in-wa-police-raids-targeting-sovereign-citizens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/278795\/","title":{"rendered":"More than 100 guns seized in WA Police raids targeting ‘sovereign citizens’"},"content":{"rendered":"

More than 100 firearms have been seized in a raid targeted at so-called sovereign citizens across Western Australia, an operation that authorities say was sparked by the fatal shooting of two police officers in Victoria.\u00a0<\/p>\n

WA Police have identified about 1,000 people who have professed sovereign citizen beliefs across the state, with 70 of those owning guns.<\/p>\n

\"Four<\/p>\n

Officers attended 70 properties, with 44 gun licenses cancelled. (Supplied: WA Police)<\/p>\n

The properties of those gun owners were searched during an extensive operation last week, with 135 firearms seized and 44 gun licenses cancelled or suspended.<\/p>\n

Police Minister Reece Whitby said WA Police had been gathering intelligence on people with sovereign citizen beliefs since the shooting death of two police officers in Porepunka in August.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Reece<\/p>\n

Reece Whitby said it was too risky to allow professed sovereign citizens to own firearms. (ABC News: Briana Sphepherd)<\/p>\n

WA’s top judge issues warning over ‘sovereign citizens’<\/a><\/p>\n

WA’s chief justice says everyone should be worried about the rise of ‘sovereign citizens’ who do not believe in the law, warning of the risks to “the safety and stability” of society.<\/p>\n

Significant resources have been allocated to apprehending alleged killer Dezi Freeman,<\/a> who is a self-identified sovereign citizen.<\/p>\n

Mr Whitby said the risk of allowing people with such beliefs to own guns was “far too high”.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor someone who is a professed sovereign citizen, whose beliefs are that they do not have to abide by the laws, how on earth can the people of WA entrust those people with the responsibilities of being a lawful gun owner?” he said.<\/p>\n

“We have seen some very tragic and serious incidents in other states. We want to keep Western Australians safe, we want to keep our police officers safe.”<\/p>\n

Fitness assessed<\/p>\n

As part of the operation, people who had expressed beliefs common to sovereign citizen movements in court proceedings or police documents had their gun license cancelled immediately.<\/p>\n

Others had their licenses suspended while police assessed whether they were fit to own firearms.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A number of people also had their licenses suspended for police to assess whether they were fit to own guns. (Supplied: WA Police)<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you have made it clear you do not abide by laws, there is no way you can be a fit and proper person to hold firearms in WA,\u201d Police Commissioner Col Blanch said.<\/p>\n

\"Col<\/p>\n

WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch said people who did not abide by the law were not fit to own a gun. (ABC News: Briana Shepherd)<\/p>\n

Firearm reforms have been introduced in WA that make it harder for people to get a gun license, with protesters claiming the regulations are evidence of government overreach.<\/a><\/p>\n

Mr Blanch said WA Police continued to support law-abiding firearm holders.<\/p>\n

“The [gun owners who] we cancelled their license, with the evidence we have, with the intelligence we have, do not meet that criteria,” he said.<\/p>\n

“They have decided they are not law-abiding, therefore their licenses were cancelled.”\u00a0<\/p>\n

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