Police have seized 478 firearms including five pistols - some that may be prohibited, along with ammunition and parts, from a Gore property on Friday (6 Jun) in what is believed to be one of New Zealand’s largest seizures of weaponry.

Concerns about the purchasing history of a Gore man, led Police officers to issue him with a notice of temporary suspension – which allows Police to retain a firearms licence holder’s licence and uplift any firearms in the person’s possession.

Only six of the firearms were registered in the man’s name, and while some were locked in safes, a large number were unsecure.

Southland Area Commander Inspector Mike Bowman said it was shocking to see so many firearms unsecured and the scale of it is concerning.

It was largest seizure of firearms ever seen in the Southern District “by far”.

No charges have been laid, but that may change, depending on the investigation, Inspector Bowman said.

Bowman said it was too soon to say if any of the firearms were destined to be sold to criminal groups.

“A number of enquiries are being made into this discovery, but the sheer number of firearms involved means that will take some time.”

Unusual purchases

It was the man’s purchase history that caught the attention of officials.

“Through the Firearms Registry, the Firearms Safety Authority was able to establish the man had purchased multiple firearms since 2023, and not all were registered as they should have been after purchase,” Bowman said.

“In buying a firearm, the man was required to register older firearms already in his possession, and we allege that did not happen.”

Because of the number of firearms located, multiple Police vehicles were required to transport them from the property.

The firearms, ammo and parts will be held securely by Police until the investigation, and any legal action that may follow, is complete.

The future of the seized firearms remains unclear.

“It’s still early days in the investigation and we have a lot of work to do before we get to that point,” Bowman said.