Police seize more than 180 cannabis crops in Adelaide’s west, dozens of gel blasters seized in separate Mawson Lakes bust
Police seized more than 180 cannabis plants and 150kg of dried weed after raiding warehouses – and a man, 48, faces court over a separate gel blasters bust.
Police & Courts
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A Mawson Lakes man will face court after dozens of unregistered gel blasters were seized from a home on Friday.
Around 9.30am, police attended a Mawson Lakes address after members of the public reported seeing what appeared to be rifles in the front window of the house.
Police questioned the occupant before searching the address and seizing 26 unregistered gel blasters.
A 48-year-old Mawson Lakes man was reported for various firearms offences and will be summonsed to appear in the Elizabeth Magistrates Court at a later date.
In October 2020 gel blasters were reclassified as regulated imitation firearms requiring a licence to sell and operate. They were previously treated as toys.
SA Police data released earlier this year showed that from October 2020 to February 2022, a total of 4732 gel blasters were surrendered or seized.
In February, seven gel blasters were seized and a man was reported at Devon Park.
After that incident Detective Superintendent Billy Thompson, Officer in Charge of Firearms Branch, urged those who still owned gel blasters to surrender them.
“Don’t wait until the police come to you because it will be too late,” he said.
“Anyone convicted of possessing an unregistered firearm can be fined $10,000 to $35,000 and can face imprisonment of two to seven years.”
To legally own a gel blaster people must hold a current firearms licence and have the weapon registered.
Meanwhile, a man has faced court after police located two cannabis crops in Adelaide’s western suburbs this week.
Detectives searched a Thebarton warehouse on Monday and seized a large hydroponic cannabis crop including 163 mature cannabis plants and about 150kg of dried cannabis.
On Thursday a Welland warehouse was searched and police seized a second cannabis crop including 18 plants and around half a kilogram of cannabis bud.
A 42-year-old Tranmere man was arrested and charged with cultivating a large commercial quantity of a controlled drug, trafficking a large commercial quantity of a controlled plant, possessing prescribed equipment and diverting electricity.
He was refused bail and appeared in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Friday.
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