Ex-army sniper Robert Marchment revealed as target of ABF raid

After scores of police and Australian Border Force agents swooped on a Gold Coast residential property on Thursday morning, the target behind the raid has been revealed as a former elite army sniper.

A FORMER crack army sniper-turned commercial animal hunter has been revealed as the target of a raid by police and Australian Border Force agents on the Gold Coast.

Scores of police and ABF agents swooped on the Paradise Point home of Robert Marchment on Thursday morning, sealing off the street and leaving stunned neighbours locked out.

Army bomb experts were called in after explosives were reportedly found at the Warrie Cl duplex where the Afghanistan veteran, and army sharpshooter and ammunition supplier had lived quietly for two years.

ABF agents spent most of the day at the residence and plainclothes police took away bags of evidence.

Mr Marchment’s Facebook page shows him shooting and brandishing guns.

Robert Marchment with a mortar and beer.

In one photo, he has a mortar in one hand and a can of Cambodian beer in the other.

His Facebook profile says he likes “back massages and trolling anti gunners’’ and that he manages Gold Coast Possum, Bush Turkey and Pest Animal Removal.

There is also a photo of his army Certificate III in Fieldcraft as a sniper, with competencies including the ability to “kill selected enemy targets with accurate fire’’ and “wound or disable enemy targets with harassing fire’’.

In a local newspaper interview in 2011, he said he had taken part in an army shooting competition at the Australian Army Skill at Arms Meeting “where the top 100 shooters in Australia compete’’.

Robert Marchment is helping police with their inquries following the raid.

Mr Marchment has not been charged with anything following the raids.

An ABF spokesman said members from Defence’s Joint Explosive Ordnance Support office attended at the request of Queensland Police, and assisted in the identification and recovery of a number of items of explosive ordnance.

He said no public safety risks were identified and the investigation was ongoing.

Mr Marchment, who runs a business called RJM Vertebrae Pest Control & Firearm Services, did not respond to The Courier-Mail’s request for comment.

Mr Marchment runs a business called RJM Vertebrae Pest Control & Firearm Services.

His neighbour, Stewart Green, said he was shocked to see “millions of cops floating about’’ at the duplex.

They turfed me out about 1 o’clock – I couldn’t get (back) in for the last three hours,” he said. “I don’t know what’s going on... It’s all a mystery – a mystery to everyone.” Neighbours said Mr Marchment was quiet and kept to himself.