Only 10 per cent of stolen guns recovered across Queensland

Only a small portion of stolen guns are being recovered as police sound the alarm for firearm owners to secure their weapons as more criminals target their properties.

South West police are urging licensed weapons holders to lock up their firearms with 40 guns stolen from properties in the first five months of the year.

Until may 13 2025 there have been 207 firearms stolen across the state while only 21 have been recovered.

In the Southern Regions which includes Darling Downs, Ipswich and South West Districts there have been 40 stolen this year and 126 in 2024.

Across Queensland there were 3017 guns reported stolen In the last five years while more than 2000 remain missing.

Detective Superintendent George Marchesini said there had been 40 weapons stolen in the South West: NewsWire / John Gass

Detective Superintendent George Marchesini said police had launched operation Whisky Firestorm to combat the concerning rise in thefts.

“Late last year we were looking into the state of play in Queensland around theft and recovery of firearms, what we found was there was the illicit firearms community but there was also a steady stream of weapons stolen from law abiding citizens properties,” he said.

“The operation puts a focus on educating licensed holders and building a culture of responsibility as well as providing education as to where stolen weapons can end up.

“I’ve been a detective for 30 years and in the last five years we are seeing an escalation of violence and that’s why we need to ensure we have an adequate police response.

“We are seeing more of our criminal network that are in possession of firearms or are in the market for firearms and we are seeing them used in violent crimes.”

Gun owners are being urged to secure their weapons after a spate of thefts. Photo: The Queensland Times

Mr Marchesini appealed to gun owners to ensure their firearms were appropriately locked up in accordance with the law.

“If you own a registered firearm you are obliged to keep them secure, don't let complacency slip in,” he said.

“This is not about police targeting weapons licence holders, this is about building a culture of security and awareness.

“However, if we do come across people who are flagrant with their security and pose a danger police will take action.”

He urged anyone with information on stolen or illegal firearms to contact police.

“We receive intelligence from members of the public and Crime Stoppers and we rely on that evidence to execute search warrants and build a bigger operation to target those criminal networks.”