Semi-automatic rifle seized and suspect behind bars after manhunt
A Brisbane man accused of fleeing from a traffic stop while in possession of a loaded high-powered rifle has been arrested following a manhunt. See the arrest vision.
Cairns
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A Brisbane man accused of fleeing from a traffic stop while in possession of a loaded high-powered rifle has been arrested following a high-priority manhunt.
Police allege the man from Marsden, a southern suburb of Brisbane, was stopped outside the Fishery Falls Hotel in a Hyundai i30 for the purpose of a search.
Police video reveals the 28-year-old man stopped but refused to hand over his car keys when directed.
He then allegedly took off down the Bruce Highway in the direction of Cairns.
Detective Inspector Jason Chetham said the pursuit of the driver became a high priority for police due to the man being in possession of an unlawful and dangerous weapon.
“We had that man and the weapon in custody about an hour after he sped away from the scene, so we’re very pleased that we’re able to do that so quickly,” he said.
“We would rate that a high priority … any time we have information about people unlawfully possessing weapons, we devote resources to it immediately.”
Detective Inspector Chetham was unsure of the make of the rifle but said it was similar to a Russian-made SKS rifle capable of firing 400 rounds per minute.
Police located the man hiding in bushland of Bentley Park and a search of the nearby area by a specialist firearms police dog revealed the weapon and large magazine buried in leaf litter.
A 28-year-old Marsden man was charged with one count each of obstruct police officer and unlawful possession of weapons category D/H/R weapon.
“The major organised crime squad and tactical crime squad were the lead players in identifying where he was and as such we were able to tap into the resources of the dog squad once we had him in custody,” he said.
The latest weapon seizure follows a spate of unrelated firearm seizures in Cairns, including a bust in February, that netted a huge cache of high-powered rifles and illicit drugs, though police wouldn’t be drawn on an apparent spike in illegal guns hitting Far North streets.
“There is absolutely no place for these types of dangerous weapons in our community, and our officers will continue to target anyone who possesses firearms unlawfully,” Detective Inspector Chetham said.
“When anyone that possesses firearms illegally hasn’t gone through the proper vetting process to acquire a weapons licence, we’re always concerned.”
The man was denied bail at his first court appearance and was remanded in custody to reappear in the Cairns Magistrates Court on August 4.
Originally published as Semi-automatic rifle seized and suspect behind bars after manhunt
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