Mark Cooper: Police seize dozens of imported, 3D printed imitation firearms from Caringbah home

A Transport for NSW employee’s “hobby” of allegedly 3D printing and importing firearms, parts and ammunition has been uncovered following a police investigation.

A Transport for NSW employee has been refused bail after his alleged “hobby” of importing and 3D printing dozens of imitation firearms and parts was discovered.

Mark Cooper, 43, applied for bail when he appeared in Sutherland Local Court on Thursday charged with 53 firearms offences.

In a police statement of facts tendered to court said investigators obtained AUSTRAC, Australia Post, air cargo and PayPal information last month about Cooper’s alleged involvement in importing at least 85 Airsoft firearm parts and ammunition between December 2018 and September.

On Wednesday, police officers stopped Cooper and gave him a search warrant for his home.

He was arrested and allegedly told officers he had “two” gel blasters at his home, documents state.

Mark Cooper unsuccessfully applied for bail in Sutherland Local Court on Thursday.

Later that afternoon, tactical police entered Cooper’s Caringbah home before investigators arrived and carried out the search.

Police allegedly located dozens of air rifles, shells, batons, magazines, semiautomatic gel blaster pistols, a gel blaster revolver, silencers, laser sights, grenade launcher, pistol parts, springs and barrels.

“Police noted that a majority of the firearms appeared exceptionally realistic in both weight and appearance,” court documents allege.

“Certain parts of the firearm could be adapted for use in real firearms.”

Police allege Cooper admitted to possessing the firearms, stating he had them out of “boredom”, and had purchased them all.

During the search warrant, a 3D printer was located and was printing a firearm part.

Other 3D printed parts were located in the collection, as well as a 3D printed green rifle with a metal barrel found in the lounge room.

Investigators accessed Cooper’s computer where more than 200 blueprints for firearm parts belonging to glocks, MP5s, machine guns, revolvers and miscellaneous firearms barrels and silencers were located.

“The most concerning fact is the hundreds of blueprints capable of allowing the accused to print real firearm parts,” the documents state.

Cooper was taken to Sutherland police station and was charged with 24 counts of possessing an unauthorised prohibited firearm; 14 counts of acquiring a firearm part without authority; 12 counts of possessing ammunition without holding a licence; possessing a prohibited weapon without permit, manufacturing a firearm without a licence and possessing digital blueprints for manufacturing of a firearm.

Airsoft firearms, gel blasters and parts are considered to be the same as real firearms under the Firearms Act.

In court, Cooper’s lawyer said his client worked full time, and made the firearms as a “hobby”, noting Cooper did not know it was an offence to create or have imitation firearms.

The lawyer noted Cooper lived alone but needed to be at liberty to care for family members.

However, Magistrate Phillip Stewart refused to grant Cooper bail due to the very serious nature of the offences.

The case was adjourned to November 3.