Illegal gun trade: Federal police smash international high-powered handgun smuggling racket
A devious plot to smuggle high-powered handguns hidden in toy motorbikes from the United States has been smashed by authorities who feared the lethal weapons would have flooded Melbourne’s organised crime gangs.
North West
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Dozens of illegal semiautomatic handguns smuggled from the United States and feared bound for violent Melbourne criminals have been seized by authorities.
The international racket to smuggle disassembled high-powered guns hidden in toy motorbikes was smashed by Australian Federal Police in January, this year.
“Operation Badcoe” launched after a consignment of illegal gun parts illegally mailed to a Brunswick Airbnb via Ohio was intercepted on January 3.
The consignment contained 16 handgun frames, nine 30-round magazines, six 50-round drum magazines nine magazine end caps and nine followers to suit the extended magazine and two 9mm drilling bits.
The gun parts were falsely described as “motorised kids toy motorcycle no battery”, a court has heard.
Three similar consignments containing gun parts “hot glued” to motorbikes were also intercepted.
The parts, when assembled, could produce dozens of handguns capable of firing 50 rounds in just minutes.
Authorities feared the weapons were bound for “Outlaw Criminal Motorcycle Gangs or other criminals”.
A 2014 Federal senate enquiry revealed criminals paid at least $15,000 for illegal semiautomatic handguns.
Investigators linked three consignments to Sydney men Pjeter Gjolaj and Martin Cacaj.
The final consignment was linked to Southbank man Patrick Camaj.
The gunrunners’ clandestine operation was conducted with falsely registered mobile phones, encrypted messaging and fake photoshopped driver’s licences.
AFP obtained authorisation for a “Controlled Operation” which authorised the delivery of “consignment 3” to the Brunswick Airbnb.
The substituted consignment was delivered by an undercover AFP officer and received by Cacaj and Gjolaj.
Gjolaj rang his American connection to discuss “their concern as to whether the package had been intercepted”.
AFP officers swooped and arrested both men.
Authorities then moved on Camaj at his Southbank apartment.
Camaj threw cash, a mobile phone, a router and a hard drive off his balcony as investigators stormed the apartment.
Camaj was arrested but later released without charge.
A fourth consignment from Michigan bound for Camaj’s Southbank apartment block was then seized by authorities.
On January 23, Camaj did a runner to Indonesia but was denied entry and sent back to Australia.
Authorities nabbed him soon after landing at Perth airport.
Subsequent investigations into bank records under Camaj’s name revealed payments of $189,285 were transferred to a Commonwealth Bank account between May 2018 and January 2019.
International money transfers of $63,154.54 from the same account were funnelled to US accounts during the same period.
AFP detective Superintendent Jayne Crossling said the seizures were “significant” and attempts to illegally import firearms parts were “always treated seriously”.
“There is now no chance that these weapons will end up in the dangerous hands of Outlaw Criminal Motorcycle Gangs or other criminals,” she said.
An ABF spokesperson said illegal guns had the potential to cause great community harm.
“The demand for and supply of illicit firearms in Australia is driven by a range of entities, from organised crime groups to low-level individual criminals, who continue to seek, procure and use firearms to protect their interests and commit violent acts,” the spokesperson said.
“Not only are serious and organised crime groups seeking access to firearms for criminal
purposes, but an increasing number of groups are trafficking firearms.
“The illicit firearms market is driven in part by outlaw motorcycle gangs, Middle Eastern organised crime groups, and other groups engaged in trafficking illicit commodities such as drugs.”
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Camaj, 34, Gjolaj, 26, and Cacaj, 27, faced a County Court plea hearing on November 27 after pleading guilty to a range of charges including import prohibited firearm part.
High-profile barrister Robert Richter QC submitted his client, Gjolaj, was involved “out of a desire to clear gambling debts”.
Judge Trevor Wraight will sentence all three men at a later date.