A 40-year-old Metford man who was caught with a shortened firearm, ammunition and a silencer will appear in Maitland Local Court today.
The man was searched by police in East Maitland on Thursday night and they found the gun and accessories in the car where he was a passenger.
Central Hunter crime manager Detective Inspector Andrew McDonald said it was a positive and pro-active result for police, given the recent spate of armed robberies and firearms offences.
“Who knows what they were doing driving around with a gun,” he said.
“That is one gun off the street, I guess.”
Inspector McDonald said police were conducting a registered firearm audit as part of their biannual inspections.
He said there were 3700 registered firearms in the central Hunter and more than 4000 in the Hunter Valley police command.
He said stolen firearms didn’t appear to be a problem in the central Hunter.
Firearm licensing conditions require registered holders to keep their weapons stored in a secure safe that complies with legislation.
The most recent offence involving a gun involved an armed robbery at the Caledonia Hotel, Cessnock, last week where more than 20 patrons were ordered to the ground and a shot was fired into the ceiling.
