australia launches Major Gun Seizure Operation Targeting individuals Rejecting Authority
MELBOURNE, Australia – Australian authorities are undertaking a large-scale operation to sieze firearms from dozens of individuals identified as rejecting goverment authority, following a series of violent confrontations with police and a nationwide search for fugitive Jed Freeman. The operation, details of which emerged this week, comes amid heightened scrutiny of extremist ideologies and gun ownership in the country.
The move follows the fatal shooting of two police officers in separate incidents in 2023 – one in South Australia and another in Tasmania - and a 2022 incident in Queensland where three ”christian extremists” with conspiracy theories and anti-police sentiment were killed in a shootout with officers after a six-hour siege near Wieambilla.
Authorities have been focusing on individuals espousing “sovereign citizen” beliefs and similar ideologies, often linked to rejection of legal authority. Jed Freeman, the subject of a massive manhunt in Victoria since August 26, embodies this profile. He fled on foot and heavily armed into dense forest after police attempted to execute a search warrant at his property in Porepunkah. Victoria’s Police Commissioner Mike Bush stated that officers involved in the warrant included members of a unit investigating sexual offenses and child abuse, though the initial reason for the search remains undisclosed.
Freeman has a documented history of conflict with law enforcement, including a 2021 incident where he attempted to arrest a magistrate and police officers in Wangaratta magistrate’s Court, captured in a video published online. A 2024 finding from Victoria’s Supreme Court, related to Freeman’s challenge of a driver’s license suspension, revealed he referred to police officers as “Nazis” and “terrorist thugs” in court submissions.
australia already has some of the strictest gun control laws in the world, implemented after a 1996 massacre in Port Arthur, Tasmania, where a lone gunman killed 35 people. More recently, Western Australia enacted even tighter regulations last June, limiting most individuals to owning a maximum of 10 firearms.
The current operation represents a proactive step to mitigate potential threats posed by individuals actively rejecting state authority and possessing firearms. Hundreds of officers are currently involved in the search for Freeman, traversing rugged terrain and investigating remote locations. The ongoing operation underscores the Australian government’s commitment to maintaining public safety and enforcing its gun laws.
