The 28-year-old woman, who arrived in Sydney on a flight from Los Angeles, did not have a permit to import or possess a firearm in Australia, which has some of the world’s strictest rules on gun ownership.
A woman from the United States was arrested in Sydney, Australia, for carrying a 24-carat gold-plated “Golden Gun” handgun in her luggage
Importing firearms without approval in Australia is illegal, and the maximum penalty for this offense is ten years imprisonment. The woman appeared before a local court and received bail.
However, her visa status and continued stay in Australia are subject to the court’s decision, and she could face deportation depending on the outcome. According to the Australian Border Force (ABF), the arrest demonstrated the force’s officers’ diligence and the country’s advanced detection technology.
The ABF is committed to protecting the community by working with law enforcement partners to prevent unregistered firearms from entering the country.
Australia implemented comprehensive gun-control measures after a lone shooter killed 35 people in Port Arthur, Tasmania, in 1996
The government banned rapid-fire rifles and shotguns, tightened gun owner licensing, and registered remaining firearms to national standards. It also implemented a successful nationwide buy-back and amnesty scheme. Since then, the country has been held up as an example of how decisive action on gun control can reduce deaths from firearms.
In contrast, the United States has more deaths from gun violence than any other developed country per capita. Gun violence has reached record levels in the country, which is the only nation in the world where civilian firearms outnumber people.
According to the Switzerland-based Small Arms Survey (SAS), there are approximately 120 guns for every 100 people in the US, compared to just 14 guns for every 100 people in Australia. The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) data from 2019 show that the rate of gun violence in the US is eight times higher than in Canada, 22 times higher than in the European Union, and 23 times greater than in Australia.
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