Due to the volume of weapons, multiple vehicles were needed to remove them. Photo: Supplied / NZ Police
Police have seized nearly 500 firearms from a property in Gore in what is believed to be one of the largest weapons hauls in New Zealand history.
Officers raided the property on 6 June after concerns were raised about the man's purchasing history.
A temporary suspension notice was issued, allowing police to revoke his firearms licence and confiscate weapons.
A total of 478 firearms were recovered - including pistols, potentially prohibited and restricted weapons, significant quantities of ammunition, and parts.
Only six were registered to the man. While some were stored in safes, many were left unsecured.
A total of 478 firearms of different descriptions were seized from a property in Gore. Photo: Supplied / NZ Police
"It's shocking to see so many firearms unsecured… the scale of it is concerning," said Southland Area Commander Inspector Mike Bowman, calling it the biggest seizure ever seen in the Southern District.
No charges have been laid yet, but police are investigating whether the firearms were stored or registered lawfully and whether they were intended for illegal sale.
It was the man's purchase history that caught the attention of officials.
The man had purchased multiple firearms since 2023 but had not registered all of them, as legally required. Purchasers must also register any existing firearms they already own.
Due to the volume of weapons, multiple vehicles were needed to remove them.
The firearms will be held in secure custody during the investigation.
Firearms Safety Authority executive director Angela Brazier said the case highlighted the importance of the Firearms Registry.
"Information shared by police enabled us to quickly suspend the man's licence… and remove this considerable number of unlawfully held firearms," she said.
More than 425,000 firearms are now listed in the Registry, and over 86,000 licence holders have registered.
"It's still early days in the investigation," Bowman said, "and we have a lot of work to do before we get to that point" regarding the firearms' future.
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