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Original articlehttps://www.heraldsun.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/police-courts-victoria/crackdown-on-shotgun-trip-alarms-being-installed-victorian-homes/news-story/70f2ad957a4920f3608de4885e148c72Home alarms that fire 12-gauge shotgun rounds when someone “trips” a wire have been installed in Victorian homes from Colac to Frankston, and it’s not just crooks using them.
Dangerous trip alarms used by criminals and capable of firing 12-gauge shotgun rounds are being increasingly seized by authorities.
Australian Border Force officers have confiscated 28 of the weapons in a recent crackdown involving a sweep of raids across Victoria.
Among places they were uncovered were Colac, Drysdale, Hampton Park, Kinglake Dromana, Mt Eliza and Frankston.
The devices are marketed as designed to serve as an alarm but their ability to fire a round puts them in the same category as other firearms.
A total of 47 were seized in Victoria and West Australia as part of Operation Tripidation.
The ABF said 15 importers of the alarms were identified in Victoria and 14 warnings issued.
There were 18 importers found in the WA arm of the operation.
Insp. James Judge of the ABF said an increasing number of trip alarms were coming in via the international mail system, sparking the crackdown.
Some of the alarms are being used by criminals for protection but others are being purchased innocently by members of the public.
They fire when someone “trips” a wire attached to the device.
“Trip alarms are not harmless toys or convenient security devices, it is a serious offence to bring these items into the country without the appropriate permissions,” Inspector Judge said.
“We understand that some members of the public may attempt to import a trip alarm with completely innocent motives. But it is a case of buyer beware and they should always check first to see if an item is a prohibited import.”
Intentionally importing a trip alarm without authority carries penalties of up to 10 years in jail.