Yesterday, The Leader revealed Lance Victor Tracey had been refused bail in an Armidale court, charged with 27 gun, drugs and weapons offences following the discovery of an illegal cache of guns and weapons in an Armidale home.

New England police backed by Strike Force Raptor stormed the O’Dell St property and arrested Tracey and seized a Ruger pistol, a Tikka rifle with a scope, along with two other guns.

“Police also seized amounts of amphetamine and a magazine for an M16, which is a semi-automatic weapon, and the magazine held in excess of 20 rounds of ammunition,” New England Detective Inspector Ann Joy told The Leader.

“Knuckledusters, fireworks and detonator cord were also seized at the home.”

The operation involved local detectives, the Target Action Group (TAG), New England police as well as a sniffer dog and a firearms-trained dog, and saw four raids across Armidale, Glen Innes and Guyra.

It was part of a wider gangs crackdown across the New England North West which has seen several arrests and guns, drugs and other illegal goods seized.

During the operation, New England investigators issued four firearms prohibition orders to known outlaw motorcycle gang (OMCG) targets.

“The subject of these orders were either members or associates of the Rebels OMCG,” Detective Inspector Joy said. 

“We served four firearms prohibition orders in areas across the command in Guyra, Glen Innes and Armidale and we searched four premises.

“In relation to a prohibition order served on a man in Glen Innes, he was also issued a notice to attend court for the offence of possessing a quantity of ammunition.”

A man served with a firearms prohibition order in Guyra had already had his licence suspended and his firearms seized.

Detective Inspector Joy said the orders are life bans and trigger new search powers for police to enter those homes, at any time.

“We have seen a further emergence of firearm crime and drug-related crime and the apparent connection between those activities and the presence of OMCG,” she said.