A Southern Midlands gun owner will be summonsed to court after thieves allegedly stole six registered firearms from a safe with its keys left on top of it.
The guns were taken during an aggravated burglary in June, Tasmania Police said today.
Police have since recovered three of the firearms and charged two people. The other three are still missing.
Firearms Services sergeant Steve Bugg said the burglary was a reminder that secure firearm storage went beyond owning a compliant safe.
“The security of the keys is equally important,” he said.
“Storing keys near or on a safe can effectively negate the protection the safe is designed to provide.”
Police urged licence holders to keep safe keys well away from the safe, lock safes after use and lock buildings holding firearms when unattended.
Alarms and cameras are mandatory for anyone who owns a handgun or more than 10 firearms.
The warning comes weeks after a Supreme Court judge upheld a $25,000 fine against a separate man for storage breaches at homes in Launceston and New Norfolk.
Police found locked ammunition boxes at his Launceston home with the keys hanging nearby. At New Norfolk, 11 firearms were kept in a shipping container with no alarm.
“Every stolen firearm has the potential to be used in further criminal activity,” Bugg said.
