Three men have been charged over a violent home invasion on Tasmania’s east coast, as police reveal 15 guns were stolen – well above the nine first reported.
None of the registered firearms have been recovered.
Detectives arrested the three men during targeted operations in Launceston on Thursday afternoon. They were charged on Friday.
All three have been charged with attempted aggravated burglary, aggravated burglary, aggravated armed robbery, aggravated assault, arson and motor vehicle stealing.
Two of the men – a 31-year-old of no fixed address and a 31-year-old from Invermay – also face a charge of breaching a family violence order.
The 31-year-old of no fixed address faces a further charge of driving whilst disqualified, taking his total to eight offences.
The third man, a 29-year-old from Ravenswood, faces six charges.
All three have also been charged over an earlier incident at the same property on June 25.
The men were held in custody overnight and are expected to appear in the Launceston Magistrates Court this afternoon.
Police allege masked men armed with a crowbar broke into Grant Whelan’s rural property on Coles Bay Road about 5am on Saturday, July 11.
Once inside they are accused of assaulting him before forcing him to reveal where a firearms safe was kept.
Police allege the 76-year-old was bound with cable ties, dragged outside and his house set alight, before the intruders fled in a stolen vehicle.
Whelan was hit in the head with the crowbar and suffered other injuries. He remains in a stable condition at the Royal Hobart Hospital.
The intruders also took cash and his white 1998 Toyota Hilux, which has since been recovered from the Apsley River and is undergoing forensic examination.
Detective Inspector David Gill said the missing firearms remained a concern for police.
“Illegal firearms in the community pose a serious threat to public safety and we remain determined, not just as part of this investigation, but in all dealings with criminal groups, to locate and seize unlawful firearms,” Gill said.
He urged anyone approached to buy or store firearms for someone else to contact police.
Gill thanked members of the public who came forward with information over the past six days, saying it helped police move on the targeted operations.
“Tasmania Police allocated significant resources to the investigation of this serious incident,” he said.
Anyone with information, including CCTV or dashcam footage from Coles Bay Road on the morning of July 11, can contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
