Three men are in custody over a violent home invasion at Coles Bay, on Tasmania’s east coast, that left an elderly man beaten and nine firearms missing.
Detectives arrested the men on Thursday afternoon during a targeted operation across Launceston.
Police took the three into custody at properties in South Launceston, Prospect and Invermay, after searching several homes during the operation.
The three men are now being held at the Launceston Remand Centre.
No charges have been laid and investigations are continuing in the north of the state.
The arrests come almost a week after the attack on July 11, when police allege two masked men armed with a crowbar broke into Grant Whelan’s rural property around 5am.
The men allegedly assaulted the 76-year-old and forced him to open his firearms safe before stealing nine registered guns, cash and his white 1998 Toyota Hilux.
They then allegedly bound his hands and feet with cable ties, dragged him into the yard and set the house alight.
Whelan was hit in the head with a crowbar and suffered other injuries. He remains in a stable condition at the Royal Hobart Hospital.
The stolen ute has since been recovered from the Apsley River and is undergoing forensic examination.
Detective Inspector David Gill said investigators had located another item they believed was linked to the property, but the stolen guns were still to be found.
“While it is pleasing we have arrested three people in relation to this serious incident, it is concerning the firearms stolen from the property still remain in our community,” Gill said.
He urged anyone approached to buy or store firearms for someone else to contact police.
“We are repeating our call for people with knowledge of the location of the firearms to come forward,” 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.
