Australian Border Force continues to stop dangerous weapons reaching Melbourne streets with imitation firearms, knives and trip alarms recently detected and seized at the border.

Around 3.6 million international mail items arrive in Australia each month – and at least a fifth of those arrive into Melbourne.

In 2022-23 ABF officers inspected more than 25 million international mail items, 75,000 air cargo consignments, and 56,000 sea cargo consignments imported into Australia to check for prohibited goods.

The importation of firearms, firearms parts and accessories puts lives in danger and enables organised crime syndicates and outlaw motorcycle gangs to carry out criminal activity in Australia.

The ABF employs evolving targeting strategies at our international mail centres, including the use of advanced data processes, to analyse mail articles before they arrive in Australia.

With access to advanced screening technology, ABF officers have the ability to narrow in, detect and stop prohibited goods entering Australia.

ABF Superintendent Tori Rosemond said our officers are exceptionally skilled and remain alert to the many crafty methods criminals employ when attempting to bring prohibited items across the border.?

"The ABF continues to work alongside its law enforcement partners to stop criminals who seek to import prohibited goods and illicit drugs into Australia," Superintendent Rosemond said.

"ABF officers apply an intelligence-informed approach and utilise many assets including detector dogs and x-rays, as well as substance and trace detection technologies.

"There have been some significant detections already this year and we remain focused on disrupting any attempt by individuals or criminal syndicates to bring harmful weapons into our community.

"In this space we detect all types prohibited items from tasers, slingshots, knuckledusters and extendable batons – it's a wide array of dangerous weapons that we stop from hitting the streets of Melbourne."