Carrying 24 Karat Gold-coated Firearms Without Permission, US Woman Arrested By Australian Police

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JAKARTA - A US woman has been arrested in Australia after a 24-carat gold-plated weapon was found in her suitcase. The woman arrived in Sydney from Los Angeles and did not have permission to carry a firearm. Australian Border Forces (ABF) said the woman had not been identified. In Australia, the person concerned could be sentenced to 10 years. Photographs released by ABF showed a scanning female trunk at the airport, showing a firearm in her bag. The second photo shows a gun after the bag is opened. An ABF official said advanced detection technology had helped stop dangerous weapons from entering the country. "Many times, we have seen how good ABF officers are at targeting and stopping illegal goods, and it is very dangerous, from crossing the Australian border," ABF Commander Justin Bathurst was quoted as saying by the BBC, Wednesday, April 26. The 28-year-old woman was charged and tried at the Downing Center Court on Monday. She could also face the cancellation of her visa and removal from Australia, pending the outcome of the court proceedings. Passengers on domestic flights in the US can travel with firearms in bags checked when lowered and locked in a hard-side container. Travelers must also notify airline representatives that they intend to travel with these weapons during check-in. But in 2022, a record number of firearms was seized from US airport passengers. A total of 6,301 weapons were taken at checkpoints in mid-December, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said. In contrast, Australia has some of the most comprehensive firearms laws in the world. They came under force after 35 people were killed in 1996 by an armed man in Tasmania.

After the attack, all automatic and semi-automatic weapons were banned, and about 600,000 weapons were handed over as part of the government's mandatory repurchase scheme.