http://www.theage.com.au/interactive/201.../day1.html

Quote:Despite Australia’s strict gun control regime, criminals are now better armed than at any time since then-Prime Minister John Howard introduced a nationwide firearm buyback scheme in response to the 1996 Port Arthur massacre.

Shootings have become almost a weekly occurrence, with more than 125 people, mostly young men, wounded in the past five years.

While the body count was higher during Melbourne’s ‘Underbelly War’ (1999-2005), more people have been seriously maimed in the recent spate of shootings and reprisals.

Crimes associated with firearm possession have also more than doubled, driven by the easy availability of handguns, semi-automatic rifles, shotguns and, increasingly, machine guns, that are smuggled into the country or stolen from licensed owners.

These weapons have been used in dozens of recent drive-by shootings of homes and businesses, as well as targeted and random attacks in parks, shopping centres and roads.

“They’re young, dumb and armed,” said one former underworld associate, who survived a shooting attempt in the western suburbs several years ago.

“It used to be that if you were involved in something bad you might have to worry about [being shot]. Now people get shot over nothing - unprovoked.”

Quote:In this series, Fairfax Media looks at Melbourne’s gun problem and the new breed of criminals behind the escalating violence.

The investigation has found:

There have been at least 99 shootings in the past 20 months - more than one incident a week since January 2015

Known criminals were caught with firearms 755 times last year, compared to 143 times in 2011

The epicentre of the problem is a triangle between Coolaroo, Campbellfield and Glenroy in the north-west, with Cranbourne, Narre Warren and Dandenong in the south-east close behind

Criminals are using gunshot wounds to the arms and legs as warnings to pay debts

Assault rifles and handguns are being smuggled into Australia via shipments of electronics and metal parts

Quote:Despite Australia’s strict border controls, the smuggling of high-powered military-style firearms is also a growing problem, particularly with the country’s reliance on shipping by sea cargo and the rise of the so-called “dark web”.

But, but, but didn't the gun control "experts" tell us that gun smuggling would be impossible? If they can be smuggled into an island nation like Australia how hard is it going to be to smuggle them into a country where uneducated peons straight out of a mud hut can simply walk across the border unopposed?

And as is always the case......criminals are not effected by gun laws.

It's the high muslim and Asian population. They'll run the country in 20 years.