Four stolen guns, a large amount of drugs and more than 200 rounds of ammunition have been recovered in a raid in Western Victoria.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Two Ararat men have been charged and bailed, while a third is in custody and will face court on Thursday.
The drama unfolded on Monday when a member of the public called Ararat police who in turn stopped a male behaving suspiciously.
Police searched the area, finding a loaded rifle in nearby bushland.
![File image by Adam Trafford. File image by Adam Trafford.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/177877894/11ff44ab-6f98-4e78-b906-a378db1380c7.jpg/r0_0_4928_3023_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Officers said checks revealed the firearm had just been stolen from a yet-to-be-reported burglary.
All up, four rifles/shotguns and ammunition were taken in that theft.
With the help of police in Ararat, Stawell and Horsham, Ararat-based detectives managed to work out the location of the three missing firearms - and the Northern Grampians Criminal Investigation Unit executed a warrant.
Police found the firearms and ammunition as well as trafficable quantities of ice and cannabis.
A 29-year-old Ararat man has been kept in custody and will face Horsham Magistrates Court on Thursday charged with theft of firearms, possessing cannabis, and committing an indictable offence while on bail.
Two men aged 30 and 49 - also from Ararat - were both charged with possessing trafficable amounts of firearms. They were bailed to appear at court at a later date.
Have you tried The Courier's app? It can be downloaded here.