Police recover stolen navy weapons

Updated

Investigations are continuing after police arrested a 40-year-old man on Saturday and recovered weapons stolen from a Navy patrol boat moored at HMAS Coonawarra.

A dozen semi-automatic pistols and two pump-action shotguns were taken from the ship's armoury after a crewman was overpowered on board the Armidale-class patrol boat Bathurst on Thursday night.

Detectives for the Major and Serious Crime Squad raided a Darwin city unit about 2:30pm (ACST) on Saturday and recovered all the weapons.

Officers arrested a 40-year-old man at the inner city apartment.

NT Police Commander Richard Bryson says police do not yet know what role the man allegedly played in the armed robbery.

"Police are still trying to establish at this point in time whether or not this person has received the weapons shortly after the commission ... or in fact [if the man is] one of the principal offenders," he told a press conference.

"Those are the matters yet to be established by the investigators."

Commander Bryson says it appears several people were involved in the patrol boat raid.

"Investigators will continue those investigations until all persons that had a hand in that conspiracy have been brought to justice," he said.

Commander Bryson says police are still investigating the backgrounds of those involved to determine if there is a connection to the military base.

He says he is proud of the quick turnaround time to recover the weapons.

"This is a significant result for the NT Police and the community to recover these weapons and remove them from the streets so quickly," he said.

"There is a large team of detectives that have worked tirelessly around the clock in order to achieve this breakthrough in the investigation."

The Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Ray Griggs, yesterday ordered an investigation into security on all Australian Navy ships and bases.

Topics: navy, police, crime, darwin-0800

First posted