Historical weapons stolen from Lithgow museum could be made operational, police say

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Police in New South Wales are concerned 27 handguns stolen last week from a gun museum in the state's central tablelands could be made operational. Police have released CCTV footage of the three people they believe stole guns.

Transcript

00:00I'm here at the Lithgow Small Arms Factory Museum, where a little over a week ago, three

00:07people broke into the facility at around 3am on Sunday morning, smashing through windows

00:12and doors and stole 27 handguns, some of which date back to the 1860s and are valued at around

00:19$200,000.

00:20Now, a short time after they broke in, the assailants fleed in a Toyota Land Cruiser

00:27that was found burnt out in Bathurst about two hours later.

00:31That vehicle was believed to have been stolen from Nowra on the New South Wales South Coast

00:37about two days earlier.

00:39New South Wales Police spoke a short time ago about the investigation.

00:42Although the firearms themselves were not operational, there are very genuine and real

00:47concerns that these firearms can be made operational, so we are appealing for any information, anyone

00:55with the smallest amount of information as to who may be responsible, or where these

01:00firearms are located, we need to hear from you, so please contact Crimestoppers.

01:07The volunteers here at the museum are understandably devastated by these events, having 27 handguns

01:12stolen from the facility.

01:14They're saying that they probably won't be able to reopen until Christmas, in what has

01:18been one of their most successful years of visitation before this.

01:21Obviously they are heartbroken by the events that have occurred, and these weapons have

01:26considerable value for them, dating back to the 1860s.

01:30They told us that they are irreplaceable, and it is really heartbreaking what has happened

01:35here.

01:36We're hoping that one day it will come back bigger and better, but it's up to others at

01:41the moment, the future of the museum.

01:43New South Wales Police say anyone with information is encouraged to contact Crimestoppers, obviously

01:49they're very concerned with these weapons potentially becoming operational, 27 of them

01:54being stolen.

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