A 34-year-old man, implicated in the illegal supply of firearms in the Bay of Plenty, has pleaded guilty to a number of charges.

He will face sentencing at Rotorua District Court on July 2 2021 after pleading guilty to four firearms charges, including sale and supply of firearms and unlawfully carrying a firearm, along with two charges of supplying methamphetamine.

Police became aware of the man's activity in December 2020 and began an investigation into his involvement into the illegal supply of firearms.

The man never held a firearms licence, so was unable to purchase firearms from retailers directly.

He asked two associates who held their own firearms licences to purchase firearms on his behalf.

After acquiring the firearms he then subsequently sold these on the black market which made their way into the hands of unlicensed individuals involved in criminal activity.

'Removing this individual from the chain of the illegal supply of firearms is only going to benefit our communities,” says Bay of Plenty District detective senior sergeant John Wilson.

'Police will continue to target organised crime groups and individuals who continue to pose a risk to our communities though the illegal sale and supply of firearms.”

Disrupting the illegal supply of firearms to gangs and organised criminal groups, which enables firearms violence, is a key focus of Operation Tauwhiro, a national operation focused on harm prevention and enforcement.

'We are committed to disrupting these kinds of criminal groups, and the community can also play a part to help prevent further harm they cause,” continues Wilson.

'Anyone who witnesses suspicious activity, or who suspects organised crime or gang activity in their neighbourhood, is urged to contact Police.”