A man is facing a raft of charges after police allegedly found a loaded gun in his car at East Maitland.
Officers stopped a vehicle for a random breath test on Cecily Close at about 10.00pm on Wednesday.
The 42-year-old driver returned a negative result but police say they found him in possession of crystal meth.
They then searched the car, finding the loaded handgun in the centre console and arrested the man.
A house in Cecily Close was searched a short time later and a rifle fitted with a scope and homemade silencer were seized, as well as multiple rounds of ammunition for a variety of firearms.
The man was taken to Maitland Police Station where he was charged with eight offences:
• Possess unregistered unauthorised prohibited firearm in a public place
• Possess loaded pistol in a public place
• Possess unregistered firearm/prohibited firearm
• Not keep firearm safely – prohibited firearm
• Alter firearm so as to convert it to a prohibited firearm
• Possess ammunition without holding a licence, and
• Possess prohibited drug (two counts).
The man was refused bail and will appear in Maitland Local Court today (Thursday 1 March 2018).
