Number of banned guns seized after mosque shooting revealed [Video]

More than 20 prohibited firearms have been seized in the Bay of Plenty and 117 nationwide over the past three years.

The figures come after the four-year anniversary this month of New Zealand’s worst mass shooting, when Brenton Tarrant murdered 51 worshippers and injured 40 others at the Al Noor and Linwood mosques in Christchurch on March 15, 2019.

The Government introduced sweeping legislation to crack down on firearms with the ability to cause harm in a rapid and highly destructive way from a distance as part of its response.

Four years later, the head of the local deerstalking association said there was still “strong resentment” from the hunting and shooting community for the way they were “vilified and scapegoated” after the attack.

Police figures provided under the Official Information Act show Bay of Plenty district police seized 18 prohibited rifles and five prohibited shotguns between the start of 2020 …