Police have charged a 43-year-old man after he was found carrying a homemade firearm inside a hotel in Newtown earlier this morning 30 April.
Around 12.50am officers were conducting wanding as part of Jack’s Law when they intercepted a man in a gaming area inside the premises on Anzac Avenue.
It is alleged when officers wanded the man he became uncooperative before he removed a suspicious object from his pants and threw it.
When officers searched the area, it is alleged they located a homemade firearm.
A 43-year-old Slacks Creek man has been charged with one count each of unlawful possession of weapons, carry weapon in a public place while loaded, authority required to possess explosives and obstruct police.
He is due to appear in the Toowoomba Magistrates Court on 20 May.
Since Jack’s Law was legislated and expanded last July, police have been utilising handheld metal detecting wands in designated public areas across the district as part of targeted operations focused on preventing knife-related violence and enhancing community safety.
The scans have been conducted at a range of locations including public transport hubs, entertainment precincts, shopping centres and community events, with officers conducting visible patrols and engaging with the public while identifying people carrying knives unlawfully.
The laws, introduced in response to the tragic stabbing death of 17-year-old Jack Beasly in 2019, are an important prevention tool, allowing officers to intervene before a situation escalates and ensuring dangerous weapons are removed from the streets.
