Naval officer on gun-sale charges

A senior Navy officer has been charged with conspiring to sell two military style semi-automatic rifles to undercover police.

The man's home was raided in December as part of a major police operation which involved the seizure of at least 800 weapons from collectors and dealers in the Waikato and Auckland.

More than 140 items were seized from the man's house.

Most were firearms and ammunition he was licensed to keep as a collector.

Two Glock handguns, four Ruger rifles and a Smith & Wesson revolver belonging to the navy were among the items confiscated.

They were later returned to the navy.

The man is due to appear in court this week facing five charges under the firearms and crimes acts.

He cannot be named for legal reasons.

Police have applied to revoke his firearms licence.

This year he applied for a judicial review of police actions after months had passed without any charges or his firearms being returned.

In an affidavit to the high court, the man said he was "deeply concerned about the potential for all of this to negatively impact on (his) career". He also feared the court action could cost him his navy pension.

Police allege the man conspired with Dale Jenner, a former Hamilton gun dealer, to sell an AK-47 and another military style weapon to two undercover police officers.

Jenner pleaded guilty to charges he faced over the incident.

Another man targeted during the operation, dubbed Operation Daisy, was Auckland film-set supplier and gun collector Martin Bath, who was charged with firearms and drugs offences last month.

Navy spokesperson Barbara Cassin said the charges were a matter for the police.

- © Fairfax NZ News