The Rockliff Liberal Government wants everyone to enjoy a safe Christmas and Tasmania Police are reminding the public that gel blasters are not considered toys in Tasmania.
Most gel blasters are designed to look like firearms, meaning they are deemed to be a ‘firearm’ under the Firearms Act 1996 and anyone found in possession of an imitation firearm may be prosecuted.
Gel blasters can be a particular threat to the community because they are easily mistaken for real firearms.
``It’s only when some firearms are closely examined that it’s possible to confirm that a firearm is in fact a gel blaster,’’ Minister Ellis said.
``There have been several instances where gel blasters have been used in crimes, including in a recent siege incident, and it wasn’t until the incident was safely resolved and the weapon seized that it was confirmed to be a gel blaster.
``With Christmas only a few weeks away and I’d like to remind everyone that gel blasters are not considered toys in Tasmania,’’ Minister Ellis said.
Gel blasters have an operating mechanism which places them in the same category as an air rifle or air pistol.
Some gel blasters are reproductions of machine guns, which are entirely prohibited, and anyone in possession of a gel blaster, particularly one that looks like a real firearm, should hand it in to Tasmania Police.
Under Tasmania’s permanent amnesty arrangements, no-one will be prosecuted for surrendering a gel blaster firearm.
Last calendar year Tasmania Police destroyed 154 gel blasters - most of which were handed in voluntarily - and from 1 January to 30 June 2022, another 84 gel blasters were destroyed.