Gun and ammo seizures fire past last year’s total

The number of illegal weapons and ammunition intercepted by customs officials at ports and airports is expected to outstrip last year’s total, figure indicate.

Glock handguns, machetes, revolvers, cans of tear gas and even an air mortar bomb are among the items already seized by customs in the first 10 months of this year, with most intercepted at the Dublin Mail Centre and Dublin Airport.

According to data provided by the Revenue Commissioners, by the start of this month officials had made 186 separate seizures of illegal weapons and related paraphernalia. The total number of seizures in 2012 was 199.