Authorities in New Zealand are looking for a group of thieves who stole around $200,000 worth of firearms from a museum. A group of three people broke into the Lithgow Small Arms Factory Museum in NSW Blue Mountain and made off with 27 firearms.
"I can't explain how devastating it is for the volunteers, the local community, and Australia in general," museum secretary Kerry Guerin said on Tuesday. "It's more than just a firearms museum ... it's part of Australia's history."
Investigators recovered the thieves' getaway vehicle, which they believe was stolen, but it was destroyed by a fire.
The guns are irreplaceable, with one pistol dating back to the 1700s. While many of the guns are antiques, officials were worried that many of them are still operational and could end up in the hands of criminals.
"We are especially concerned about these firearms being in the hands of criminals in Nowra, Lithgow, and all the communities between," NSW drugs and firearms squad commander detective superintendent John Watson.
"Stolen firearms are a common currency within organized crime networks, which is why we are asking the community to help us find these firearms and identify those involved in their theft."