A Griffith man has been refused bail after being arrested by police conducting a search warrant.
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Waseem Ayub Khan, 38, was arrested and charged on Tuesday following an investigation into the importation and manufacture of firearms.
Murrumbidgee Police District officers served a firearms prohibition order and a weapons prohibition order on him at a home in Griffith.
During the search police found two gel blasters, seven silencers, prohibited drugs, laptops, mobile phones, electronic hard drives, and documentation. These items have been seized and will undergo forensic examination.
The man was arrested and charged with two counts of possess unauthorised prohibited firearm, seven counts of possess or use a prohibited weapon without permit, not keep firearm safely-pistol, and possess prohibited drug.
Police will allege in court that the man was manufacturing firearms at the property and was in the process of converting the gel blasters into prohibited firearms.
Khan appeared at Griffith Local Court on Wednesday where he was refused bail, and a further bail application on Thursday was also refused.
Khan was represented by Olivia Harris who argued for his release, saying strong conditions such as house arrest could sufficiently eliminate his risk to the community.
She said the while prosecution case was strong, the two firearms found were replicas and could not injure anyone, though she conceded they could terrify people.
She submitted the silencers by themselves were also not capable of causing injury.
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With all items being seized in the thorough search, Khan no longer had access to anything posing a risk to the community, she said.
"He has had no serious matters in his history for 17 years," she told the court.
With a previous firearms conviction in 2002, she said he was still allowed a firearm license afterwards.
Magistrate Joy Bolous said they were "serious matters" with a strong prosecution case. While she agreed he was a community, family and business man, she refused bail in both applications.
Khan is set to appear in Griffith Local Court on December 19.
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