Almost three decades after Australia's worst-ever mass shooting, the total number of firearms in the country is the highest it has ever been but the surge in illegal guns isn't due to 3D-printed weapons or black-market imports from overseas.

Instead, it's the theft of legally owned guns fuelling the numbers.

With more than four million firearms now in circulation, research from the Australian Institute claims there have been 44,631 guns stolen across Australia in the past 21 years, including at least 9,000 firearms since 2020.

"There's a link between legally-owned firearms and illegal firearms," said Rod Campbell, the Australian Institute's research director.

" The more legal guns there are, the more can be stolen to become illegal guns. "

In October, police and Border Force officia

See Full Page