UPDATE 3.15pm: The three men arrested for allegedly stealing firearms across the district have faced court.
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Wayne Scott, 36, faces five charges of firearm possession and possessing stolen goods, while co-accused Hayden Starkey, 27, also faces charges of aggravated burglary in Blampied and Beaufort, firearm theft, and stealing four vehicles.
He also faces an arson charge for allegedly lighting a car on fire in Beaufort, and a charge of reckless conduct endangering life by allegedly "discharging a firearm that placed person/s at risk of death".
Scott and Starkey, and co-accused David Pettit, 34, appeared briefly at the Ballarat Magistrates' Court on Wednesday morning, making no application for bail.
According to court documents seen by ACM, two males allegedly attended a property in Blampied about 4.10am on July 29, believed to be Pettit and Starkey, and attempted to break into vehicles in a shed.
A second alleged aggravated burglary in Blampied, about 4.30am on the same day, involved two males allegedly entering an unlocked garage and finding the key to a gunsafe, where they allegedly stole a shotgun, five rifles, an air rifle, and associated ammunition.
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The three men were arrested in simultaneous raids on Tuesday, where police allegedly found clothing matching CCTV footage and a letter regarding a firearms prohibition order with Starkey in Ararat, as well as a shotgun and ammunition.
A raid in Creswick, where Scott was occupying a bungalow and Pettit was in a caravan, allegedly revealed four rifles and an air rifle allegedly stolen from Blampied, and two shotguns allegedly stolen from Horsham, as well as a spud gun, a gel blaster, a crossbow, and a cattle prod, as well as a camera allegedly showing photos of the firearms from July 29, when the firearms were stolen.
Police allege there was a photo of a child holding one of the firearms, and had previously served a sentence for "firearm related offending".
Police note several firearms remain outstanding from the alleged Blampied burglary.
PREVIOUSLY: Three men have been arrested and guns seized in raids across multiple towns in central and western Victoria.
Two of the men, aged 34 and 36, were also arrested at a property in Reed Street in Creswick on Tuesday afternoon in connection with thefts in Blampied.
The seizure comes after detectives from the Western Region Crime Squad along with the Special Operations Group arrested a 27-year-old man in Queen Street, Ararat following a short foot chase about 2pm.
Officers then executed warrants in Creswick and Ararat where nine firearms were found.
Police said the seized firearms included an alleged assault rifle, 303 Enfield bolt action rifle and several other rifles and shotguns.
A significant quantity of ammunition was also seized along with alleged crossbows, other weapons including knives and two conducted energy devices.
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The 34-year-old man has been charged with multiple charges of burglary and theft and multiple theft of cars and firearms.
The 36-year-old man has been charged with having a traffickable amount of firearms and handling stolen goods.
The 27-year-old man has been arraigned with more than 30 charges including multiple charges of theft and burglary, arson and firearm offences.
Detectives are investigating whether some of the firearms are linked to a burglary in Blampied in July and possibly to burglaries in 2021.
The three men have all been remanded in custody to appear before Ballarat Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.
Western Region Crime Squad detectives were assisted by officers from Ballarat and Moorabool Crime Investigation and the Ballarat Divisional Response Unit.
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