Three men, including an alleged Russian organised crime suspect, have been charged after a cache of explosives, guns and drugs were seized from a rural Victorian property.
A lengthy investigation led officers to a property at Tyabb on the Mornington Peninsula on Wednesday where they dug up six storage cases of sophisticated explosive devices.
They also found a large number of assorted firearms, ammunition and a substance suspected to be drugs.
Officers from a joint taskforce, made up of Australian Federal Police, Victoria Police and Australian Border Force, had gone to the property following the detection of a package with a fake Dutch passport among international mail.
Police conducted a controlled delivery of the package to a Burwood business.
On the same day, a 46-year-old North Fitzroy man attended the business and departed with the package.
Police say he then delivered it to the alleged Russian organised crime suspect.
Police identified the man in the passport photo and allege he was planning to use the document to leave Australia undetected and avoid facing court.
Police executed a search warrant at the 49-year-old's Albert Park home where they seized gold coins, five USBs, multiple mobile phones and about $400,000 in Australian and US currency.
They later arrested a third man, 64, and seized about $600,000 in cash from his Brighton home.
AFP Detective acting Superintendent David MacGregor said the taskforce had successfully removed a range of deadly weapons from the hands of alleged crime gang members.
“Criminals may use firearms and other weapons to intimidate others or commit violence but even when they are targeting each other, innocent bystanders – including their own families – risk being harmed or killed,” Det Supt MacGregor said.
“The nature of this alleged offending is very concerning and our investigations are continuing into organised criminal group links."
The 49-year-old man was charged with unlawfully possessing two or more unregistered firearms, possessing a trafficable quantity of firearms, dealing in proceeds of crime and bail offences.
The 46-year-old was charged with possession of unregistered firearms and drugs and the 64-year-old with possessing firearms and the proceeds of crime.
All three faced Melbourne Magistrates Court on Thursday with the two younger men remanded in custody and the older man granted bail.
The investigation remains ongoing and further arrests have not been ruled out.
