A MAN has been charged following a 45-hour police operation that locked down parts of Swansea.
Officers from the Hunter Region Enforcement Squad attended a home on Lake Road, Swansea, about 3pm on Wednesday, October 11 and attempted to speak with a 33-year-old man.
Police will allege in court the man instead entered the house and refused to leave.
A perimeter was established and specialist police, including negotiators, were called to the scene.
Attempts to negotiate with the man continued until about 12.10pm on Friday, October 13, when the man was taken into custody by officers from the Tactical Operations Unit.
Police seized eight firearms from the home including a sawn-off rifle, a shotgun, a lever action rifle and five pistols.
He was taken to Belmont Police Station where he was charged with 35 offences including:
- Use offensive weapon to prevent lawful detention
- Armed with intention to commit indictable offence
- Three counts of possess unauthorised firearm
- Two counts of possess unregistered firearm not pistol or prohibited firearm
- Three counts of not keep firearm safely not pistol or prohibited firearm
- Possess unregistered firearm prohibited firearm
- Two counts of possess or use a prohibited weapon without permit
- Goods suspected stolen in or on premises
- Six counts of possess ammunition without holding licence or permit or authority
- Five counts of possess unauthorised pistol
- Three counts of not keep firearm safely pistol
- Three counts of possess unregistered firearm pistol
- Possess less than three unregistered firearms, one is prohibited or pistol
- Two counts of possess prohibited drug
- Supply prohibited drug commercial quantity
He was refused bail and due to appear in Newcastle Bail Court on Saturday, October 14.
Resident Dave Fuller, who lives nearby on Moxey Street, told the Newcastle Herald he arrived home from work on Wednesday afternoon about 4pm to find police swarming the streets
"It was just crazy, there were cops everywhere," he said.
Police closed Marks Street and Lake Road late on Wednesday evening and on Friday morning officers remained on scene with road blocks in place. Police had constructed a sun cover on Thursday amid hot conditions.
Mr Fuller said he was told by police that a man had barricaded himself inside.
"I'm not concerned but I don't know what's going to happen, it's been going on for a while."
Lake Road resident Mary Dale and her husband have been watching the Swansea siege unfold from their loungeroom window.
"Yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon, about 4pm we were outside and then police told us to go in and don't come back out," Mrs Dale said on Thursday.
The couple told the Herald they felt like they were experiencing COVID lockdown all over again.
A different Lake Road resident said it was a waiting game and they hoped to see the man come out safely.
"I am concerned, I've been here for five years and this is a major event for Swansea," they said.
"From what we've been told he's a relatively quiet bloke."
