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| Australian man arrested over AK-47-shaped bong | Australian man arrested over AK-47-shaped bong |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Australian police have charged a man who was seen allegedly carrying what seemed to be an AK-47 assault rifle – but which turned out to have a rather different purpose. | Australian police have charged a man who was seen allegedly carrying what seemed to be an AK-47 assault rifle – but which turned out to have a rather different purpose. |
| Officers rushed into action after a flurry of emergency calls from north-west Sydney on Wednesday evening. | Officers rushed into action after a flurry of emergency calls from north-west Sydney on Wednesday evening. |
| A helicopter joined the search before CCTV led police to a parked car. | A helicopter joined the search before CCTV led police to a parked car. |
| A "gun" was recovered, but police soon realised it was in fact a bong - a device used to smoke marijuana. | A "gun" was recovered, but police soon realised it was in fact a bong - a device used to smoke marijuana. |
| A 50-year-old man was later arrested in connection with the incident, police said. | A 50-year-old man was later arrested in connection with the incident, police said. |
| "A search of [a] vehicle by police allegedly located an imitation AK-47 assault rifle. With the assistance of Polair [helicopter], officers found a man in nearby grassland," a New South Wales Police statement said. | "A search of [a] vehicle by police allegedly located an imitation AK-47 assault rifle. With the assistance of Polair [helicopter], officers found a man in nearby grassland," a New South Wales Police statement said. |
| The man was later charged with possession of an unauthorised firearm and intimidation. | The man was later charged with possession of an unauthorised firearm and intimidation. |
| He has been remanded in custody and his case will be heard in April. | He has been remanded in custody and his case will be heard in April. |
| Police will allege in court that the seized item was a bong, a water-filled filtration device used to smoke marijuana and other herbal substances, local media reported. | Police will allege in court that the seized item was a bong, a water-filled filtration device used to smoke marijuana and other herbal substances, local media reported. |
| NSW drugs laws state that it is an offence to "sell, supply or display for sale a bong… or the component parts, whether or not [it] is intended to be used to administer a prohibited drug". | |
| Designed as a cheap and reliable weapon for the Soviet army by Mikhail Kalashnikov in the 1940s, some 100 million actual AK-47s are estimated to have been manufactured over seven decades. | Designed as a cheap and reliable weapon for the Soviet army by Mikhail Kalashnikov in the 1940s, some 100 million actual AK-47s are estimated to have been manufactured over seven decades. |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Asia Pacific | Asia Pacific |
| Australia | Australia |