Police say charges were laid after firearms and drugs were located in a vehicle after a crash on the South Coast yesterday.
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Police said a Blue Holden VS Utility was travelling north on the Princes Highway at Bimbimbie, south of Batemans Bay, when it crossed onto the southbound lane and rolled onto an embankment at 4.30pm on Saturday, October 19.
"A Batemans Bay Highway Patrol vehicle witnessed the accident and attended the scene," a police spokesperson said.
The 32-year-old driver and two passengers of the vehicle, aged 18 and 20, attempted to run from the scene and were arrested shortly after.
Officers will allege they located and seized a backpack allegedly containing a shortened .22 rifle and a shortened shotgun with a "significant" amount of ammunition, as well as knives, paperwork, including stolen prescription pads, and drug-related paraphernalia.
Upon searching the men, officers also allegedly located prescribed restricted substances - with no prescriptions - a small amount of methamphetamine, cannabis, knives and knuckledusters.
The three men were taken to Batemans Bay Police Station where they were charged with various offences.
Police said the driver, from Batemans Bay, was charged with driving recklessly/furiously or in a dangerous speed or manner, negligent driving (no death or grievous bodily harm) and an offence related to prescribed restricted substance.
The 18-year-old passenger, from Mogo, was charged with two counts of possessing a shortened firearm (not a pistol) without authority, two counts of possessing an unauthorised firearm, possessing ammunition without holding a licence/permit/authority, custody of a knife in a public place (subsequent offence) and possessing a prohibited drug.
The 20-year-old passenger, from Bingie, was charged with two counts of possessing a shortened firearm (not a pistol) without authority, two counts of possessing an unauthorised firearm, possessing ammunition without holding a licence/permit/authority, possessing or using a prohibited weapon without a permit, possessing a prohibited drug, possession of equipment for administering prohibited drugs, goods in personal custody suspected of being stolen (not motor vehicle), custody of a knife in a public place (subsequent offence) and possession of restricted substance sold by a non-wholesaler.
All three men were refused bail to appear in Batemans Bay Local Court on Monday, October 21.
