Have things gotten better since the firearms ban and armed self defence was made illegal in Australia? It doesnt seem so. Haz.

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SYDNEY is under siege from gangs of heavily armed robbers terrorising shopkeepers, pub staff and residents.

Richard Noone December 31, 2011 12:00AM 8 comments


Meat cleavers, machetes, sawn-off shotguns and axes are among the weapons used in recent weeks as thugs smashed their way into so-called "soft targets" - mostly service stations, bottle shops and licensed premises - demanding cash, wallets, jewellery and mobile phones.

Details of more than 50 of the most violent incidents have been released by police this month.

However they are just the tip of the iceberg, with as many as a dozen more reported every 24 hours according to logs of the police encrypted radio network.

It is a similar story across the state.

Four men armed with knives, machetes and pool cues are wanted over the robbery of a hotel at Taree West on Wednesday in which a 54-year-old employee was assaulted and locked with two patrons in a store room as assailants ransacked cash registers.

Read Full Story: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/new...-1226233614607