Wellington, Sep 30 (AP) During a visit to New Zealand, FBI Director Kash Patel presented senior police and spy officials with gifts of inoperable pistols. These pistols, illegal under New Zealand's strict gun laws, had to be destroyed, as confirmed by New Zealand law enforcement agencies to The Associated Press.
The 3D-printed, plastic replica pistols were presented as part of display stands to at least three senior security officials. Patel, the highest-ranking Trump administration official to visit New Zealand thus far, was in Wellington to inaugurate the FBI's first standalone office in the country.
Gun control is stringent in New Zealand, and possessing a pistol requires an additional permit beyond a standard gun license. Authorities did not disclose whether Patel's hosts had such permits, but without them, they could not legally retain the gifts.
It remains unclear what permissions Patel sought to bring the pistols into the country. When questioned, a spokesperson for Patel said the FBI had no comment.
The recipients surrendered the pistols, which were subsequently destroyed.
In New Zealand, inoperable weapons are treated as potentially operable if they could be restored to functionality. Gun regulators judged these pistols as potentially operable and took action to destroy them, as per Police Commissioner Richard Chambers’ statement on Tuesday.
Commissioner Chambers did not specify the means by which the pistols were rendered inoperable prior to Patel gifting them. Typically, this involves a temporary disabling of the firing mechanism.
Three key New Zealand law enforcement leaders confirmed receiving the gifts at meetings on July 31. Chambers was one of the recipients, joined by Andrew Hampton, Director-General of NZSIS, and Andrew Clark, Director-General of GCSB, according to a joint statement from their respective departments.
A spokesperson for the intelligence agencies described the gift as a “challenge coin display stand” featuring the 3D-printed inoperable weapon as part of its design. The officials sought guidance on the legality of the gifts immediately, as Chambers explained.
Upon examination, it was found that the pistols could potentially be operable.
“To ensure compliance with firearms laws, I instructed the police to retain and destroy them,” Chambers stated.
James Davidson, a former FBI agent and president of the FBI Integrity Project, which aims to protect the bureau from political influence, criticized Patel’s appointment. However, Davidson described the gifting of replica pistols as a “genuine gesture” and felt their destruction was “an overreaction by the NZSIS,” which could have opted to render the replicas permanently inoperable.
New Zealand has reinforced its gun laws, especially following a horrific 2019 attack in Christchurch, where an Australian man shot dead 51 Muslim worshipers using legally acquired semiautomatic weapons.
The pistols gifted by Patel were not semiautomatics, which are banned post-Christchurch. However, multiple other restrictions apply concerning the legal possession of guns in New Zealand, including specific permits required for pistols.
New Zealand’s culture does not have a fervent attachment to gun ownership, and the public perception of firearms has soured since the Christchurch tragedy. Gun ownership is considered a privilege, not a right, under New Zealand law.
While firearms are common in rural settings for pest control, violent gun incidents remain rare. Many urban residents may never encounter a firearm. Police officers themselves are not routinely armed while on patrol.
Patel’s visit also stirred unease due to comments he made concerning China's influence in the region. The establishment of the FBI office in Wellington wasn’t disclosed publicly until after the event. An FBI release stated that the new office would complement the FBI's presence in other Five Eyes intelligence-sharing nations, including the U.S., Australia, Canada, and the UK.
The new office would give FBI staff a local base for operations previously overseen by the Canberra office in Australia since 2017.
Local records disclosed Patel’s interactions during his visit, including dining and meetings with over a dozen influential public servants and officials. It remains uncertain how many of these officials received pistols as gifts.
Patel’s mention of countering China's influence in the South Pacific, where New Zealand is situated, added diplomatic strain. Wellington officials emphasized that the enhanced FBI presence was primarily for collaboration on issues like child exploitation and drug trafficking. Beijing opposed Patel's remarks. (AP) SKS SKS
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