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FBI Director’s Replica Pistol Gifts Deemed Illegal Under Strict New Zealand Gun Laws
A recent diplomatic exchange during FBI Director Kash Patel’s visit to New Zealand has inadvertently highlighted the significant differences in firearms regulations between the United States and its Five Eyes ally. Patel presented “inoperable plastic 3D-printed replica pistols” to at least three senior New Zealand law enforcement and intelligence officials earlier this year, gifts that were subsequently deemed illegal to possess under the country’s stringent gun laws.
The replica firearms were given to New Zealand Police Commissioner Richard Chambers, Andrew Hampton, director-general of the country’s intelligence service, and Andrew Clark, director-general of the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB). A spokesperson for the New Zealand Intelligence Community described the gifts as part of a “challenge coin display stand.”
Despite being initially presented as inoperable, a subsequent analysis by New Zealand’s Firearms Safety Authority and Police Armory determined that the replicas could potentially be modified to become functional. Under New Zealand law, possession of such weapons without an additional permit, beyond a regular gun license, is illegal.
Penalties for illegal pistol possession can include up to three years in prison or a fine of 4,000 New Zealand dollars (approximately $2,300 USD). There is no suggestion that Director Patel could face charges.
Commissioner Chambers, in a statement, confirmed he sought advice from the Firearms Safety Authority the day after receiving the gift. “To ensure compliance with firearms laws, I instructed Police to retain and destroy them,” he stated, adding that modifications could have made them operable. Similarly, Hampton and Clark’s gifts were also handed over to the national police force.
New Zealand significantly tightened its gun laws in 2019 following the devastating Christchurch mosque shootings, which claimed 51 lives. The aftermath led to a comprehensive ban on all types of semi-automatic weapons and assault rifles, along with stricter enforcement of firearms licenses.
Experts note that New Zealand’s approach to firearms is fundamentally different from the U.S., where possession is not enshrined as a right. Gun ownership is rare in urban areas and largely limited to rural settings for hunting or pest control.
Director Patel’s July visit marked the opening of the FBI’s first standalone office in New Zealand, a strategic move aimed at countering China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific, strengthening the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, and combating cybercrime. The FBI declined to comment on the gifting incident.