During a trip to New Zealand, FBI Director Kash Patel presented senior police and intelligence officials with 3D-printed replica pistols — gifts that were later found to be illegal under the country’s stringent gun regulations and were subsequently destroyed, as reported by The Associated Press citing officials.
The plastic pistols, which were integrated into display stands, were given to three of New Zealand’s leading security figures on July 31, including Police Commissioner Richard Chambers, NZSIS Director-General Andrew Hampton, and GCSB Director-General Andrew Clark. Patel, the highest-ranking official from the Trump administration to visit the nation thus far, was in Wellington to inaugurate the FBI’s first independent office in New Zealand.
In New Zealand, pistols are subject to strict controls, necessitating a special permit in addition to a standard gun license. Authorities concluded that the replicas could potentially be rendered operable and mandated their surrender and destruction. “To ensure adherence to firearms regulations, I directed the Police to retain and destroy them,” Chambers stated.
A representative for New Zealand’s intelligence agencies characterized the gift as a “challenge coin display stand” that included the replica weapon. Chambers mentioned that the officials consulted with gun regulators the following day, which led to the decision.
James Davidson, a former FBI agent and current president of the FBI Integrity Project, criticized Patel’s appointment but referred to the gifts as “a genuine gesture,” adding that their destruction was “quite frankly, an overreaction.”
New Zealand enforces some of the most stringent gun laws globally, which were reinforced following the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings that resulted in the deaths of 51 worshippers. Firearms ownership is regarded as a privilege rather than a right, and frontline police officers generally do not carry firearms while on duty.
Patel’s visit garnered significant attention as the opening of the FBI office was not publicly disclosed until it had already occurred.
In July, the bureau stated that this development aligned New Zealand with FBI operations in other “Five Eyes” intelligence-sharing countries — namely, the United States, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
