They had decided that MP Megatron was to be classified as a "replica firearm" and could only be imported if you had appropriate licenses and what not.
Not all Megatron's were seized and some made it through, but a number of them were which spurred Australian Collector Tiby (a practicing Lawyer) into action to help his fellow collectors get their hands on Megatron without too much hassle.
The result hasn't been highly overwhelming but the Government and Customs have made regulations for collectors to import and own Megatron legally.
The full story
Tiby wrote:Announcement on 25 September 2007 by Police Minister David Campbell. Click here
I am setting up a collector's club which will be open for collectors to join, and thereby fulfil one of the requirements for owning Masterpiece Megatron. To quote the Minister, the requirements are as follows:
· Undergoing a criminal and probity check;
· Providing a genuine reason for ownership of the toy;
· Providing proof of membership to a collector’s club; and
· Abiding by safe storage, surrender and disposal requirements.
The criminal and probity check is a Firearms Registry requirement, and usually done by local police.
A genuine reason for ownership of the toy is that a person is a collector of Transformers.
Proof of membership of a collector's club will be part of what I will provide in the club.
Safe storage includes a locked cabinet. I recommend the following:
Display and Rack Systems
I will update this site as the club progresses with more details on how to join.
Thanks for your support!
The collector's club he's setting will no doubt be Australian only, however if you're Australian and already a member of the international club that should cover you.
Either way, plenty of hoops to jump through just to own a toy.