WA Police have confirmed an operation to seize hundreds of guns from so-called sovereign citizens was conducted because of a fatal police shooting in Victoria in late August.

Authorities confirmed a state-wide operation concluded on Friday that saw search warrants conducted at 70 addresses of people aligned with the sovereign citizen movement.

It comes after two police officers in Victoria were shot and killed, allegedly by Dezi Freeman, a self-confessed sovereign citizen. He is still on the run in country Victoria.

Sovereign citizen is a term for people who hold extreme anti-government views, who believe laws and regulations don’t apply to them.

WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch said despite their beliefs, sovereign citizens were not above the law.

“The recent murder of two serving police officers in country Victoria was allegedly committed by a sovereign citizen,” he said.

“Following this tragedy, I instructed my officers to conduct a review and risk assessment of those individuals in Western Australia who are licensed firearm holders and whose beliefs align with sovereign citizen ideology.

“Individuals whose beliefs align with so-called sovereign citizen ideologies do not believe the laws passed by elected members of parliament should apply to them.”

Police say they found 135 firearms, and cancelled or suspended 44 firearms licences in the operation.

Police Minister Reece Whitby was fully supportive of the measures and the operation.

“No one is above the law, and that includes anyone who declares they are a sovereign citizen,” he said.

“[They] oppose the laws that are the cornerstone of a free and democratic community, which has the potential to threaten public safety.”