3,000 illegal firearms handed to police since launch of gun amnesty

Gun amnesty.Photo: Heiko Junge / SCANPIX .

More than 3,000 illegal, or unregistered, firearms have been handed to the police since the launch of the gun amnesty in March,

reported TV 2.

‘This is a lower number of weapons than we had in the previous amnesty. But that was expected, as the previous amnesty had already cleaned up a lot,’ said Kristin Kvigne, Director of the Police Department in the Police Directorate (POD), to the news channel.

During the weapons amnesty lasting until May the 31st, weapons may be handed in anonymously, without risk of punishment. Since the amnesty started on March the 1st, police have received 2.4 tons of ammunition. A total of 845 weapons have also been post-registered.

Grenades and explosives are among the weapons handed in. In the Southwestern Police District, four kilograms of explosives have currently been submitted to police authorities.

The highest number of weapons, 647, have been filed in the Southeastern Police District up to now. The district comprises a total of 54 municipalities in Buskerud, Vestfold, Telemark, and Jevnaker Municipality in Oppland.

Anyone who hands in illegal weapons may, as an alternative to destruction, apply for stopping-up the weapon, for registration for resale,or for legal ownership of the weapon itself.

Those who make use of the amnesty don’t risk recall for the weapon’s registration card, or rejection of future weapons applications, emphasized the police.

When the amnesty period expires, anybody caught with illegal weapons risks from two, to in most cases, six years imprisonment.

During previous amnesties in 2003/04, and 2008, the police received 35,000, and 7,000 firearms respectively.

 

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today