One hundred and forty-two weapons along with a quantity of live rounds and spent shells had been handed over to the police at the end of the initial gun amnesty programme, the Guyana Police Force announced yesterday.
In a detailed summary provided to the media, the force said there was just one high-powered rifle was among the guns handed in. Figures show that the majority of guns were handed over in `F’ Division (interior locations).
Government has since extended the amnesty for another two weeks. It will now come to end on October 14.
According to the press release, 121 shotguns, 10 pistols, seven air rifles, one AK 47 rifle, and three revolvers were handed in; the total being 142 firearms. The release said this total represented weapons handed in by citizens as at Wednesday in response to the firearm amnesty.
Giving a breakdown by police division, the release said that in ‘A’ Division (Georgetown/East Bank Demerara), police received 1,192 rounds 7.62×39 ammunition, three .22 pistols and three magazines along with 78 rounds .22 ammunition, three shotguns with 23 cartridges, one 9 mm Luger pistol with nine matching rounds, four .32 pistols along with one magazine and 347 matching rounds, three air rifles, one .25 pistol and six rounds, one .22 revolver, one .38 revolver and 20 rounds and one .357 revolver.
Nothing was handed over in `B’ Division (Berbice), based on the information provided by the police. In recent weeks there have been what appears to be an upsurge in serious crimes in that region.
With regard to ‘C’ Division (East Coast Demerara), two air rifles and three 9mm spent shells were handed in, while ranks in ‘D’ Division (West Demerara/East Bank Essequibo) received one air rifle, one 9mm magazine, three 16-gauge shotgun cartridges and three 20-gauge shotgun cartridges, the release said.
It added that in ‘E’ Division (Linden/Kwakwani), one air rifle, one improvised shotgun and two shotguns were collected.
In ‘F’ Division, ranks received 115 shotguns, one AK 47 rifle, one .32 pistol, one cartridge, eighteen .32 rounds and ten 7.62×39 rounds.
In June, Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan had announced government’s intention to introduce the programme aimed at reducing the number of illegal guns on the streets, in the wake of an increase in gun-related crimes.
Both Ramjattan and Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo have urged members of the public to make use of the amnesty as at the end of this period persons found in possession of illegal arms and ammunition will face the full brunt of the law.
Ramjattan on Wednesday had told the media that more than 50 per cent of what was currently in the police’s possession had been handed over, in the last couple of days.
The hand in started off slowly but picked up at the days went by.
