Police call another arms amnesty

Press, 22 August 1978, Page 2

Police call another arms amnesty

PA Wellington Another arms amnesty will begin on Friday of next week. The three-month amnesty, during which people- may dispose of unlawfully held firearms, ammunition and explosives without prosecution. was announced yesterday by the Commissioner of Police (Mr R. J. Walton).

He said the police particularly wished to take custody of pistols and machine-guns, whatever their origin. There! would be no need for people) handing in arms to disclose! their source, he said. Mr Walton said that ini the last amnesty, held ini 1974, more than 1000 rifles, | 411 pistols and 14 machine-; guns were surrendered. Another 1462 firearms were produced for registration and changes of address were regularised in 4633 cases, he said. “No doubt there are still many unlawful weapons around the country and this amnesty offers an ideal opportunity for people to rid themselves of these weapons,” he said. In the case of unlawfully

held rifles, registration in the name of the present owner could be considered, and registered owners of firearms who had changed their address and failed to notify the police could do so during the amnesty without being prosecuted. Bombs, gelignite, detonators and other commercial explosives could be handed in under the amnesty, Nobody should on any account attempt to move explosives, particularly if they were old. as in that state they were often extremely dangerous, Mr Walton said. Army bomb disposal specialists' and inspectors of explosives would ensure safe) collection and disposal of I any explosive.