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POLICE DESTROY 136 GUNS

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MANZINI – Day in and day out, people are robbed at gunpoint while others get killed in the process by robbers who use illegal firearms.


However, this will hopefully come to an end as police have destroyed 136 firearms.


The police tried to get illegal guns off the streets as they destroyed a total of 136 guns yesterday during the International Gun Destruction Day, which is globally commemorated on July 9.  A total of 54 of the firearms were linked to crime.


The guns were destroyed by the police yesterday at the Matsapha Police Academy and apart from the 54 which were linked to different crimes, were unserviceable government firearms and those that belonged to individuals who no longer needed them.


The guns that were destroyed ranged from shotguns, submachine gun, rifles and pump action among others. The International Gun Destruction Day was initiated by the United Nations in 2001, and it serves to remind the people about the threat that excess, poorly secured and illegal weapons pose to their everyday safety and security.


Assistant Superintendent Sipho Gamedze, said the campaign was meant to reflect on the effects of small arms and to call for surpluses to be destroyed rather than stockpiled, transferred or resold.
He said destroying gun stocks stopped surplus guns leaking into the illegal market and because firearms do not expire, they could be used many times to commit crimes.


“As the police service, we have noted with concern the use of illegal firearms in the country but we are happy to report that the number of guns destroyed today has decreased from that of last year,” Gamedze said. He said this meant that the number of illegal firearms that fell into the wrong hands was decreasing and that those belonging to government were well-taken of and serviced on time to avoid them being destroyed.


Furthermore, Gamedze said the destruction of guns also helped in controlling the number of firearms a country should have.

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