CANBERRA, Jan 22 (NNN-AAP) – More than 17,000 weapons were surrendered, in the first year of Australia’s permanent national firearms amnesty.
The federal government, yesterday, released the first annual report on the amnesty programme, which allows Australians to hand in unregistered, illegal or unwanted weapons, without facing punishment, revealing 17,543 weapons were surrendered in the first 12 months.
The permanent amnesty was set up in mid-2021, following temporary programmes in wake of the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, and again in 2017.
According to the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, there are approximately 260,000 illicit firearms in circulation in Australia. Among the weapons handed in between Jul, 2021 and Jun, 2022, were 8,140 rifles, 2,896 shotguns and 789 pistols.
“It is an important measure to reduce the number of firearms circulating in our community and keep Australians safe,” the Attorney-General, Mark Dreyfus, said yesterday.– NNN-AAP
