Arms amnesty begins for illegal weapon owners in France

Issue of: November 25, 2022 – 17:18

of Ministry of the InteriorThe organization that organizes this initiative estimates that up to 6 million weapons are in circulation illegally in France.

To reduce that number, 300 drop-off points are in place by Friday, December 2nd.

The goal is not to track down the weapons in the hands of criminals, but rather to “ordinary people” who may have guns or knives because they were left in their possession or misplaced at home. ”, the ministry explained.

“First and foremost, we want to combat domestic accidents that can occur with these weapons, which are often not safely stored at home,” the ministry said. said Jean-Simon Melanda, Head of Arms and Explosives Services at . skae.

“We also want to prevent undeclared weapons from being stolen during robberies.”

firearms, swords, knives

The ministry is trying to recover as many weapons of all kinds as possible.

Prioritize firearms, whether recent or old, including hunting weapons, historical weapons, and collector’s items, Merandat said.

“But we also accept edged weapons, swords, knives, daggers, and anything else you might have in your home that represents a potential danger,” he adds.

Explosives such as shells and grenades are collected directly from people’s homes. Collection services have also been organized in the Paris Region to avoid people carrying weapons on public transport.

Elsewhere in France, weapons can be taken to prefectures, police stations and certain gun shops.