Essex officers are participating in a national amnesty, seeking surrender of specific blank-firing guns that can be converted into real firearms.
The amnesty lasts for a month, having started on Monday and ending on February 28. Essex Police are participating in the program.
The amnesty involves four brands: Blow, Ceonic, Ekol, and Retay. These are Turkish-made guns called top-venting blank firearms.
These guns, TVBFs, are legal to buy without a license in the UK. However, they can’t be easily changed.
The National Crime Agency tested four models. They found these guns can easily become real firearms, which is illegal.
Owning these guns after the amnesty is risky; you could face prosecution. You could potentially go to prison for ten years.
Chief Inspector Julia Finch commented on this program, stating that gun crime is low in Essex. She added that the police are actively involved in this amnesty.
These blank firers can become real guns. They are now rightly illegal to possess. Police want to protect the public.
This amnesty removes possible future firearms. People can hand them in and avoid prosecution for a limited time.
Police work with the National Crime Agency and partners abroad. They share information on criminal gun markets.
This work targets organized crime and disrupts their criminal supply chains. Turn in your TVBF at your police station.
This stops prosecution and prevents guns falling into the wrong hands. This action can help keep everyone safe.