Moldovans owning guns must declare them at police till 25 October

Chisinau, 23 October /MOLDPRES/ - The owners of guns, including pneumatic ones, are to declare them at the police inspectorates till 25 October 2018. The measure is undertaken once in five years, in order to verify whether people meet all legal conditions for owning and preserving guns.

At a news conference, the head of the General Police Inspectorate (IGP), Alexandru Panzari, today informed about the official launch of a campaign of raising society’s awareness titled, „Acum este momentul, predă armamentul!” (The Moment is Ripe, Deliver the Weapons!)   

„The campaign will be held on the period 23 October – 23 January 2019 and is aimed at raising the society’s awareness about the danger triggered by the illegally owned guns and at motivating citizens to voluntarily deliver the guns. There were more incidents with the involvement of illegal guns, which resulted in serious consequences. Therefore, the unregistered guns, the ones which are not tested technically or are not preserved in safes pose a higher risk for the citizens. Thus, it is very important that the guns are owned legally and in safety,” Panzari noted.    

For his part, the head of the IGP’s public security general department, Marin Maxian, said that persons who had owned the arms illegally till present and now they declare them at the police, do not run the risk of being punished.

„The weapons owned illegally can endanger the national security. Law-enforcers annually identify a large number of illegally owned guns. The campaign’s goal is to create a safe environment for the citizens through taking out illegal arms and ammunitions from circulation. We want enhancing the responsibility of the society and the degree of awareness of the danger. The campaign provides for actions of informing citizens and distribution of informative folders. We should be aware that a gun preserved in unsafe places can lead to serious consequences. At the same time, if a person discovers a gun, he/she must immediately inform the police,” Marin Maxian said.     

Under the legislation, to own a gun, a person must have the age of 21 years, finish theoretical and practical courses, be mentally healthy, hold the medical certificate released by the physician psychologist and narcologist, hold an authentic gun licence and must have safe conditions for its preservation. “Till the established term, the owners holding gun permits older than five years should declare the guns. Those who got the gun licences after the 2013 year do not fall under action of the law. The owners of pneumatic guns should also address the police and declare them and afterwards they will get the certificate of owner. The persons failing to comply run the risk of losing the right to own a gun. Thus, the gun will be sold during ten days, and in the next five years, the owners will have no right to hold another gun,” Maxian added.     

According to statistic data, there are more than 58,000 people who own about 71,000 guns in all. Policemen annually identify about 500 guns owned illegally.  

The people owning guns illegally run the risk of punishments in form of non-remunerated work or up to three years of imprisonment.  

In the last years, more cases have been registered in which children had access to guns preserved in unsafe places and shot minors, triggering incidents which resulted even in deaths. One example was a one-year-old case from the Verejeni village, Telenesti district, when a 14-year-old minor accidentally shot from the gun of his father in his seven-year-old neighbour, who died.    

(Reporter A. Ciobanu, editor A. Raileanu)