For persons who have asked whether they would be arrested and charged by the police if they are caught with an illegal firearm during the two-week gun amnesty that gets underway this Saturday, November 5, the answer is yes.

If caught, such a person will not be able to claim that they were on their way to hand over the illegal gun unless they had called ahead at the nearest police station to indicate that they were on their way with the weapon.

The Minister of National Security, Dr Horace Chang, who tabled the Firearms (Prohibition, Restriction and Regulation) (Firearms Amnesty) Order 2022 in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, warned that with the new, more punitive Firearms Act now in force, the full force of the law will apply. This means that persons who run afoul of the law face sentences ranging from 15 years to life imprisonment. The law took effect on Tuesday.

How does a person who wants to make use of the amnesty avoid being charged with an offence?

By calling ahead to the nearest police station to inform the sub-officer on duty that they are on their way to hand over a weapon.

Chang who announced the amnesty, emphasised that this was particularly important.

He said that for persons who are of the view that they may expose themselves unduly, there are several numbers in the gun amnesty Order for them to call, including 811, (876) 968-9533 and (876) 838-3904.

The security minister said that by calling ahead, persons will “alert the police…the authorities that they are coming in with an illegal firearm so that if they are apprehended on the way, they would’ve had a record to show that they are not just trying to pull a wool over the eyes of the police”.

Separately, the order outlines that licensed firearm holders in possession of expired authorisations may surrender their weapons to the Firearm Licensing Authority (FLA).

Additionally, members of the general public may surrender a firearm and, or ammunition to any sub-officer or senior sub-officer on duty at any police station; any designated officer at any FLA location or to an attorney-at-law on behalf of the individual seeking the amnesty. The attorney will deliver the firearm or ammunition to the nearest police station.