A total of 1,615 guns and 53,025 pieces of ammunition were handed over to the police during the fourth gun amnesty in Slovakia between November 2020-April 2021. "I view the gun amnesty as successful, as thousands of guns and pieces of ammunition held by individuals illegally have been given to the police. This kind of prevention also helps us to improve the security situation in Slovakia," stated Interior Minister Roman Mikulec (OLaNO). He also stressed that reducing the number of illegally-held guns reduces the risk of gun-related crimes.
The biggest number of guns and pieces of ammunition were handed in during the final month of the amnesty. The guns and ammunition are now being examined by ballistics experts at three sites. "No guns have yet been identified as being used in crimes in the past," Marta Fabianova of the Interior Ministry's press department told TASR. In light of previous amnesties, the police estimate that the examination of all guns and ammunition will take at least one year. According to Fabianova, there were 149,360 holders of gun licences in Slovakia in late 2020.
Source: TASR