POLICE Scotland is launching a two-week gun amnesty in a bid to stop firearms falling into the hands of criminals.
Anyone who has a firearm or ammunition without a valid certificate can take it to one of 43 police stations from today until Sunday, July 1.
People will also be able to hand in replica firearms, air weapons, BB guns, imitation firearms, component parts and other ballistic items.
Assistant Chief Constable Bernard Higgins said: “What we want to do is remove any firearm availability from the criminals that operate right across the country.
“There have been a lot of high-profile incidents in recent times and we want to reduce the opportunity for individuals who are intent on using firearms within our communities to actually come into possession of these weapons.
“The people within the criminal world who discharge firearms show an utter disregard for the safety of our communities and the safety of our citizens.
“We want to remove from circulation weapons that – if they fell into the wrong hands – could do significant harm.”
People can hand in firearms because, for example, their licence has expired, if they have unexpectedly discovered a gun while clearing out, or if they no longer want to keep a lawfully held firearm.
They will not be asked to give their personal details, but police said they reserve the right to investigate the history of the weapon if appropriate, to establish whether it has been used in any crime.
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