Dagestani authorities announce buy-out of illegal weapons

Dagestani authorities have extended the operation of buying out illegally possessed firearms and ammunition from the local population until the end of 2015.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that a similar campaign of buying out weapons from the population in Dagestan was held last June; then, residents of the republic could sell their illegally stored firearms, ammunition and explosives to the state.

After the last year's operation, the number of crimes involving firearms almost halved, said Konstantin Tomilin, the chief of the centre of licenses and permits of the republic's Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA).

"While during the first four months of last year we registered 102 crimes committed with firearms and explosives; this year, during the same period, the number of such crimes dropped by half and made 50. However, despite this reduction, local people still keep an essential quantity of weapons," the RIA "Novosti" quotes Tomilin as saying.

Earlier, the authorities of Dagestan held a massive buy-out of weapons from the population in 2007. Those, who get rid of them, received their money in 2008 to specially opened personal accounts; then, 30 million roubles were paid.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.