Kosovars keep their weapons secret, are not interested in legalising

At the decision of the secretary of this dictatorship, Ekrem Mustafa, during this period the implementation of Article 374 of the Penal Code, which, in paragraph one, envisions fines of up to 7 thousand and 500 euros or prison sentences of up to five years for non-licit weapons. It also envisions a sentence of 2 to 10 years in prison for illegal possession of four or more weapons or over 400 bullets.

According to data from this ministry, the number of illegal weapons in the possession of citizens is estimated to be around 260 thousand sosh.

With this campaign, according to Weapons, Munition and Explozied Division leader Dastan Mustafa, the citizens' awareness of the importance of legalisation of weapons, control and increased security is aimed.

“We strongly believe that any weapon that is registered will be treated more seriously by citizens and normally we will have control over them, because it will become their ballistics, it will be taken, it will be marked and it certainly represents more certainty,” says Mustafa.

However, citizens' interest in being equipped with gun permits is minimal. In the first ten days of the campaign, according to Mustafa, the number of requests for legalisation of the weapon has barely gone to a double number.

“Ten years (10), small number, but we're preparing a media campaign, a media spot that supports us for The UNDP, and this will continue to intensify, to perceive citizens, to give them credibility in this process, so they can have as much confidence as they can legalise their weapons,” he adds.

Mustafa has indicated procedures through which a weapon must be passed to be introduced under the law.

According to him, citizens who want to get permission for their gun, which meets the criteria for legalisation, must, with identification, a court document proving that it is not under investigation and a police confirmation of the past, be notified at the nearest police station and file a request for legalisation of the weapon.

There, he says the responsible officials will provide a form for personal data and weapons for legalisation, and then a booklet that allows the citizen to carry his gun to the licensed company, which should control and submit the technical status of the weapon, and then within two days forward a report to the MPB.

On the other hand, within a period of 30 days, the citizen is granted gun maintenance at home. While he or she is obliged to train for safe use and gun maintenance within a year.

After providing evidence on legal status and legal action, the applicant is equipped with permission to possess the weapon with reasoning on using the weapon for recreation, target, or hunting, depending on the type of weapon.

The total cost of legalisation, including health controls, claims, training and permission, according to Mustaf, amounts to about 300 euros.

This initiative by the Ministry of Internal Affairs supports security information, Avni Islami, who believes it affects public safety growth.

According to him, such campaigns have to be repeated and massive so that the number of small and light weapons can be dropped and the murder rate combined.

There is no dilemma that with the very fact that all that is presented to legalize weapons, they have to go through certain procedures, hold lectures, and learn how weapons are used, how weapons are maintained and how weapons are maintained, all of this increases the awareness of citizens and thus increases security,” stresses Islam.

However, according to Islam, concern is the illegal possession of long, automatic and semi-automatic and military weapons, by citizens who cannot be legalised and pose permanent risks to citizens' lives.

To reduce their number, he proposes another campaign where citizens could hand over weapons that cannot be recorded and in exchange for receiving a amount of money from the state.

“It is good for responsible institutions to take an initiative, divide a set amount from Kosovo's budget, so that such weapons, which are not possible to register, exchange or exchange for money or find another form so that those weapons are not in the hands of citizens, because firearms, combat weapons represent the overall cause of the risk of life, not only to gunkeepers, but also to those around them and beyond,” he says.

Close to 50,000, is the total number of legal weapons in possession of citizens, according to Dean Mustaf. Interior Ministry official says around 22 thousand of them are on permission from the Republic of Kosovo, while adding that another 25 thousand weapons that have had permission from the former UNMIK administration are being subjected to the legalisation process.