250 thousand illegal weapons in Kosovo seen as danger to citizens' safety

Guns without permission in the hands of Kosovo citizens pose serious risks, say representatives of local and international institutions.

Citizens who have illegal weapons violate order and public safety, but most of all risk their lives.

According to Kosovo Police reports, about 1,500 illegal weapons are seized in Kosovo each year.

Nuredin Ibishi, a security expert, tells Radio Kosovo that the killings occurred in the country are the source of illegal weapons possession, and this poses danger to the safety of citizens.

Ibishi points out that a civic and institutional response is needed for preventing this phenomenon.

“First, one should not be expected only by police, trial and prosecution for reaction measures. In this case, however, we also need a citizen awareness.

The immediate increase in punitive and preventive measures will affect the reduction of illegal weapons in the hands of citizens”, Ibishi says.

He declares that the Ministry of Internal Affairs must take preventive measures as soon as possible, but also make weapons legalisation legalisation.

“pries soon The MPB to make the law on legalisation and initiate a new process and all this illegal possession of weapons is turned over and the risk of minimising”, he adds.

Justice Minister Albulen Haxhiu, at one of the Government's meetings, has said that in relation to the Justice Ministry's supervisors, there will be a review of the Kosovo Criminal Code and in co-operation with the MPB are working on non-licensited weapons report.

Because of our punishment policy and no action by the prosecutorial system in relation to the persons suspected of illegal possession, we need to look at these provisions so that prosecutors can neglect these cases. Just in two.
We've seen the last cases people have had possession without permission, but this has not been addressed properly by institutions” and has declared Minister Haxhiu.

In the 24-hour Kosovo Police reports, the declaration of criminal acts in the centre has weapons. Even for the first two months of
This year, 270 cases of ownership, control, or unauthorized possession of weapons have been reported.

According to police statistics, in various operations undertaken during 2023, 1,392 firearms of various species have been confiscated and 37,215 quantities of ammunition from various calibres confiscated.

This year alone, police have reacted to 522 cases and confiscated 562 weapons without permission. In the legalization period two years ago, only about 2,000 requests were filed.

However, an estimated 250,000 weapons are without permission. /Rtk