The Ministry of Defence has announced that all firearms and ammunition provided to civilians for personal protection must be returned to the government by 21 November 2024 for a quantitative review.
Key details of the directive are as follows:
- Compliance Status:
- Approximately 85% of licensees have complied with the notice.
- Licensees who wish to retain their firearms are required to submit appeals to the Ministry before 30 October 2024, explaining their necessity for personal protection.
- Submission Requirements:
- Licensees who have submitted appeals must provide relevant documents and their firearms to the Ministry of Defence for inspection and review.
- Firearms will be reissued based on intelligence reports, with a limit of one firearm per person.
- Deadlines:
- Appeals and inspections must be completed by 20 January 2025.
- Firearms and ammunition issued by the Sri Lanka Army and Police must be returned by 31 December 2024 to the nearest police station.
- Legal Implications:
- Licensees failing to return firearms or comply with inspections before the stipulated deadlines will face legal action under the Firearm Ordinance No. 33 of 1916.
- Objective:
- This initiative aims to ensure a safe society, reduce the misuse of firearms, and implement proper regulatory measures.
Licensees are urged to adhere to the directives to avoid legal consequences. The Ministry emphasizes the importance of this step in promoting public safety and regulating civilian firearm use.
For further details, contact the Ministry of Defence or your nearest police station.
Press release : Ministry of Defence
- Temporarily recall of firearms and ammunition provided to civilians for personal protection
The Ministry of Defence through electronic and print media announced that all firearms and ammunition issued to civilians for personal protection must be returned to the government by 21 November 2024 for a quantitative review.
In response to the notice, about 85% of the licensees have returned their firearms. Furthermore, the licensees were informed to submit appeals to the Ministry of Defence before October 30, 2024 explaining the requirement if they wish to retain their frearms. The licensees who have submitted appeals were informed to submit relevant documents along with their firearms to the Ministry of Defence for inspection and review.
The Ministry of Defence decided to issue only one firearm per person for personal protection and it will be issued after considering intelligence reports.
The review of all appeals for firearms and firearm inspections will be completed on January 20, 2025 and licensees are requested to submit their firearms for inspection before that date.
Furthermore, it has been observed that a significant amount of firearms and ammunition have been issued by the Sri Lanka Army and the Police in the past. Therefore, the Ministry of Defence has instructed that these firearms and ammunition be returned to the government before December 31, 2024.
Accordingly, the licenses are informed to follow the directives and hand over these firearms and ammunition to the nearest police stations.
It is also informed that legal action will be taken against licensees who fail to return their firearms for inspection before the stipulated date under the Firearm Ordinance No. 33 of 1916.
In line with this decision taken by the Ministry of Defence to ensure a safe society by minimizing the use and misuse of firearms in the civil society and by implementing proper regulation, the licensees are informed to return all licensed firearms that have not been returned and submitted for inspection, before January 20, 2025.
It is also emphasized that legal action will be taken against those who fail to do so.
Source – Newswire
