Over 2000 firearms removed from civilian possession over the course of three and a half years have been destroyed today during a General Police Inspectorate operation.
Veaceslav Balan, deputy head of the General Department for Public Security, said that the destruction event was preceded by several operations that led to the accumulation of weapons previously held by civilians. "We have fire arms confiscated based on court decisions, we have out of use fire arms that were voluntarily handed over by owners and we have fire arms that were illegally held, then confiscated during police operations", said Veaceslav Balan.
The deputy head of the General Department for Public Security of the IGP said that one of the oldest fire arms that was destroyed dates back to 1952.
Gheorghe Balan, acting head of the IGP, said that the operation is being carried out in accordance with the commitment made at regional level and in accordance with the Association Agreement with the European Union. "Among the firearms removed from both civil and police possession, there are machine-guns, carbines, smooth-barreled guns, pistols and revolvers, improvised pistols and various unusable weapon accessories". said Gheorghe Balan.
According to the interim head of the PGI, the fire arm destruction operation is the sixth of its kind since 2005 and took place with the financial support of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the South-Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons.
Dima Al-Khatib, UNDP resident representative in the Republic of Moldova, said that the operation is part of a UN event entitled "Disarmament Week", which highlights the need for disarmament. “UNDP helps the authorities to destroy the surplus of weapons and ammunition that have been confiscated in order to achieve a long-term lasting peace. The event is part of a lasting partnership between the Republic of Moldova, UNDP and the European Union", said Dima Al-Khatib.
