OWNERS of firearms that are yet to
undergo the ongoing verification exercise will have their ownership
licences revoked and their names published come December 20, this year,
the Police Force has announced.
In the same vein, police have warned
people who possess firearms illegally to surrender them voluntarily at
the police stations or Local Government Authorities (LGAs) before a
countrywide crackdown on illegal firearms takes off.
Acting Director of Criminal
Investigation (DCI), Robert Boaz, told a news conference in Dar es
Salaam yesterday that since the firearms verification exercise begun in
March, 2016, police have so far verified 59.18 percent of the weapons
countrywide.
“Our assessment shows that a half of the
firearm owners are yet to surrender their guns to police stations for
verification,’’ he said. According to Mr Boaz, the verification exercise
that kicked off on March 22, this year, was expected to be completed by
the end of last June but because there were many gun owners who were
still turning up at different police stations, the exercise was extended
to the end of last month.
“We are now issuing another grace period
until December 20, that will not be extended further and we will not
hesitate to take appropriate legal action against those who will fail to
surrender their weapons to the police stations for verification,’’ he
insisted.
Mr Boaz said the police would also
revoke the licences of defiant owners as well as publishing the names of
people with registered firearms that are yet to be verified within that
particular period.
“ A f - ter listing their names w e
shall launch a countrywide manhunt to arrest all defiant owners because
we know them and their addresses,’’ he insisted. The Acting DCI called
upon all gun owners to surrender their weapons before police stations
for verification lest they face the wrath of the law.
He further warned people illegally
possessing firearms to surrender them to police stations or LGAs, adding
that the police would not take any legal action against illegal
firearms owners who would voluntarily surrender their guns.
Meanwhile, Police are probing the recent
bribery allegations levelled against Dar es Salaam Special Zone Police
Commander Simon Sirro by Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner Paul
Makonda.
Mr Makonda accused the Dar es Salaam
Police Boss and Kinondoni Regional Police Commander (RPC) Suzan Kaganda
before Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa, for allegedly colluding with and
failing to take proper action against shisha dealers.
On Wednesday, Mr Makonda alleged that
the top cop in Dar es Salaam, the Special Police Zone Commander, was
dilly-dallying to take action against the traders despite directives
from the RC, alluding that Mr Sirro could be receiving bribes from the
dealers.
“We received the allegations and as per
the police rules and regulations we are investigating the allegations to
substantiate its truth,’’ said the Acting DCI.
Already, the Prevention and Combating of
Corruption Bureau (PCCB) has launched its investigations of the
allegations levelled before the two police bosses.
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