MORE THAN 60 potentially lethal firearms have been taken off the streets of the West Midlands during a national amnesty around Turkish-manufactured, top venting blank firer (TVBF) handguns.
A total of 62 weapons were handed into designated police stations in the region through February.
West Midlands Police said the have all been made safe by officers and staff, and will now be destroyed.
The amnesty related to four brands of TVBF, which were found by the National Crime Agency and police to be readily convertible into viable weapons.
Those brands – Retay, Ekol, Ceonic, and Blow – are now considered to be illegal, like other firearms.
That means anyone caught with one can now face up to 10 years in prison.
In their original state, TVBFs have a fully-blocked barrel, a visible painted surface, and are designed to discharge only blank cartridges.
However, criminals may paint them black so they look like an original lethal purpose weapon, as well as converting them to a fully functioning firearm.
Since 2021, UK law enforcement has recovered more than 800 of the guns in criminal circumstances and converted blank firers have been used in at least four homicides in the UK in the last two years.
The amnesty was held to offer owners the opportunity to hand in any TVBFs to help them avoid prosecution, and to prevent the pistols getting into the wrong hands.
During the amnesty period, those handing in a TVBF did not have to give their details and did not face sanction.
Detective Chief Inspector Alastair Orencas said: “I am grateful to the public for their support with this amnesty, and for the hard work of our teams involved in it.
“It’s good news that we have taken so many of these weapons off the streets of the West Midlands, and shows why these blank-firers must no longer be kept under any circumstances.
“Thankfully gun crime in our region is rare but being part of this amnesty has meant fewer weapons will end up in the wrong hands.”
Unwanted firearms and ammunition can always be surrendered to West Midlands Police.
Anyone with information on anyone involved in illegal firearms activity, should call police on 101 or contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Always dial 999 in an emergency.
