The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus has launched the active phase of the "Arsenal" operation

March 9, Minsk /Corr. BELTA/. Today, the Belarusian police are launching the active phase of the "Arsenal" operation, which will last until March 13, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus informed BELTA. As before, the operation is aimed at countering the illegal trafficking of weapons, ammunition, and explosives. Meanwhile, since the beginning of the year, the police have already seized 190 unregistered firearms, as well as over 2.6 thousand pieces of various ammunition. Citizens have also voluntarily surrendered over 3.8 thousand rounds of ammunition and 468 firearms. It is also recalled that in February, a whole collection of weapons was seized from a resident of Postavy, which even included a Browning machine gun manufactured in the 19th century. The police reminded that weapons are often used for illegal hunting. Therefore, law enforcement officers will conduct joint raids with the State Inspectorate for the Protection of Fauna and Flora under the President of Belarus. Other environmental organizations will also participate in them. The Ministry of Internal Affairs will also check the storage conditions of firearms by legal owners, and will take measures to confiscate them from those who have been brought to administrative responsibility for public order violations. The police clarified that weapons can be confiscated for petty hooliganism, shooting in a populated area, as well as for drinking alcohol in public places (including beer). The department noted that the maximum penalty under Article 295 "Illegal actions in relation to firearms, ammunition and explosives" of the Criminal Code of Belarus is 12 years of imprisonment with confiscation of property. However, if a person voluntarily surrenders illegally stored ammunition or weapons, they are exempted from criminal liability.-0-