APIA, 05 JULY 2018 (RNZ PACIFIC) – Samoa’s police have called a gun amnesty in October, three years after a 2015 amnesty brought in 300 illegal firearms.
Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, made the announcement during a ceremony to destroy 285 guns seized over the last five years.
Tuilaepa, who is also Police Minister, also revealed an unlawful machine gun was found by police last week.
He said the only reason why such a deadly weapon is brought illegally into the country is to protect and guard the cultivation marijuana plants.
Police commissioner Fuiavailili Egon Keil said efforts were being made to protect the borders and stop unlawful weapons from entering the country.
“We do need some more work to combine our efforts to work together, to collaborate, to really stop it. But again, it’s just like the nature of crime, as much as you try somehow it still happens but it doesn’t stop us from trying to do our work a little bit better though.
“So we do need some work on the Police, Customs and Immigration on working a little bit together, said Commissioner Keil.
