The initiative Montenegro launched after adopting the 2015 Law on Weapons, which enabled citizens to voluntarily submit their illegal weapon to the police or register it within the 2-year deadline, hasn’t given desired outcomes, suggests the Draft Strategy for prevention of illegal trafficking, possession and accumulation of small arms and light weapons 2019-2025. As the Strategy says, there are 97,457 registered weapons possessed by 65,470 individuals in Montenegro (65,127 are physical persons and 343 are legal ones).
“During the 2-year legalization period, citizens submitted 3,674 requests for registering firearms without proof of their origin, and all without any legal effects. Also, on 9 July 2014-15-16-17-18 Montenegro marked the International Small Arms Destruction Day (SALW) when 5,769 pieces of weapons were destroyed, as well as 978 parts of weapons, 86,549 conventional ammunition and 246 landmines,” the Strategy suggests.
It also noted that large quantities of firearms, ammunition and landmines used in the Yugoslav wars are now owned by the police and the army, or are in the illegal possession of some citizens, which was the main reason for passing the 2015 Law on Weapons that hasn’t provided expected outcomes so far.
