Australians handed in almost 18,000 weapons, including a Vietnam-era flamethrower, automatic firearms, and a crossbow, to police during the first year of a national firearms amnesty.
A total of 17,543 firearms weapons and 606 weapons components, including suppressors and magazines, were surrendered between 1 July 2021 and 30 June 2022, according to the Permanent National Firearms Amnesty Annual Report issued on Jan. 20 by Attorney-General’s Department.
The National Firearms Amnesty program was approved in 2019 by the then Coalition government. However, the program was delayed until July 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
New South Wales (NSW) accounted for the largest amount, with 6,704 weapons and firearms surrendered. Victoria and Queensland ranked second and third place, with 3,279 and 2,835 weapons and firearms surrendered, respectively. Among all firearms submitted, 6,343 were handed in for destruction….