The presentation of the findings for the collection of illegal weapons; 15,401 illegal weapons are destroyed at the Gramsh Plant

Published: Wednesday, 21 July 2021 15:59

15,401 small and light weapons confiscated or collected through ongoing awareness campaigns were dismantled at the Gramsh Plant.
The process was inspected by the Defence Deputy Minister Dallëndyshe Bici, Deputy Home Affairs Minister, at the same time Chairman of the National SALW Commission (Small Arms and Light Weapons) Besfort Lamallari, members of the National SALW Commission from various institutions and independent agencies, embassies’ representatives.

Deputy Minister of Defence, Dallëndyshe Bici emphasized that the destruction of illegal weapons contributes to increasing the security of our country: “We, as the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Home Affairs, but also the National Commission for SALW reinforce the message about the danger that uncontrolled firearms pose to the security of individuals, the security of society and the stability of the region "- said Deputy Minister Bici.

The Defence Deputy Minister underlined the fact that the very good cooperation between our institutions in improving the legislation, will continue in the future in all components of the strategy, such as fighting illegal traffic through increasing maritime border security, in the destruction of surplus weapons, in the improvement of the security conditions of weapons depots and raising the public awareness for the dangers of these weapons.

Meanwhile, Deputy Home Affairs Minister Besfort Lamallari emphasized that the information for the procedures followed serves as an awareness and transparency campaign. "This is a process, which guarantees security from the risks of storing or preserving surplus weapons and obsolete ammunition, or the risk that come from confiscated material, bringing to attention the fact that small arms and light weapons, their ammunition and explosives, if left unchecked, could pose a threat to internal security and beyond," - Lamallari said.

The event ended with a demonstration on the destruction of seized small arms and light weapons.
Albania is the first country in the region that destroyed the weapons inherited from the previous system.