Law enforcement officers opened 4700 criminal proceedings for illegal handling of weapons in 2024: Ministry of Internal Affairs
In 2024, law enforcement agencies of Ukraine opened 4,700 criminal proceedings related to the illegal handling of weapons, ammunition and explosives. About this reported Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Bohdan Drapyaty.
In addition, the Ministry of Internal Affairs reports that there is currently a negative trend – in 2023, law enforcement officers seized 1,567 units of automatic weapons against 100 units of a similar type in 2019. Out of 4,700 initiated criminal proceedings for illegal handling of weapons, ammunition or explosives, charges were filed against 3,797 of them, and 3212 have already been sent to court
In addition, law enforcement officers are actively identifying arms dealers, criminal groups, as well as arms and ammunition distribution channels. In 10 months of 2024, 569 weapons, one and a half thousand grenades and almost 200 kilograms of explosives were seized.
Drapyatyi also emphasized that there is an increase in the number of seized automatic weapons. Thus, in 2023, 1,567 units of automatic machines were withdrawn, while in 2019 this figure was only 100 units.
It will be recalled that the right to own weapons for Ukrainian civilians became a topic of discussion after the beginning of the full-scale aggression of the Russian Federation. On February 23, 2022, the Verkhovna Rada adopted draft law No. 5708 “On the right to civilian firearms” in the first reading.
In June 2023, the Unified Register of Weapons began operating in Ukraine. Thanks to it, citizens can obtain permission to purchase weapons much faster by submitting documents through the “One-stop-shop for citizens” or directly in gun stores.
