A large number of deactivated firearms in Finland remain unreported to the police, even though the deadline for mandatory registration passed on Monday.
A deactivated firearm is a gun permanently altered to be non-functional and incapable of firing live ammunition, often kept as memorabilia. Since 2019, Finland has mandated that these firearms be reported to the police.
A notification must also be made if a deactivated weapon changes ownership. However, no permit is required to acquire or possess such a weapon.
According to latest statistics from the National Police Board of Finland, about 7,000 people had reported their deactivated weapons through the police's electronic reporting system. Many more reports were made in person at police stations.
Chief Superintendent Jussi Kytösaari said that 10,000 to 12,000 reports have been filed in total so far, while there are an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 deactivated weapons in Finland.
Failure to report can lead to charges
The reporting mandate aims to prevent the illegal reactivation of deactivated firearms, which can be made functional again using simple tools.
This tightening of legislation was driven by an EU directive spurred by armed terrorist attacks across Europe. For instance, the 2015 attack on the editorial office of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo involved a reactivated weapon.
Failure to report a deactivated firearm can lead to charges of a firearms offence, which can result in a fine.
However, people voluntarily turning in deactivated firearms don't need to worry about penalties.
"If you forget to report it, you should go ahead and do so to avoid unpleasant surprises in the future," Kytösaari said.
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