10 'potentially lethal' firearms taken off West Midlands streets as part of gun amnesty
West Midlands Police have announced that 10 potentially lethal firearms have been handed in by the public as part of their gun amnesty.
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The amnesty started on February 3, and has seen West Midlands Police team up with all other police forces across England.
The amnesty urges anyone with the Turkish-manufactured, top-venting blank firer (TVBF) handguns, to hand them in immediately.
Testing from the National Crime Agency and policing groups has shown that four models of the firearm are readily convertible and are now considered illegal.
The firearms are the Turkish brands: Retay, Ekol, Ceonic and Blow.
It means anyone caught with the weapons can face up to 10 years in prison.
Since the amnesty started on Monday, 10 of the weapons have now been taken off the streets and made safe by officers so they can destroy them.
Why are they banned?
In their original state, TVBFs have a fully blocked barrel, and a visible painted surface, and are designed to discharge only blank cartridges.
However, criminals may paint them black so they look like an original lethal-purpose weapon, as well as convert them to a fully functioning firearm.
The amnesty will give owners the opportunity to hand in any TVBFs before 28 February 2025 to help them avoid prosecution and prevent the pistols getting into the hands of criminals.
Detective Chief Inspector Alastair Orencas said: “Gun crime in the West Midlands is rare but we are not complacent, which is why we are part of the national amnesty for Turkish Top-Venting Firearms as we understand the threat they can pose to our communities by those seeking to act outside of the law.
“Tests have shown they can be readily converted into firearms, therefore making them illegal to possess.
“Surrendering these weapons will help prevent them from getting into the wrong hands in the future and being used by criminals.
"We want as many top-venting blank firers as possible to be handed in and I encourage anyone in possession of one to visit their local police station."
Where to hand the weapons in
The participating local police stations are as listed:
Birmingham Local Policing Area Birmingham Central police station, Snow Hill Queensway, Birmingham B4 6NQ, (Sat Nav users please use B4 6AT) Opening times: 24 hours
Bournville Police Station, 341 Bournville Lane, Bournville, Birmingham B30 1QX Opening times: 8am-10pm
Stechford Police Station, 338 Station Road, Stechford, Birmingham B33 8RR Opening times: 8am-10pm
Sutton Coldfield Police Station, Lichfield Road, Sutton Coldfield B74 2NR Opening times: 8am-10pm
Coventry Local Policing Area Coventry Central police station, Little Park Street, Coventry CV1 2JX Opening times: 8am-10pm
Dudley Local Policing Area Brierley Hill police station, Bank Street, Brierley Hill DY5 3DH Opening times: 8am-10pm
Sandwell Local Policing Area West Bromwich police station, Moor Street, West Bromwich B70 8HS Opening times: 8am-10pm
Solihull Local Policing Area Solihull police station, Homer Road, Solihull B91 3QL Opening times: 8am-10pm
Walsall Local Policing Area Bloxwich police station, Station Street, Walsall WS3 2PD Opening times: 8am-10pm
Wolverhampton Local Policing Area Wolverhampton police station, Metro One Campus, Bilston Street, Wolverhampton WV1 3AA Opening times: 8am-10pm
For more information on how to transport the weapons responsibly, contact West Midlands Police on their 101 number.
