DOZENS of blank firing guns and hundreds of rounds of ammunition were taken out of circulation across a month-long firearms amnesty supported by Essex Police.
Our officers and staff, led by our Serious Crime Directorate, played an active role in the national surrender scheme, which ran throughout February.
The amnesty related specifically to four brands of Turkish manufactured top-venting blank firearms (TVBF).
The brands – Blow, Ceonic, Ekol and Retay – have been found by National Crime Agency colleagues to be readily convertible into viable firearms.
Anyone now found in possession of these brands of TVBF could be subject to prosecution and face up to 10 years’ imprisonment.
The amnesty allowed owners of these brands to hand them at police stations ahead of the ban.
During the amnesty period, those handing in a TVBF did not have to give their details and did not face sanction.
Unwanted firearms and ammunition can always be surrendered to us under our usual procedure.
Across the amnesty in Essex, a total of 31 TVBFs were surrendered to us.
Seven other varieties of blank firing pistols and six blank firing revolvers were also surrendered.
In total, 446 rounds of live blank ammunition were also handed in across the amnesty.
None of the TVBFs handed in to us were found to have been converted.
Detective Chief Inspector Martin Davies, of our Serious Crime Directorate, led our participation in the amnesty.
He was supported by Jim Fowler, the National Ballistics Intelligence Service officer for Essex and Kent Police, together with our Operational Policing Command and front counter staff.
DCI Davies said: “We had long prepared our teams to take part in this important amnesty.
“Thanks to this preparation, we’ve seen a number of TVBFs taken out of circulation, eliminating the risk of them being easily converted into very real and dangerous firearms.
“Items of note included an unusual Ekol-brand replica Uzi submachine gun handed in at Braintree police station.
“It thankfully showed no signs of conversion, but this illustrates the depth in variety of these blank-firing guns.”
TVBFs were handed in at police station front counters across Essex – including in Colchester, Clacton, Braintree, Chelmsford, Southend and Basildon.
After further examination, they will be destroyed.
The National Crime Agency has reported converted TVBFs have been used in at least four killings in the UK over the past two years.
In 2023, the number of discharges from converted TVBFs in the UK outnumbered those of original lethal purpose firearms.
DCI Davies added: “The evidence is clear on why these blank-firers must no longer be kept under any circumstances.
“As we’ve seen from the range of items we’ve had handed in across Essex, there is minimal visible distinction between some of these items and a live firearm.
“Even if not converted, the use of imitation or blank-firing guns by criminals and the pressure this places on our firearms officers is a real issue.
“I’m pleased to see responsible owners engaging with us and supporting our work.
“If you still have a TVBF, please feel free to arrange for its safe disposal under our usual firearms surrender procedure.”
