A four-week public consultation on the control of genuine firearm component parts has been launched today, the government announced.
The Government proposes to amend the Firearms and Ammunition (Declaration of Arms) Regulations to list out specific essential firearm component parts as “arms” under the Firearms and Ammunition Ordinance.
The proposed amendments seek to plug the legal loophole of criminals smuggling the component parts of genuine firearms into the city in separate shipments and then assemble them into fully functional genuine firearms to evade the law, said a government spokesman.
“In recent years, there has been an increase in cases involving genuine arms in Hong Kong, the proposed amendments seek to combat the misuse of arms by criminals in posing threats to citizens’ lives and property,” the spokesman added.
The government also proposes setting a 90-day grace period to allow those who are affected by the proposal to dispose of the component parts or apply for a license from the police before the regulations come into operation.
