Siraha, June 8

A police team deployed from District Police Office, Siraha today collected as many as 32 licensed firearms after locals did not heed the administration’s notice to submit weapons, in Siraha.

The District Administration Office had issued a public notice for the submission of licensed firearms for safekeeping until the second round of civic polls got over, a few weeks ago.

Police said the security team had collected firearms after licensed arms holders paid no heed to the administration’s frequent notice. According to statistics at the office, there are as many as 332 licensed firearms in the district.

Police said they had to collect the arms from locals’ houses as  no one reported at the DPO to submit weapons  even after the administration’s notification.

SP Shekhar Koirala at DPO said that the police team could not collect the  expected number of arms as many of the arms-holders were permanent residents of Kathmandu and some were  permanent residents of other districts. SP Koirala added that the collection of firearms is still in progress.

Meanwhile, sources claimed that the number of unlicensed arms is four times more  than licensed arms since it is a district bordering with India.