Sweden proposes new weapons amnesty in 2018

The Swedish Government on Wednesday proposed a three-month weapons amnesty in the spring of 2018, according to a statement issued on the government's website.

"We must use all possible tools to reduce the number of illegal firearms in society. Earlier weapons amnesties have been effective, and therefore the government wants to go ahead with a new amnesty," Minister for Home Affairs Anders Ygeman said in the statement.

The bill proposes a temporary law that will allow people in possession of illegal firearms and ammunition to hand in their weapons to police without risk of being prosecuted.

The freedom from liability would be in effect from February to April 2018. Anyone who hands in a weapon can remain anonymous. The state will then destroy and dispose of the weapons.

There have been three weapons amnesties in Sweden before. More than 15,000 weapons and 36 tons of ammunition were turned in to police during the last amnesty in 2013, Radio Sweden reported.