Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary is supporting a firearms amnesty for Turkish manufactured top-venting blank firers (TVBFs), which are now illegal to possess. 

It will take place between Monday 3 February to Friday 28 February, after which anyone in possession of these particular firearms could be subject to prosecution and up to 10 years imprisonment. 

Tests by the National Crime Agency and policing, funded by the Home Office, show models produced by four Turkish manufacturers are readily convertible and therefore illegal. 

In their original state TVBFs have a fully blocked barrel and are designed to discharge only blank cartridges. When discharged, combustion gases vent from the top of the weapon. TVBFs are sold with at least 50 per cent of their visible surface painted a bright colour however, criminals may paint them black so they look like an original lethal purpose (OLP) weapon as well as convert them to a lethal purpose firearm. 

Since 2021, UK law enforcement has recovered more than 800 of the guns in criminal circumstances and converted blank firers have been used in at least four homicides in the UK in the last two years. The firearms are the Turkish brands: Retay, Ekol, Ceonic and Blow. 

Firearms legislation has not changed; the weapons are illegal to own under the Firearms Act 1968 as they can be readily converted using common household tools and without specialist skill on the part of the person carrying out the conversion. 

The amnesty for TVBFs will be held for four weeks. Other unwanted, unlicensed firearms and ammunition may be surrendered to police at any time which will avoid the risk of them becoming involved in criminality and means that members of the community can dispose of firearms in a safe place. 

During the amnesty period, those handing in a Turkish manufactured TVBF will not face prosecution for the illegal possession and will not have to give their details. However, the history of any live firearms handed in will be checked for evidence if its use in crime. 

Chief Inspector Hayley O’Grady, operation lead for Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary, said: “Gun crime in Hampshire & Isle of Wight remains very rare but we are not complacent, which is why we are supporting the Turkish Top-Venting firearms amnesty.

“Surrendering top-venting blank firers manufactured by Blow, Ceonic, Ekol and Retay now will help prevent them getting into the wrong hands in the future and being used by criminals. 

“During the amnesty, these firearms can be handed in at the front counters of the Police Investigation Centres in Basingstoke, Portsmouth and Southampton, as well as at the police station in Newport.

“We want as many top-venting blank firers as possible to be handed in and I encourage anyone in possession of one to hand them in.

“Together with our partners we continually work hard to educate people about firearms and the dangers that come with them, to ensure that gun crime doesn’t become prevalent in the future.” 

The addresses of police locations where these firearms can be handed are:

Assistant Chief Constable Tim Metcalfe, National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for the Criminal Use of Firearms, said: “The top-venting blank firers are used by criminals and can be converted into lethal firearms. 

“During the last two years, policing and the NCA has identified and disrupted several workshops used to convert these pistols into lethal weapons. 

“In the same period, large numbers of converted weapons were recovered across multiple locations, alongside thousands of rounds of blank calibre and modified ammunition.” 

“One investigation recovered more than 400 converted weapons from a single crime group. There is a strong demand for them evidenced by the numbers imported and subsequent recovery from criminals. 

“Stopping the sale of these top-venting blank firers from being converted will go a significant way to help protect the public.” 

To receive advice on how best to transport the weapon responsibly from home to the police station phone 101 before travelling. 

If you know of people involved in illegal firearms activity, please call us on 101, or submit information via our website - https://www.hampshire.police.uk/tua/tell-us-about/soh/seen-or-heard/

You can also report information anonymously by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Every call to Crimestoppers is anonymous and potentially vital to preventing or solving serious crimes; removing an illegally held firearm may just save someone’s life.

ENDS