Almost 2,500 weapons seized in 2019

-Published: Friday, January 3, 2020-

By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

The different police forces assigned to the Ministry of Public Security reported having confiscated a total of 2,492 firearms during 2019.

According to the ministry's report, the confiscation occurred during roadblocks, patrols, raids and other operations.

"Our authorities took these weapons from the streets, and thus prevented assaults or deaths from being committed anywhere in the country," the ministry said in its statement.

According to data from the Analysis and Statistics Section of the Police Intelligence Department, most of the seizures were carried out in the province of San José, with 860 weapons confiscated, followed by Limón with 501 and Alajuela with 340.

Also, 271 weapons were confiscated in Puntarenas. In Cartago the number was 221. In Guanacaste police agencies took 183, and in Heredia Province 116 weapons were confiscated.

Of the types of weapons that were seized there were 1,154 pistols, 924 revolvers and 125 carbines considered as rifles.

Also, the police confiscated a total of 111 shotguns, 22 military-type automatic weapons and 119 homemade products.

Another type of confiscated weapon was 37 devices firing pellets with compressed air.

Eduardo Solano, vice-minister of the ministry said that in 2019 "significant efforts were made to amend the legislation on the regulation and possession of weapons, which undoubtedly in 2020 will positively impact the country, the more guns we get out of the streets, the more we are going to be protecting people. ”
According to statistics from the Ministry of Security, in 2018 2,153 were seized while in 2017 2,216 weapons were seized.

Last May President Carlos Alvarado and the Minister of Public Security, Michael Soto signed a reform to the Weapons and Explosives Law.

Alvarado congratulated the deputies for approving this reform to the current law, "Costa Rica is moving towards being a safer country."

The reform was approved by the deputies of the Legislative Assembly April 9. The main change is the increase in jail sentences for illegal weapons possession. The old jail sentences were four years. The new one is up to eight years for "owning, buying, selling, storing, export, import, or manufacture weapons that are prohibited by this law, including its parts or components."

Also, the prison period for someone owning a non-registered weapon has increased from three to five years.

The law establishes the obligation of the seller of a weapon to report any sales to the Department of Weapons and Explosives of the Ministry of Security.

The approved reform also applies sanctions for those who do not report the loss or theft of a weapon within five days after that loss.

Any company or person who receives weapons, ammunition, or explosives as a guarantee of a loan will be sanctioned, according to the law.

Private security companies have to give their weapons to the Ministry of Security when they close operations to prevent guns from ending up in the hands of criminals.

Soto said "one of the main goals has been to take illegal firearms from the streets, many of them used to commit crimes."

After the announcement of this new law, the president made a symbolic act, destroying weapons that were confiscated from people linked to crimes.

The new law only applies to new gun purchases. The people who bought or sold any gun before this law will not be affected by these changes.

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