Skopje, 30 August 2024 (MIA) — The police are strongly committed to dealing with the crime of illegal carrying of weapons, Interior Minister Panche Toshkovski told the national broadcaster MRT in response to a question about the presence of firearms on the streets.

"In 2024 alone, 104 weapons were seized by the Interior Ministry. These included nine automatic rifles, 39 handguns, 35 hunting rifles, et cetera. There has always been crime and there will be," Interior Minister Toshkovski said.

"The question is how law enforcement officers and law authorities are responding to this crime. Will they be accomplices as many times before or will they respond appropriately, giving their best and arresting the perpetrators, for example, of the Mavrovka shopping center murder, in two hours?" he said.

Asked if the police would initiate the handover of illegal weapons and strengthen regulations of public carry of firearms, Toshkovski said more work needed to be done to clearly define who should be allowed to own guns.

"We are already working intensely on discovering how the Interior Ministry has been issuing firearms licenses," he said.

"Any citizen who has asked for a permit, especially hunters, knows there has been abuse of office," Toshkovski said. 

"Over 5,000 people have not been able to get permits despite meeting the conditions, yet some people who should absolutely have not been allowed to carry firearms, did. In the future, we will develop a clear, precise weapons possession procedure allowing the right to carry only to citizens who meet all the legal conditions," the interior minister said. mr/