Monday, 20 July 2009

Cambodian police seize 61 home-made guns


Asia-Pacific News
Jul 20, 2009

Phnom Penh - Cambodian police seized 61 home-made guns during a sweep of the southern province of Kampong Cham, national media reported Monday.

Provincial police chief Noun Samin said officers confiscated the weapons from hunters, gang members and gun makers during searches of villages along the Mekong River last week, the Cambodia Daily newspaper reported.

He said the guns used compressed air to fire ball bearings, and while the weapons did not look extraordinarily dangerous, they were powerful enough to fire shots through sheet metal.

Eight gun makers were briefly detained for questioning and warned they could face charges if caught making more weapons, Noun Samin said.

Despite efforts by the government, the United Nations and international aid groups to disarm ordinary Cambodians, civil wars in the 1970s and 1980s made guns and explosives commonplace in the South-East Asian country.

No comments: