Govt Mulls Tighter Control Over Firearm Parts
"); jQuery("#212 h3").html("
"); jQuery(document).ready(function() { jwplayer.key='EKOtdBrvhiKxeOU807UIF56TaHWapYjKnFiG7ipl3gw='; var playerInstance = jwplayer("jquery_jwplayer_1"); playerInstance.setup({ file: "https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/audios/mfile_1576021_1_20210217192031.mp3", skin: { url: location.href.split('/', 4).join('/') + '/jwplayer/skin/rthk/five.css', name: 'five' }, hlshtml: true, width: "100%", height: 30, wmode: 'transparent', primary: navigator.userAgent.indexOf("Trident")>-1 ? "flash" : "html5", events: { onPlay: function(event) { dcsMultiTrack('DCS.dcsuri', 'https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1576021-20210217.mp3', 'WT.ti', ' Audio at newsfeed', 'WT.cg_n', '#rthknews', 'WT.cg_s', 'Multimedia','WT.es','https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1576021-20210217.htm', 'DCS.dcsqry', '' ); } } }); }); });
2021-02-17 HKT 14:02
Share this story
The government on Wednesday launched a public consultation on proposed legal amendments that will tighten the control of firearm components, citing a loophole in the definition of “arms” in existing laws.
It proposed to define a list of components as “items that are capable of being used as part of a firearm” in the Firearms and Ammunition Ordinance.
Currently, the prosecution has to prove to the court that the components are used or intended to be used for the discharge of a missile from arms – which the government said has been exploited by criminals to smuggle parts into Hong Kong before assembling them into weapons.
According to the consultation document, the list of components includes "a barrel, chamber or cylinder, a frame, body or receiver, a breech block, bolt or other mechanism for containing the pressure of discharge at the rear of a chamber".
The government also put forward a 90-day grace period for people to dispose of the listed components or apply for a licence.
It noted that there has been a “worrying” surge in the smuggling of suspected firearms and their components, with Customs reporting 35 such cases last year, up from single digit figures recorded in the previous few years.
The consultation will last for four weeks.
SBI Holdings To Acquire Bitbank In US$289M Crypto Expansion
SBI Holdings has agreed to acquire Japanese crypto exchange Bitbank in a deal valued at approximately US$289 million, w... Read more
4 Ways Hong Kong Banks Fight Financial Crime Using AI, According To HKMA
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) wants banks to use AI in financial crime as a way to counter cyberattacks and s... Read more
Ripple Launches RLUSD Stablecoin In Japan Through SBI Group
Ripple has launched its US dollar-denominated stablecoin, Ripple USD, in the Japanese market. The expansion follows reg... Read more
SBI And Startale Launch Trust Bank-Backed Yen Stablecoin JPYSC In Japan
SBI Group has introduced its trust based stablecoin JPYSC in partnership with Singapore-based fintech company Startale ... Read more
Visa Study: Digital Wallets Lead Greater Bay Area Payment Preferences
Visa has released its latest Consumer Payment Attitudes Study, highlighting how payment seamlessness is linked to a shi... Read more
European And South Korean Banks Form Project Pangea For FX Settlement
Chainlink, South Korean infrastructure provider FairSquareLab, the Unified Korea Alliance (UniKA), and European stablec... Read more