A key element of the ban was a buyback scheme accompanied by an amnesty, giving gun owners a payment and a guarantee of “no questions asked” when they handed in weapons deemed illegal under new laws. “There will be no extension -– anyone prosecuted may lose their firearms licence and could face a penalty of up to five years imprisonment,” police said. Gun control advocates say the scheme has succeeded despite opposition from some firearms owners, who they accuse of adopting hardline tactics similar to the US National Rifle Association (NRA).
