A firearms buyback scheme launched in New Zealand after the Christchurch mosque shootings ends tonight - with gun control groups hailing its success despite opposition from some firearms owners
shocked the normally peaceful nation and prompted a swift ban on assault rifles and military-style semi-automatic weapons used by the lone shooter.
"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 hard-line tactics similar to the US National Rifle Association .
The Council of Licenced Firearms Owners estimates there are 170,000 banned firearms in New Zealand, arguing that its data indicates less than a third of the illegal weapons have been collected. "I have no idea how they got to this figure, given there's been no central firearms register since 1982," he said.
They include establishing a firearms registry to track every gun in the country and ensuring only a"fit and proper person" can hold a firearms licence.
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