Sydney, Australia. With the world blowing itself up on a daily basis, Australian police have decided to give anybody turning in a bomb immunity from procecution, with one little catch; don’t move the bomb…
From the 1st of May, police will respond to calls from the public reporting unlicensed collections of bombs or hazardous materials, ranging from homemade explosives to those smuggled out of commercial or military facilities and even fireworks.
Police are about to start Australia’s first amnesty on illegal bombs and have hedged their appeal with a warning that “under no circumstances are materials to be transported to a police station”.
Australian police will seek to cut the volume of dangerous explosives in the community by giving a six month window of legal immunity to those who turn them in.
But the force in a media statement spelled out some risks associated with the campaign, which brings a new dimension to illegal weapons amnesties previously run by Australian state police, a spokeswoman said it was “critical that these materials are not moved or transported,” she added,“Under no circumstances are materials to be transported to a police station,” she said. “Simply call police, who will inspect and ultimately dispose of the materials.”
Past Australian high profile illegal explosives arsenals have included 17.5kg of Powergel explosives and one of 10 rocket launchers stolen from the army, which was handed back by a murder suspect in a bid to bolster his legal negotiations with the government.
Australian police are ready for a whole new wave of bomb related calls,“Police will be undertaking an education process in local communities in the coming months on the amnesty and collection process,” the police spokesperson said. “In the meantime, the advice is simple. Do not move the materials, call police and they will come and inspect.”