New Zealand sees 100,000th firearm registered

WELLINGTON: More than 100,000 firearms have now been entered into New Zealand's new firearms registry, the police said on Monday.

This is from nearly 10 per cent of the approximately 235,000 licence holders in New Zealand, reports Xinhua news agency.

Licenced firearms owners across the country have responded well to the registry, with it taking just seven months to get to the 100,000th firearm recorded into the system, the police said.

Canterbury is the area with the highest number of firearms registered, and it is also the area with the most licence holders, said Firearms Safety Authority Executive Director Angela Brazier.

The new firearms registry system was initiated following the March 15, 2019 terrorist attack in two mosques in Christchurch, Canterbury, that killed 51 worshippers.

The mass shooting prompted criticisms about illegal acquisition of firearms in New Zealand.

"The Firearms Registry is all about preventing firearms getting into the wrong hands. Digitising the licencing system enhances our ability to detect unlawful and criminal activity," Brazier said.

Along with preventing the sale and purchase of stolen firearms, the registry provides a better way for police to trace where firearms used by criminals have come from, she said.

Disrupting the flow of firearms to criminals works in tandem with other Policing initiatives that target organised criminal groups and gangs, she said, adding that these strategies are making it harder for criminals to possess and use firearms.

The registry will provide a picture of all lawfully held firearms and arms items in New Zealand, which will give greater transparency when firearms are changing hands and ultimately make the availability of firearms to the black market more difficult, Brazier said.