Customs wants to sell confiscated weapons to its own officers

The Customs Department has moved a proposal to sell confiscated non-prohibited bore weapons in its armoury to its own officers at nominal rates, designating the same as "non-performing assets". An inventory showed that over 800 weapons were lying in the armoury gathering rust.

If the Ministry of Finance clears the proposal, officers would be able to purchase and retain confiscated pistols/revolvers both while in service and post-retirement. A copy of the proposal is with The Indian Express.

As per existing guidelines, "there is a complete ban on sale of non-prohibited bore (NPB) weapons to departmental officers", which can be sold "only to sitting MPs and VIPs".

However, confiscated firearms or service weapons are "loaned'' to officers for self-protection, subject to the condition that on retirement/superannuation, these weapons would be returned to the department.

The proposal was made in a letter written by Commissioner (Prevention) Sunil Uke, to P K Singh, Commissioner, Directorate of Logistics, on March 1, 2012. "To generate and augment revenue from the seemingly non-performing asset of the department, i.e. the armoury containing a whole lot of weapons of value, it is proposed that the sale of non-prohibited bore firearms to departmental officers may be opened. For those who already own a firearm on loan basis... an option may be given... to purchase the same at the current market prices," says the letter.

It adds that there is not much demand among MPs for the firearms. "...During a year only 4-5 weapons are bought by MPs. At this rate, it would take more than 200 years to exhaust the stock... If these are sold to the departmental officers we would generate revenue of more than Rs 5 crore."

The communication also says that if the weapons, some of them lying in the armoury for more than 40 years, are not disposed of, these would rust.

... contd.

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