Uganda gets new gun-marking tools
UGANDA has received the first batch of modern equipment for marking guns, a minister has said. The state minister of internal affairs, Matin Kasaija, said the COUTH MC 2000 machines, were bought by the Regional Centre for Small Arms secretariat in Nairobi.
By John Odyek
UGANDA has received the first batch of modern equipment for marking guns, a minister has said.
The state minister of internal affairs, Matin Kasaija, said the COUTH MC 2000 machines, were bought by the Regional Centre for Small Arms secretariat in Nairobi.
They will be used to electronically identify all small arms, light weapons and ammunition given to the armed forces and civilians.
Receiving the machines at the Sports View Hotel in Namboole last week, Kasaija said: “The machine is portable and does not interfere with the functioning of the firearm.â€
He said the equipment was worth $15,000 (sh30m).
It comprises computers for creating a database, a pen-stamp mark, a marking controller for storing data, a generator, a marking head and a compressor.
Kasaija said unmarked weapons would be considered illegal once the system gets implemented. He directed the Police to inspect all guns before renewing their licenses.
The machines were supplied by a South African company, Advanced Marking System (AMS). The company is to train the Police on the use of the machine.
Anton Coetzee, a technician at AMS, said each gun would have a country code, the initials of the force using it, a bar code and a serial number.
The deputy coordinator for the National Focal Point Small Arms and Light Weapons, Joe Kagoro, said the exercise was in line with the UN International Tracing Instrument on small and light arms.
UGANDA has received the first batch of modern equipment for marking guns, a minister has said.
The state minister of internal affairs, Matin Kasaija, said the COUTH MC 2000 machines, were bought by the Regional Centre for Small Arms secretariat in Nairobi.
They will be used to electronically identify all small arms, light weapons and ammunition given to the armed forces and civilians.
Receiving the machines at the Sports View Hotel in Namboole last week, Kasaija said: “The machine is portable and does not interfere with the functioning of the firearm.â€
He said the equipment was worth $15,000 (sh30m).
It comprises computers for creating a database, a pen-stamp mark, a marking controller for storing data, a generator, a marking head and a compressor.
Kasaija said unmarked weapons would be considered illegal once the system gets implemented. He directed the Police to inspect all guns before renewing their licenses.
The machines were supplied by a South African company, Advanced Marking System (AMS). The company is to train the Police on the use of the machine.
Anton Coetzee, a technician at AMS, said each gun would have a country code, the initials of the force using it, a bar code and a serial number.
The deputy coordinator for the National Focal Point Small Arms and Light Weapons, Joe Kagoro, said the exercise was in line with the UN International Tracing Instrument on small and light arms.