Dagestani authorities to buy weapons from population

For two months, from October 1 till December 1, Dagestan (Russia's republic in the North Caucasus) will carry out the special operation Weapons, during which people that illegally store weapons will be able to give them up voluntarily and receive a compensation.

The sums of compensations have already been fixed: 6,000 roubles ($1 equals approximately 30 roubles) for a sub-machine gun, 5,000 roubles for a handgun or a revolver, and 200 roubles for 1 g of explosives.

Chief of the operation's headquarters, deputy interior minister, head of Dagestan's public security police Magomed Omarov explained to RIA Novosti, "These are weapons the Dagestani people acquired during summer and fall 1999, when the republic was attacked by gangs and foreign mercenaries from Chechnya. Our citizens formed people's militia and together with federal troops held down the aggression. Now our task is to buy out these weapons." According to the general, the weapons are numerous, about 1,320 items, and they are used to commit crimes, he pointed out. "Combat weapons, including a few machine guns people have, are a serious and unpredictable danger," Omarov said.

The operation is conducted by the interior ministry.