Police urge Aylesbury residents to dispose of Turkish-made weapons
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Thames Valley Police has urged anyone with a Turkish manufactured top-venting blank firer (TVBF) to hand them in – if not, you could be looking at 10 years in prison.
The amnesty started yesterday (3 February), and runs until 28 February – you can hand in your TVBF at the front counter of Aylesbury Police Station on Wendover Road.
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Hide AdIn their original state they are designed to discharge only blank cartridges – however, criminals can convert them to a lethal firearm. The firearms are the Turkish brands: Retay, Ekol, Ceonic and Blow and Thames Valley Police is asking people to hand these pistols in and prevent them getting into the wrong hands.


During the amnesty, those handing in a Turkish manufactured TVBF will not face prosecution for the illegal possession and will not have to give their details. However, the history of any live firearms handed in will be checked for evidence and if it was used in crime.
Assistant Chief Constable Tim Metcalfe, National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for the Criminal Use of Firearms, said: “During the last two years, policing and the NCA has identified and disrupted several workshops used to convert these pistols into lethal weapons.
“One investigation recovered more than 400 converted weapons from a single crime group. There is a strong demand for them evidenced by the numbers imported and subsequent recovery from criminals.”
Data provided by the police force shows that more than 800 of the guns have been used in a criminal situation across the UK since 2021.