Baku: Sanctions are changing for illegally acquiring, transferring, selling, storing, transporting, or carrying weapons, their components, ammunition, explosives, and devices, as reflected in the proposed amendment to the Criminal Code discussed at the Defence, Security, and Counter-Corruption Committee meeting of Milli Majlis (Parliament) of Azerbaijan, APA reports.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, Article 228 of the Criminal Code is being reworded to address the illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage, transportation, or carrying of firearms, their components, ammunition, explosives, and devices. The draft law proposes that individuals involved in such illegal activities face corrective labor for up to two years, restriction of freedom for two to three years, or imprisonment for up to three years. More severe penalties, including imprisonment for three to five years, will be imposed if these acts are committed by a group, an organized gang, or involve the abuse of official positions.

The illegal sale of firearms, their components, ammunition, explosives, and devices will result in imprisonment for four to eight years. If these acts involve a group, organized crime, abuse of official position, repeated offenses, or use of media and telecommunication networks, the punishment increases to five to eleven years of imprisonment.

For the illegal acquisition, sale, or carrying of gas weapons and cold weapons, except in cases related to national costume or hunting professions, penalties include community service for 320 to 400 hours, corrective labor for up to two years, restriction of liberty for up to one year, or imprisonment for up to one year.

The amendment also provides that individuals who voluntarily surrender the specified items will be exempted from criminal liability, provided their actions do not constitute another criminal offense.