More toy guns were seized by the police in the cities of La Carlota and Himamaylan, as well as in Hinigaran town, Negros Occidental, on Saturday, as part of the campaign against the proliferation of gun replicas.

Senior Inspector Rico Santotome, chief of the Negros Occidental police Special Operations Group, yesterday said 10 more market stalls were raided by combined teams of police intelligence operatives and local policemen.

Similar raids were earlier conducted by the police in Silay and Talisay cities, that led to the confiscation of 128 toy guns, that could be mistaken for real firearms, with an estimated market value of P10,000.

Santotome said persons engaged in selling gun replicas may be liable and punished under Presidential Letter of Instruction Number 1264.

He said the renewed campaign against the proliferation of toy guns was the response of the PNP to the occurrences of hold-up and robbery cases involving their use, and also because children mistake real firearms for toy guns, and get involved in accidental firing and eventual death.

The confiscated gun replicas are now stored at Camp Alfredo Montelibano Sr. in Bacolod City.*GPB

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