Police have arrested 2,132 people since 27 August 2025 under the ongoing operation “No to Illegal Firearms, Misuse of Toy Guns and Dangerous Weapons”.
Offences include possession of unlicensed firearms, failure to renew firearm certificates, misuse of toy guns, and unlawful possession of other dangerous weapons.
Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi said on Wednesday, 10 September, that officers had recovered 60 unlicensed firearms, 305 with expired certificates, 96 linked to other firearm-related offences, 258 misused toy guns and 2,967 other dangerous weapons.
He added that 604 arrests were also made for selling and possessing banned skin-lightening products. Added Commissioner Nyathi:
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police urges the public to properly secure firearms and adhere to firearms safety regulations.
“In the event of a firearm owner’s passing on, family members and estate administrators are required to surrender the firearms to the police, as stipulated in the Firearms Act (Chapter 10:09).
“Meanwhile, the Police implores the public to prepare for the forthcoming Presidential Firearms Amnesty, where individuals and institutions are allowed to voluntarily surrender unregistered firearms and ammunition without prosecution.
“The full details will be released in due course.”

