DUSHANBE, March 4, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- Tajik law enforcement authorities are continuing to confiscate illegally possessed weapons from the population.

According to the Ministry of Interior (MoI), the 30-year-old resident of the village of Qalai Surkh in the Rasht district, Abdullo Emomov, was detained yesterday.  Assault rifle Kalashnikov was confiscated from.

Criminal proceedings have been instituted against Emomov under the provisions of Article 195 (illegal weapon possession) of Tajikistan’s Penal Code and an investigation is under way.

Besides, another assault rifle Kalashnikov was found yesterday in trash dump not far from local bazaar in the administrative center of the Farkhor district, Khatlon province, the source at a MoI said.

In all, 253 firearms, including 66 assault rifles Kalashnikov, 30 pistols, 58 rifles and 25 grenade launchers, have been discovered and confiscated in Tajikistan over the first two months of this year, the source said.