Swedish government to propose tougher weapon licence laws

According to the police, the tougher rules would be an important tool in combating gang violence.

The bill is set to be prepared later in the autumn and would enter into force on July 1st, 2020. That's if it can be passed in parliament, which Interior Minister Mikael Damberg said he thought was likely.

“Police have said that this is something they need, we have obvious problems with shootings,” he said of the proposal.

Hunters or people who practice shooting as a sport would be able to own magazines linked to licensed firearms, Damberg confirmed.

He said that under current laws, police were sometimes required to return magazines found in apartments or during police searches if it could not be proved that they were linked to crime.

People found with weapons magazines without a licence for them could be sentenced to fines or up to six months' imprisonment under the proposed law.