Ndalatando, ANGOLA, October 31 - Over 500,000 firearms of various sizes under illegal possession have been collected and destroyed across the country, since the disarmament process kicked off in 2008. ,

The data were released Tuesday by National Commission for Disarmament in northern Cuanza Norte province, the venue that hosted central event that marked the national week of civil disarmament

Speaking at the event, the coordinator of the National Technical Sub-Committee on Civilian Disarmament, chief commissioner Paulo Gaspar de Almeida, pointed out the resistance of the citizens in the delivery of firearms, as one of the constraints in the disarmament process.

Paulo de Almeida appealed to defence and security bodies to step up the control and supervision system in order to prevent the firearms from reaching the hands of criminals.

He also defended heavy penalties for the perpetrators and speed up in trials involving those accused of illegally possessing a firearms.