WILLEMSTAD – Following the first phase of the campaign “Entrega bo arma i skapa un alma” (“Hand in your weapon and save a life”), the Curaçao Police Force (KPC) is launching a new initiative aimed at further reducing the presence of illegal firearms on the island.
According to police, the combination of voluntarily surrendered weapons, judicial operations and successful preventive controls has already resulted in multiple illegal firearms being removed from circulation.
Now, authorities are asking the public to help identify additional illegal weapons through anonymous reporting.
Starting June 1, 2026, residents who know where illegal firearms are located or who know individuals possessing firearms without permits will be able to provide information anonymously through the 108 hotline.
Police emphasized that callers remain completely anonymous. Officers answering the hotline cannot see the caller’s phone number. Instead, callers receive a personal code known only to them before sharing information with authorities.
The police are encouraging residents to provide information that is as complete and specific as possible.
Financial rewards will be offered if the information leads to the confiscation of illegal firearms. According to KPC, rewards include:
- 1,000 guilders for semi-automatic firearms;
- 300 guilders for additional weapons found at the same location;
- 1,600 guilders for automatic firearms and hand grenades;
- 500 guilders for firearms that are no longer functional.
Police stated that individuals providing successful tips must contact the 108 hotline again after learning that their information produced results, since authorities do not store personal contact details of anonymous callers.
Payments to successful tipsters will reportedly be made between two and three weeks after the investigation is completed.
KPC stressed that the process will remain fair, discreet and fully confidential. Authorities also urged residents to share information only directly with police and exclusively through hotline 108 in order to guarantee anonymity.
The campaign forms part of broader efforts by Curaçao authorities to reduce gun violence and improve public safety across the island.