Police Commissioner Mathew Varley has called on communities in Solomon Islands to surrender illegal arms as election looms.
Solomon Islands will go to the polls on 3 April, just over a week from today.
In spite of a nationwide gun ban introduced in 2003, after a bloody ethnic conflict, crime involving firearms, though sporadic, still occurs from time to time.
A firearms amnesty saw the surrendering and destruction of nearly 4000 weapons, perhaps one of the most stunning achievements of the first year of the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands.
In a statement Matthew Varley called on anyone with suspicions or information about people still in possession of firearms to come forward and report them to police.
The commissioner said his message to groups or individuals who might want to cause trouble during the election, is to think again. He said police will be out in numbers with an enhanced capability to respond to any disturbance.
More than 1,600 officers including 250 officers of the Correctional Services will be deployed throughout the provinces for the election.
A Combined Task Group of about 300 officers of the Australian and New Zealand Defence Forces will also be supporting the local police and the Solomon Islands Electoral Commission with logistics and communications during the election.
With ABC