Serbians told not to toss unwanted grenades in the trash

Serbia’s Interior Ministry has a message for its citizens: don’t throw away unwanted grenades in the garbage.

Government officials are trying to get a handle on a country awash in weapons after years of war, but deadlines for turning in munitions has prompted fears that they’ll end up in garbage cans.

“The ministry … appeals on citizens not to dispose of hand grenades and explosive ordnance in garbage containers and such places … they should instead call the nearest police station and officers will arrive as soon as possible to take the ordnance away,” said a statement released by the Interior Ministry, Reuters reported Tuesday.

A police official told Reuters that there are between 200,000 and 900,000 munitions the government is hoping to procure through its amnesty program. The nation’s 7.3 million citizens have until June 4 to turn in illegal weapons.