The Antwerp police are selling about 1,200 kilograms of used copper bullet casings on an open auction website to avoid them falling into the illegal circuit.
"The shell casings come from our shooting range. They have been collected over the past half a year," said Wouter Bruyns of the Antwerp police, reports Het Nieuwsblad.
"Police officers have to practice on the range regularly. By collecting the shells and then selling them publicly, we can at least still get something out of it," he added.
The casings are now up for public bidding on the auction site. The shells, which are made from copper, must be sold for a minimum of €780. The buyer also has to bring packaging material, because the large white containers in which the casing are being displayed are not included.
"Only authorised purchasers with the necessary licences are eligible. We want to prevent the bullets from being sold through illegal circuits," the police added.
The buyer must also be able to present an official certificate of destruction within a month of collecting the casings.
Yellow copper, of which the casings are made, is currently worth €2,40 per kilogram on official markets, making the total value about €2,880.
Maïthé Chini
The Brussels Times