Playa del Carmen Offers Cash for Guns in Weeklong Disarmament Drive

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — City officials are urging residents to hand over firearms, ammunition and explosives during a six-day voluntary disarmament campaign that pays cash for weapons and swaps children’s war toys for educational games.

The program, called “Sí al Desarme, Sí a la Paz” (Yes to Disarmament, Yes to Peace), is organized by the Playa del Carmen municipal government together with federal authorities and the Quintana Roo state government. Officials said the goal is to strengthen public safety, prevent violence and promote a culture of peace starting in childhood.

The collection point will operate from November 9 to 14, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at a module installed in the city’s new Palacio Municipal on Avenida CTM, between Avenidas 115 and 125 Norte, in the La Gran Plaza de la Riviera subdivision. Weapons, ammunition and explosives can be surrendered voluntarily and anonymously.

How the handover works

Authorities outlined a four-step process for anyone turning in a weapon:

• Confirm the firearm is unloaded
• Record its technical characteristics
• Destroy the material at the moment it is handed over
• Issue the participant a cash incentive of up to 35,650 pesos, depending on the type and condition of the weapon received

Running at the same module and during the same hours, the city will hold a war-toy exchange. Mothers, fathers and guardians are invited to bring their children to trade replica guns or other war toys for play and educational items intended to encourage creativity, respect and cooperation.

Mayor Estefanía Mercado renewed the call for residents to join the campaign, which is coordinated by the Executive Secretariat of the State Public Safety System, the Mexican Army (Sedena), the State Center for Social Crime Prevention and Citizen Participation, and the Playa del Carmen municipal Public Security Department.