Albania, Kosovo
75 Handguns Seized from Albanian Brothers Said Gunrunning from Kosovo
BC Monitoring Service (Tirana) / Shekuli
7 May 2008
"Operation Morina" has led to the arrest of two brothers and the seizure of a veritable arsenal, including 74 handguns, which was in their possession. Yesterday afternoon, the organized crime department's anti-illegal trafficking unit, acting jointly with the prosecutor's office, organized an operation that ended with the arrest of two brothers suspected of arms trafficking. The two brothers arrested yesterday near Tirana's Pharmacy No. 10 are Mehmet Zharku, 33, formerly convicted, and Halit Zharku, 37, both born and resident in Tirana. Police sources said that the two men were driving two separate cars when they were stopped. The police inspected the two vehicles in... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
American 'Iron Pipeline' States Could Put an End to Illegal Gun Trafficking
Daily News (New York), Opinion
7 May 2008
Last week, a federal appellate court, citing a statute backed by the National Rifle Association that blocks municipalities from suing gun manufacturers, dismissed a landmark lawsuit seeking to put an end to the pipeline of illegal guns to New York City. Having failed in the courts, New York must seek to crack down on the influx of illegal guns to this city by entering into a formal agreement with states that would utilize shared data centers, the latest tool in combating crime in our post-9/11 world. Information has become the backbone of modern-day law enforcement, and in response to 9/11 many states have built data centers that collect crime information... ( gunpolicy.org )
Liberia
As Gun Crime Rises, Liberian Civilians Form Groups to Defend Themselves
IRIN (UN News)
7 May 2008
MONROVIA -- The current police force in the Liberian capital Monrovia is unable to combat an increase in violent crime, according to a recent independent report and many of the city's residents have created their own civil defence groups. "Armed robbery is on the increase in Monrovia and we are not convinced that our police force can handle this type of crime," said Eric Stewart, a community leader in the crime-prone suburb of Paynesville in the east of Monrovia where locals have formed patrols. In another Monrovia suburb, New Kru Town, Nyononti Darbgeh, who supervises a civilian night patrol team there, said the situation is so bad, "We have no choice... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Aussie Cop Swapped Stolen Service Pistol for Surfboards, Say Police
Courier-Mail (Brisbane)
7 May 2008
A Gold Coast police officer allegedly stole a service pistol and swapped it with a drug trafficker for two surfboards, a court was told yesterday. The Glock .22 handgun later ended up in NSW in the hands of an alleged illegal arms dealer, Southport Magistrate's Court was told. Senior Constable Christopher Curtin faced a committal hearing at the court yesterday, charged with stealing with circumstances of aggravation because he was a Queensland Police Service employee. He has also been charged with possession of tainted property -- allegedly the surfboards. The court was told the gun and ammunition were stolen from the Surfers Paradise... ( gunpolicy.org )
Austria, United Nations, Asia, Pacific
Austria Gives 100,000 Euros to UN Centre to Curb Asia-Pacific Gun Running
United Nations (New York), Media release
7 May 2008
Austria will contribute 100,000 to a United Nations project to curb the illicit flows of small arms and light weapons in the Asia-Pacific region, according to the world body's Office for Disarmament Affairs. The funds, pledged by Austria on 5 May, will go towards the UN Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific, which requires $2.2 million for its projects and to bolster its institutional capacity. This Centre, which was established by the General Assembly in 1987, will relocate to Kathmandu, Nepal, this July and covers 43 countries. It relies on voluntary contributions for its staffing needs, operations, activities... ( gunpolicy.org )
Jamaica, Brazil
Brazil Youth, Gun Focus May Hold Answer to Jamaica's Gun Crime Problem
Jamaica Gleaner
7 May 2008
A multidimensional strategy including a strong emphasis on improved police-community relations has been credited for Brazil's success in curbing crime in its second largest city. The anti-crime push -- which is also hinged on rehabilitating troubled youths and seizing guns from the streets -- has been critical to Cesar Rubem battling lawlessness in his native Rio de Janeiro. "Our work has tried to look at these three components -- working with young people, gun reduction and gun control, and you must have police action if you want to control guns," he told The Gleaner Tuesday. Gun Crimes Rubem, founder and executive secretary of the... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Do Cops Really Need 18-shot Pistols, Asks Australian State Police Chief
Herald Sun (Melbourne)
7 May 2008
Victoria police Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon has questioned whether her force really needs semi-automatic Glock pistols that fire 18 shots. Victoria's Police Association union assistant secretary Bruce McKenzie said yesterday that the State Government had failed to keep its pre-election promise by not providing funds in its budget for the police to have Taser stun guns and semi-automatic weapons. Ms Nixon said today that funds were available but she was "not keen" on semi-automatics. "No I am not (keen on them) and neither are some of our members," she said on Fairfax radio. "What we've been looking at is what's the evidence,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Lawyer, Licensed Gun Owner Shot Dead in Central London Police Seige
Independent (UK)
7 May 2008
A gun recovered from yesterday's siege in Chelsea was "lawfully held" by the gunman shot dead at the scene, a police watchdog said today. The Independent Police Complaints Commission said it was too early to say if the man who was shot dead after a five-hour stand-off with police had been killed by police bullets. Earlier it was revealed that the man was a practising barrister, named locally as Mark Saunders, 32. Mr Saunders died after exchanging fire with marksmen who surrounded his £2.2m flat in Markham Square. Fellow workers at his employer, QEB Chambers, in the capital's Temple, were left stunned as news of the shoot-out reached... ( gunpolicy.org )
Namibia
Namibian Gun Law Allows Self Defence Shootings Only Under Real Threat
New Era (Windhoek), Opinion
7 May 2008
If you carry a weapon, especially a gun, you run the risk of over-reacting in some cases. You might misread a situation and become the aggressor. Another important point to remember is that if you threaten an intruder with a weapon, he can disarm you and use the weapon against you. The chances are that you will end up more seriously injured or even killed than if no weapon was involved. Also take note of the laws of the country. In Namibia, a person can legally own up to four firearms. These must each be of a different type and calibre and for a different purpose (self-defence, hunting, vermin control, etc). No one is allowed to privately own an automatic... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom, Scotland
Scotland Mounts Breakaway Gun Summit, Demands Tougher Airgun Law
BBC News
7 May 2008
A summit meeting to discuss Scotland's gun laws has ended with calls for Westminster to take action to deal with the problem of air weapons in Scotland. Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said he would be writing to the home secretary pressing for a tightening of the law. Members of the police, gun control lobby and sport-shooting groups attended the Edinburgh meeting. Mr MacAskill described the current law as "inadequate". Speaking after the summit, which he described as "constructive", Mr MacAskill said he would be seeking to put Scotland forward for pilot schemes with a view to getting tighter controls on air weapons across the whole... ( gunpolicy.org )
|
|
