North Korea
Defector Tells How North Korea Exports Arms - AK-47s Very Popular
ChoSun Ilbo (Seoul)
11 March 2010
Curbing North Korea's illicit arms trade is difficult since the renegade country launders containers carrying weapons three or four times, a defector who was in charge of illicit arms deals told the Chosun Ilbo on Monday. The defector revealed that a factory in Jagang Province, which is believed to produce tractors, is the center of the communist country's weapons production, including chemical warheads. The defector, who is under... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Australian Arms Lobby Claims Gun Owner Privacy Threatened in Victoria
Herald Sun (Melbourne)
9 March 2010
Victoria's gun safety regime is under fire after a string of privacy breaches and other police gun register blunders. Shooters and traders say public safety is at risk from errors that could see information about guns fall into the wrong hands. In one of the worst examples, one person received about 80 registration certificates for a single gun. And a gun dealer was sent five application forms for a dealer's licence it... ( gunpolicy.org )
Indonesia
Police Arrest Alleged 'Terrorist Gun Suppliers' in Indonesia
Jakarta Post
8 March 2010
The National Police said Monday it had arrested two gun dealers for supplying weapons to terrorists in Aceh. National Police chief Bambang Hendarso Danuri said one supplier was arrested in West Java and another in Jakarta. He said police would divulge the identity of the two suppliers and how they obtained their weapons later. Bambang vowed to continue cracking down on terrorism despite the fact three of his officers... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Pro-gun Lobby Stirs It Up At Starbucks, Obama Fails to Deliver Gun Control
Sunday Times (UK)
8 March 2010
WASHINGTON - It is not exactly Gunfight at the OK Corral -- more like Lattes at High Noon -- but the Starbucks coffee chain has become an unlikely battleground for US gun owners campaigning to carry their weapons openly in public. Last Thursday morning, Jim Snyder walked into a Starbucks cafe in Virginia and ordered a tall hot chocolate without cream. On his left hip was his mobile phone. On his right hip was a semi-automatic Browning... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico,United States
Tennessee Gun Collector, Drug Dealer Blows Whistle on US-Mexico Trade
Scripps Howard News Service (USA)
8 March 2010
The U.S. boss of a violent Mexican drug cartel who admitted ordering a hit on someone who ran afoul of him has been a busy man since authorities nabbed him and 34 kilograms of his cocaine at the border. He's traveled to Williamsport, Pa., to accompany his son on a Little League baseball trip. He's attended his sister's graduation from Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. He's vacationed with his family in Panama City, Fla.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Uganda
Police Abandon 'Crude' AK-47 Assault Rifles for Pistols in Kampala
Observer (Kampala)
7 March 2010
Mean looking AK-47 toting Police constables will soon disappear from the streets as the force moves to introduce sidearm pistols, the universally accepted weapons in modern policing. The Inspector General of Police, Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura, told a press conference at the Police Headquarters in Kampala on Friday that the change of weapons was part of a broader plan to transform the Police from a force into a service. "We... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Chicago's Pointless Handgun Ban: Crime Weakens Case for Gun Control
Chicago Tribune, Column
4 March 2010
When Chicago passed a ban on handgun ownership in 1982, it was part of a trend. Washington, D.C., had done it in 1976, and a few Chicago suburbs took up the cause in the following years. They all expected to reduce the number of guns and thus curtail bloodshed. District of Columbia Attorney General Linda Singer told The Washington Post in 2007, "It's a pretty common-sense idea that the more guns there are around, the more gun violence... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Landmark One-handgun-a-month Sales Limit Faces Reversal in Virginia
Washington Post
4 March 2010
RICHMOND,Virginia - The latest and most significant effort to repeal Virginia's gun laws faces a critical vote on Thursday, when senators will consider a measure that would undo the state's landmark one-gun-a-month law. Democrats, who control the Senate, will try to kill the legislation through a newly formed subcommittee that they stacked with anti-gun lawmakers. Republicans and other gun rights advocates have protested, saying... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Case Courts Disaster: Inevitable Increase in Illegal Gun Trafficking
Philadelphia Inquirer, Editorial
4 March 2010
A gun-rights decision by the Supreme Court two years ago threatened to make it more dangerous to walk the streets of Washington. Now the top court's conservative voting bloc seems intent upon expanding the risk to other U.S. cities by dismantling strong gun-violence safeguards. Chicago's long-standing handgun ban came into the crosshairs of the National Rifle Association this week, as the group sought to extend the reach... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Virginia Bows to Gun Lobby, Moves to Scrap One-gun-a-month Sales Limit
Washington Post, Editorial
1 March 2010
When then-U.S. Attorney Richard Cullen, a Republican, gave vigorous support in 1993 to Virginia limiting the purchase of handguns to one a month, some people questioned the propriety of a federal prosecutor getting involved in a state legislative matter. But Mr. Cullen believed that it was his duty to speak out because the gun running made possible by Virginia's lax laws was a national problem. That is just as true today -- and it's why... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Current Laws Not Stopping Illegal Gun Epidemic in East Bay, California
San Francisco Chronicle, Column
23 February 2010
Since the start of the year, Oakland police have confiscated more than 200 illegal guns during routine traffic stops and planned police arrests. In Richmond, police seized more than 25 guns in vehicles during routine traffic stops in January alone. Illegal guns have become an epidemic problem in the East Bay. It seems we've become numb to the constant gun violence and remain unfazed when the gunman turns out to be too young... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Arizona Gun Maker, Dealer Pleads Guilty to Illegally Selling Firearms
Arizona Republic
22 February 2010
A Gilbert firearms manufacturer will cease its gun operations after the company's owner pleaded guilty to illegally selling rifles, shotguns and handguns. Cavalry Arms Corp. says on its Web site that it has been "engaged in an ongoing dispute" with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, or ATF, for two years over "regulatory and compliance mistakes." But in federal court last week, owner Shawn Nealon admitted that... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Milwaukee Police, DA Blast Law Designed to Suppress Gun Tracing Data
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Wisconsin) / Watchdog Reports
22 February 2010
As a candidate, Barack Obama promised to get rid of a law - quietly passed by Congress - that hides information from the public about guns used in crimes and the stores that sell them. Instead, President Obama has embraced most of the law and added even more rules that could make it harder for law enforcement to crack down on dealers and stores selling guns to criminals. While supporters of the secrecy law say shielding... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Getting Rid of Gun Control: One-gun-a-month Limit Hurts the Law-abiding
Washington Times, Editorial
19 February 2010
Virginia finally is poised to repeal its unusual law that prohibits law-abiding citizens from buying more than one gun per month. It's about time, because the red tape has not had the desired effect in lowering crime. There is no academic research by criminologists or economists that shows that one-gun-a-month regulations reduce crime in either the states that pass them or their neighbors. The laws have merely inconvenienced honest Americans... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
If Virginia Lifts One-gun-a-month Pistol Sale Limit, Get Ready for Mayhem
Washington Post, Editorial
18 February 2010
In a rare moment of gun law sanity, Virginia enacted a bill 17 years ago limiting the purchase of handguns to one a month. Almost immediately, the numbers of guns traced to Virginia that were used in crimes in the Northeast, particularly in New York, dropped sharply. Now, thanks to Del. L. Scott Lingamfelter, a Prince William County Republican who is pushing to repeal the law, the Old Dominion may regain the dubious distinction of being... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico,United States
Texas Gang Smuggled 340 Guns from Houston to Mexican Drug Cartels
CNN
18 February 2010
HOUSTON, Texas - John Phillip Hernandez and a friend walked into the Collector's Firearms gun store in Houston, Texas, to buy a cache of weapons. Hernandez was wearing sunglasses and a dark T-shirt with the words "I Am the Scene" scrawled across the front. It was April 28, 2007. Collector's Firearms was one of two gun stores they visited that day as part of a scheme to arm Mexican cartels across the border, according to federal... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States,Russia,Thailand
New Charges in US Battle to Deport Russian Gun Runner from Thai Jail
Associated Press
17 February 2010
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. prosecutors filed new charges Wednesday in their global pursuit of a suspected arms dealer, hoping to convince reluctant officials in Thailand to extradite him over objections from Russia. An updated indictment charges that Viktor Bout and his former business associate, Richard Chichakli, conspired to violate United Nations sanctions aimed at stopping bloody fighting in Africa. The new charges appear... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Virginia House Moves to Lift One-gun-a-month Limit on Dealer Gun Sales
Hampton Roads Daily Press (Virginia)
16 February 2010
RICHMOND, Virginia - The House of Delegates advanced legislation Monday that would repeal the state's one-handgun-per-month condition and exempt guns made and used in Virginia from federal firearms laws. The Republican-dominated chamber also set up a final vote on a bill that would block public access to concealed-carry permit records filed in local circuit courts. Final votes on all three measures will occur today, the House's... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico,United States
Feds Say 300,000 Illegal Guns a Year Cross US-Mexico Border [Espanol]
Excelsior (Mexico City)
15 February 2010
[Translated summary: US federal authorities estimate that 300,000 crime guns are smuggled across the US-Mexico border each year.] Mientras que la SecretarÃa de la Defensa Nacional (Sedena) señala que 30 mil personas al año adquieren legalmente un arma (dos mil 500 al mes, en promedio), el Buró de Alcohol, Tabaco y Armas de Fuego de Estados Unidos (ATF, por sus siglas en inglés) calcula que alrededor de 300 mil nuevas armas... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Senator Aims to Jail NY Mayor's Men Who Uncover Illegal Gun Sales
New York Daily News
15 February 2010
West Virginia has a message for Mayor Bloomberg: Don't come 'round here to buy our guns. A legislator there wants to ban the type of undercover stings that Bloomberg has used to showcase illegal gun sales in other states - and throw the mayor's investigators in jail if necessary. "It's for us to handle within our own borders," said state Sen. Jeffrey Kessler, who is running for governor in 2012. "We jealously guard our... ( gunpolicy.org )
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Bosnia & Herzegovina Civilians Among 'Most Armed in the World'
SEESAC / Politika (Belgrade)
14 February 2010
SARAJEVO, Bosnia & Herzegovina -- According to the official information, at present 19% of BiH citizens are legally "armed", and 15% civilians are illegally armed. A survey conducted by UNDP in the past confirmed that there is around half a million of weapons in illegal civilian possession and that they are often used in incidents many of which have a fatal outcome, which is proved by the fact that "from the end of the war to 2003 in BiH... ( gunpolicy.org )
Thailand,North Korea
Thailand Drops Charges Against Crew of Plane Carrying N. Korean Arms
SEESAC (Belgrade) / Choson Ilbo (Seoul), Web page
11 February 2010
Thai prosecutors have dropped charges against the crew of a plane carrying North Korean weapons despite United Nations resolutions that bar Pyongyang from selling arms. The Attorney General's office in Thailand said Thursday [ 11 February] it will not prosecute the five-man crew, whose plane stopped in Bangkok with 35 tons of North Korean weapons on board. Thai authorities say the men - one from Belarus and four from Kazakhstan... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Shame on Maine Lawmakers Who Condone Gun Trafficking Loopholes
Bangor Daily News (Maine), Opinion
10 February 2010
The Brady law requires a criminal background check to find out if a prospective gun buyer is prohibited from purchasing a gun. It is a critical law enforcement tool that prevents felons, domestic abusers and other prohibited people from buying guns. The law works. Since it was passed in 1994, almost 2 million criminals and other prohibited people have been stopped from purchasing a gun. In 2007, 297 people in Maine where prevented... ( gunpolicy.org )
Kenya
Kenyan TV Crew Buy AK-47 in Turkana, Easily Smuggle It Into Nairobi
Standard (Nairobi)
9 February 2010
Buying a gun and transporting the loaded weapon past numerous police checks without detection has never been that easy. This is what KTN crew proved. Reporters and a cameraman were on assignment in Turkana last week when they managed to not only buy an AK-47 rifle and bullets, but also transport it to Nairobi. The reporters said the weapon was not discovered despite checks on the road from Turkana to Nairobi. ... ( gunpolicy.org )
Poland
Drugs, Guns, Ammunition Seized, 9 Arms Traffickers Arrested in Poland
Polskie Radio (Warsaw)
8 February 2010
Nine people have been arrested by border guards in southern Poland for arms dealing and criminal activities. The regional prosecutor in Nowy Sacz stated that the group is being charged with dealing in narcotics, arms, explosives and people. The criminal group has been working in the Silesia region since September 2009 and includes a Slovakian citizen charged with bringing illegal arms into Poland. Silesian police... ( gunpolicy.org )
Uganda
Ugandan Army Estimates 1,077 Illegal Guns Still in Hands of Karimojong
New Vision (Kampala)
8 February 2010
KAMPALA -- About 1,077 guns are still in the hands of the Karimojong, the UPDF 3rd division commander, Brig. Patrick Kankiriho, has said. He added that the army had collected 29,923â-‚guns in the last eight years of the disarmament exercise in Karamoja. "Very soon we shall declare Karamoja free from illegal guns. Then we can embark on integrated development and total pacification of the sub-region," Kankiriho said. ... ( gunpolicy.org )
Ireland,United Kingdom
'Elaborately Armed' IRA Splinter Group Surrenders Weapons in Amnesty
Associated Press
6 February 2010
DUBLIN, Ireland - The Irish National Liberation Army, a ruthless IRA splinter group responsible for some of Northern Ireland's most notorious killings, said Saturday it has surrendered its weapons just days before an Anglo-Irish disarmament deadline is due to expire. Two representatives of the outlawed organization told The Associated Press that the INLA handed over weapons stockpiles to Northern Ireland's disarmament commission... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Texas Gun Show Closed for 'Ongoing' Sales to Felons, Illegal Immigrants
Austin Chronicle (Texas)
5 February 2010
More than 200 people gathered at Austin Police Department headquarters Jan. 25 to protest what they consider unconstitutional police action in shuttering a monthly North Austin gun show -- an action they say infringes on Second Amendment gun rights. ProtestÂers with Texans for Accountable Government, Ladies of Liberty Alliance, and followers of radio show host Alex Jones used dueling bullhorns -- often simultaneously -- to declare that... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States,Mexico
Michigan Man Caught Smuggling Assault Weapons from Texas to Mexico
NBC-25 TV News (Michigan)
3 February 2010
A Michigan man is behind bars in Texas after being caught smuggling guns and bags filled with bulletproof vests into Mexico. U.S. Border Patrol agents spotted Pablo Leyva-Angiano in a car near the Roma International Bridge around 8:15 p.m. Thursday. Court records show that the agents saw two men come from nearby brush, go to the trunk of his and run towards the Rio Grande with two trash bags. The 26-year-old Grand Rapids, Michigan... ( gunpolicy.org )
Cuba
Cuba Declares Gun Amnesty, Gives Owners 2 Months to Register Firearms
Associated Press
1 February 2010
HAVANA, Cuba - Cuba has declared a two-month amnesty for citizens to register unlicensed guns, and says those passing aptitude and psychological tests will be allowed to keep their weapons. The move is unusual in a state where almost no one except some active military personnel and plain-clothed state security agents are allowed to possess weapons. Even most police officers are required to leave their pistols at the station... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico
Hitmen Shoot, Kill 13 Students at Party in Mexico's Deadliest Drug Town
Reuters
1 February 2010
Suspected drug hitmen in Mexico have burst into a party and killed 13 high school students in Ciudad Juarez, the latest massacre in one of the world's deadliest cities. The students were celebrating victory in a local American football championship in a house in the city across the border from El Paso, Texas. "The men drove up in four SUVs. They were well-armed," a neighbour at the scene said. "They went into the... ( gunpolicy.org )
Congo (DRC)
Firearm Buyback Creates Market, Organisers Drop Gun Price in DR Congo
Xinhua
29 January 2010
KINSHASA -- A "firearms for money" operation will be launched on Jan. 28 in the restive eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) in the central African country's another bid to restore peace and stability, a source in charge has disclosed. Pastor Daniel Ngoy Mulunda Nyanga, the initiator of the operation, made the disclosure after a meeting with Governor of North Kivu province Julien Paluku in the provincial... ( gunpolicy.org )
Lebanon,Israel,United States
22 Prominent Gun Dealers Arrested in Arms Trade Plagued by Corruption
United Press International
25 January 2010
BEIRUT, Lebanon - Four Israeli business executives were arrested in Las Vegas, along with 18 Americans, Britons and other nationals, on charges of trying to bribe someone they thought was an African defense minister to obtain a $15 million arms contract. The swoop on Jan. 19 was the culmination of a two-and-a-half-year undercover sting operation by the U.S. Justice Department. It was the largest single investigation under... ( gunpolicy.org )
North Korea,New Zealand,Thailand,Kazakhstan,Iran
Complex International Web Entangles Weapon Cargo Seized In Thailand
Associated Press
22 January 2010
SHYMKENT, Kazakhstan - The trail of the plane seized in Thailand last month for reportedly smuggling North Korean weapons to Iran leads back to a small air freight company housed near an old Soviet airfield on the edge of the Kazakh steppe. The aging Russian plane's odyssey took it through a web of companies, financiers and air cargo carriers with addresses stretching from New York through the Persian Gulf to New Zealand, an Associated... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Control: If Not After Shooting Deaths of 6 US Police Officers, When?
Olympian (Washington), Opinion
22 January 2010
Enough. Neither gun manufacturers' profits and quasi-interpreted Second Amendment rights, nor the convenience of packing heat are valid reasons to endanger innocent lives any longer. Six police officers were shot and killed within two months in Puget Sound. A young man was shot over an iPod and two teenagers were shot in Burien at an apartment complex. Enough. We need gun control, and we need it now. There... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Brady Campaign Accuses Obama of 'Running Away from Gun Control'
The Hill (Washington DC)
19 January 2010
President Barack Obama on Monday received a failing grade from the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence for running away from gun control. The group, which endorsed Obama in 2008, gave him an "F" on every issue it scored, including background checks, gun trafficking, guns in public, the federal assault weapons ban, standing up to the gun lobby and leadership. "It's been a very disappointing year for us, especially considering... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Pennsylvania Gun Show Patrons Far Too Honest to Traffic in Firearms
Philadelphia Inquirer
17 January 2010
They began arriving well before the 9 a.m. Sunday opening, cramming the parking lots and forcing latecomers onto snowy fields. At least half the vehicles were pickups, peppered with road salt and bearing such bumper stickers as "Don't blame me, I voted for McCain" and "If guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns." When the doors to the Lebanon Valley Exposition Center finally opened, they stepped inside and paid $5 to attend... ( gunpolicy.org )
Iran
Newspaper Reports 'Alarming, Massive' Gun Smuggling, Trafficking in Iran
Tehran Times / Khorasan (Iran)
16 January 2010
[Iranian newspaper] 'Khorasan' in a report has pointed to the alarming massive gun trafficking into the country. According to the official statistics, compared to the previous year (March 2008--March 2009), the gun smuggling has risen by 10%. According to the statistics published by the national police, most of those who have been arrested on the charges of involvement in the violent crimes have claimed that they have obtained... ( gunpolicy.org )
Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire Begins 'Election Without Gun Violence' Campaign [Francais]
Le Patriote (Abidjan)
15 January 2010
[Translated summary: 'Elections without Gun Violence' was launched in Abidjan at the National Commission on small arms, by Michele Pepe, president of the Cote d'Ivoire Action Network on Small Arms (RASALAO), an IANSA affiliate.] Les élections, on le sait, sont généralement sources de passion et de tension en Afrique. La Côte d'Ivoire, qui se prépare, pour l'élection présidentielle, n'échappe pas à la règle. C'est... ( gunpolicy.org )
South Africa
Police Destroy Another 80,611 Guns in South African Firearm Amnesty
South African Press Association
15 January 2010
JOHANNESBURG - Gun control campaigners welcomed the destruction of 80 611 guns by the SA Police Service on Friday. The weapons thrown into the furnace included guns recovered through the ongoing nationwide firearm amnesty, as well as obsolete police weapons and guns previously recovered by police from crime scenes. IANSA (International Action Network on Small Arms) Africa said the destruction sent a positive signal to South... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States,Jamaica
New York Traffickers Ship AK-47s, Submachine Guns, Pistols to Jamaica
Gleaner (Jamaica)
14 January 2010
With 14 days into the new year, the island's security forces have seized more than 1,000 assorted rounds of ammunition and at least 27 illegal firearms, including four high-powered weapons and a number of semi-automatic pistols. The cracks in the existing security system at Port Bustamante were tested on Monday, when a Jamaican connection in New York sent a shipment containing 12 illegal guns and more than 700 rounds of ammunition.... ( gunpolicy.org )
China,India,Nepal
Police to Focus on Nepal-India Smuggling of Chinese Guns and Ammo
Hindustan Times (Delhi)
14 January 2010
Alarmed by the continuous seizure of huge quantities of arms and explosives, the Bihar police has decided to approach neighbouring state agencies to unravel the inter-state network of arms and ammunition peddlers and crime syndicate active on the Indo-Nepal border. "A meeting chaired by Director General of Police Anand Shankar decided to approach neighbouring state agencies to eliminate the inter-state network of peddlers of arms, ammunition... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
No Reason to Repeal Virginia's One-gun-a-month Law
NewsAdvance, Opinion
13 January 2010
Who needs to buy more than one handgun a month? And why? Those were reasonable questions raised 17 years ago when the General Assembly approved then-Gov. Douglas Wilder's proposal to limit the sale of weapons in the state's fight against crime. That limitation to the purchase of one handgun (or pistol, if you prefer) a month reduced the proliferation of weapons traveling up and down Interstate 95 and the violence that accompanied... ( gunpolicy.org )
Jamaica,United States
AK-47s, Submachine Guns Smuggled to Jamaican Gangs from New York
Associated Press
12 January 2010
KINGSTON, Jamaica - Authorities in Jamaica have arrested two men and a woman they say helped smuggle 12 high-powered weapons and 700 rounds of ammunition from New York. Police Inspector Jubert Llewellyn says the items arrived inside an air compressor tank. He says a telescopic lens and 28 magazines were also among the items seized at a warehouse Monday. Llewellyn said Tuesday that local police are investigating the case... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States,Caribbean,Virgin Islands (US)
Gun Homicide Soars as Firearms, Drug Crime Swamp Caribbean Nations
St. Thomas Source
12 January 2010
With an all-time record of 56 homicides in the territory last year, the U.S. Virgin Islands was not spared by the Caribbean-wide surge in violent crime in 2009 that experts say was fueled by drug trafficking, the proliferation of gangs and an influx of guns. An average homicide rate of more than 30 per 100,000 residents already made the Caribbean and Latin America the most violent region in the world, according to the World Bank... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
America's Law Enforcers Shift Focus from War on Drugs to War on Guns
Christian Science Monitor
10 January 2010
In the roll call room of Baltimore's Northwestern District Police Headquarters, a squat building in a neighborhood of liquor stores and crumbling row houses, photos of the city's most wanted suspects flash on a new, flat-screen TV. They are not necessarily drug kingpins or murderers or even dealers. But to Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III, they are top priority in this city with one of the highest homicide rates in... ( gunpolicy.org )
Vietnam,Yemen,United States
Virginian Company Fined for Attempted Yemeni Arms Brokering Deal
Associated Press
7 January 2010
Alexandria,Virginia - A Virginia company run by a would-be arms merchant pleaded guilty Thursday to trying to sell guns, night vision goggles and other military equipment to people in Yemen, Libya and other foreign countries. Ioannis "John" Papathanassiou, 51, of Vienna, Va., entered the guilty plea on behalf of his company, Taipan Enterprises Ltd., at a hearing Thursday in U.S. District Court, admitting that his company sought... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Fort Worth Man Convicted of Firearms, Ammunition Smuggling
Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Texas)
6 January 2010
FORT WORTH -- A Fort Worth man who was among more than 300 people arrested in October as part of a nationwide crackdown on a violent drug cartel was convicted late Tuesday of federal firearms and ammunition smuggling charges. Daniel Bernardino was tried and convicted by a federal jury in connection with Operation Coronado, the largest single strike at Mexican drug operations in the United States, federal officials said. Bernardino,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Guatemala,Costa Rica,Mexico,United States
Latin America to Test US Gun-Tracking System
USA Today
6 January 2010
MEXICO CITY -- Police in Latin America will soon have access to a Spanish version of a U.S. gun-tracking system that could widen efforts to hunt down crime suspects and weapons traffickers. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) said Wednesday that it is about to begin testing a Spanish-language version of eTrace, the computer system that helps police trace who buys U.S. firearms. "This is to allow... ( gunpolicy.org )
Trinidad & Tobago
Gun Homicide Rose 1,000-fold During Last Decade in Trinidad & Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago Express
3 January 2010
Eastern Port of Spain has been labelled as "among the most dangerous places on the planet" by an international research body that tracks the growth of small arms and crime. In its report dated December 31, 2009, the Small Arms Survey of Switzerland explored the rise of criminal gangs and gangster-styled killings in Trinidad and Tobago and concluded the country's gun problems were not going to go away. The 53-page report... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Congress, Feds Shield Negligent Gun Dealers from Public Scrutiny
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Wisconsin)
3 January 2010
The public can't see records that reveal whether gun dealers are following the law - thanks to Congress. The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' spending law strictly limits what information the agency can release on gun shop inspections. That law required ATF to heavily redact inspection documents on the West Milwaukee gun store that has operated as Badger Guns & Ammo, Badger Outdoors and Badger Guns,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
21 Face Gun-trafficking Charges in Philadelphia Crackdown
Philadelphia Daily News
30 December 2009
A 61-year-old man who shot his 16-year-old autistic son to death last month, then shot himself, got his gun from a straw purchaser, authorities said yesterday. Segundo Duque shot his son, Fabian, once in the head after pulling over in his minivan at Wyoming Avenue and H Street, in Juniata Park, on the morning of Nov. 9, police have said. He then drove nearly two miles to Sanger Street and Loretto Avenue, in Summerdale,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Illegal Guns Seized Frequently as Australian Police Turn Up Heat on Gangs
ABC News (Australia), Transcript
30 December 2009
Hundreds of illegal guns have been seized in Australia recently in a police crackdown on organised criminal groups such as bikie gangs. The confiscated guns range from rifles to pistols. Just where are the guns coming from? Police can't say for sure but there are several likely sources. Brendan Trembath prepared this report. BRENDAN TREMBATH: Police wrap up a raid in the New South Wales southern highlands. Twenty-five... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico
Mexican Drug Cartel Shoots Family of Military Man in Revenge for Raid
Associated Press
22 December 2009
MEXICO CITY, Mexico - Assailants on Tuesday gunned down the mother, aunt and siblings of a marine killed in a raid that took out one of Mexico's most powerful cartel leaders -- sending a chilling message to troops battling the drug war: You go after us, we wipe out your families. The brazen pre-dawn slayings came just hours after the navy honored Melquisedet Angulo as a national hero at a memorial service. "The message... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico
Texan Mayor Escapes Mexican Restaurant Shooting, One Woman Killed
Associated Press
22 December 2009
PIEDRAS NEGRAS, Mexico - Gunmen sprayed bullets at a restaurant Tuesday where the mayor of a Texas border town was eating with a Mexican state attorney general and other officials, police said. A woman leaving the building was killed. Coahuila state Attorney General Jesus Torres and Chad Foster, mayor of Eagle Pass across the border from Piedras Negras, were unharmed, according to police officers at the scene. Foster was... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
New Yorkers 'Got Their Money's Worth' from Video Sting of Lax Gun Shows
New York Daily News
20 December 2009
Mayor Bloomberg's crusade against guns comes with a price tag attached. Bills obtained by the Daily News show the city Law Department has paid almost $1.5 million to Kroll Associates, a high-end detective firm, for its undercover probe of out-of-state gun sales. The mayor announced the results of that investigation with a big splash in October, playing secretly recorded videos of dealers improperly selling guns at gun shows.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Philadelphia Man Regrets Trafficking, Wants Gun Dealers Accountable
Philadelphia Inquirer, Column
20 December 2009
Reading my colleagues' recent investigation, "Justice: Delayed, Dismissed, Denied," you may have noticed a theme in the criminal cases that stall and die in Philadelphia's crazy court system: guns. Specifically, guns that their owners had no earthly right possessing, given their age or rap sheets. Today, I introduce you to a guy who put guns in criminals' hands. I'll call him "Jerome," because now that he's served 4½ years... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Poll Finds Most NRA Members Favour 'Reasonable' US Gun Control
New York Times, Editorial
20 December 2009
The National Rifle Association has long fulminated in the gun control debate in Washington like the Great Oz in the Emerald City. Now along comes Frank Luntz, a conservative Republican pollster who, Toto-like, has snatched back Oz's curtain to reveal that gun owners favor much more reasonable gun controls than the gun lobby would ever allow the public to imagine. Mr. Luntz queried 832 gun owners, including 401 card-carrying N.R.A.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Kenya
Race to Smuggle, Buy Assault Weapons as Kenya Pastoralists Re-arm
Daily Nation (Nairobi)
20 December 2009
NAIROBI, Kenya -- The demand for automatic weapons in Turkana, Samburu and Pokot has created a huge market and this could explain the recent arms seizures in the country. Fuelled by persistent droughts, the arms race among the pastoral communities in Northern Kenya has intensified in the last decade with almost 95 per cent of households said to own a firearm. A two-decade study of the three communities says that by the... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Surge in Hidden Handgun Permits, Guns for Women in Massachusetts
Boston Globe
20 December 2009
The number of gun permits issued in Massachusetts surged by more than 15 percent over the past two years, reversing nearly a decade of steady declines and marking a pronounced departure for a state known for its antigun sentiment. The magnitude of the rise, evident in nearly every corner of the state, surprised law enforcement officials, and gun advocates and opponents alike. Some saw it as an echo of similar spikes across... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Assault Rifle Maker Applauds Bill, Utahns 'Entitled to Any Gun They Want'
Salt Lake Tribune (Utah)
19 December 2009
Alex Robinson wants his assault rifles on foreign battlefields and Utah gun racks alike, so a proposed Firearms Freedom Act exempting local-only sales from federal regulation isn't a game changer at his Salt Lake City machine shop. Then again, Utah is gun country. Armed self-defense true believers see life and death in every constitutional affront. Many applaud a message bill that would preclude federal regulation of any guns made,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico,United States
6 Bodies Found, Evidence of Mass Shooting with Assault Rifles in Mexico
Associated Press
18 December 2009
MEXICO CITY, Mexico - Police found six bullet-ridden, decomposing bodies Friday near a highway leading to a Mexican resort on the Gulf of California. The six men were found half-buried on a dirt road off the highway frequently used by tourists from Arizona to reach the Puerto Penasco resort, widely known as Rocky Point, according to Sonora state police. The men's identities and the motive for their killing have not been... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States,Canada
Chicago Gun Shop Owner Gets 7.5yrs for Smuggling 200 Guns to Canada
Chicago Sun-Times
18 December 2009
A former suburban gun shop owner has been sentenced to 7½ years in federal prison for illegally exporting more than 200 firearms to Canada -- some of which authorities say have been used in violent crimes. Ugur 'Mike' Yildiz, 39, of Park Ridge, owned the Chicagoland Bells gun store in Franklin Park until federal authorities revoked his license for violating the gun-control act in 2003. Canadian authorities have recovered... ( gunpolicy.org )
Belarus,North Korea,Kazakhstan,Ukraine,Serbia,Russia
Ex-Soviet Pilots, Aircraft Ship Weapons for Global Gun Running Networks
Time (USA)
17 December 2009
KIEV -- It was no ordinary smuggling bust. On Dec. 11, an old Russian plane landed in Thailand to refuel after taking off hours earlier from Pyongyang, North Korea. In its hull, police found 35 tons of explosives, rocket-propelled grenades and components for surface-to-air missiles, all being transported from North Korea in breach of U.N. sanctions. The captain and his crew were promptly arrested and charged with illegally transporting arms.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Pistols from Virginia Gun Shows Fuel New York Gang, Street Crime
Daily Press
17 December 2009
NEW YORK - Hundreds of guns are seized in New York City everyday by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Semi-automatic pistols are the most popular crime guns that are recovered on the streets of New York today. In fact, it was the same type of gun used in Times Square last Thursday, when a street peddler tried to take on a New York City police sergeant and lost. Raymond Martinez was killed in... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Most NRA Members Want to Close Gun Show Loophole to Curb Trafficking
Los Angeles Times, Editorial
16 December 2009
Gun control is one of those culture-wars issues on which liberals and conservatives often don't even seem to be speaking the same language, let alone coming to consensus. Gun owners -- especially the hard-core enthusiasts who belong to the National Rifle Assn. -- are often thought to oppose any restriction on their 2nd Amendment right to bear arms. Except that, according to a recent poll, they don't. The gun-control debate is replete... ( gunpolicy.org )
North Korea,Serbia,Thailand
North Korean Arms Plane Cargo Linked to East European Gun Traffickers
Times (UK)
15 December 2009
The weapons laden plane seized in Bangkok en route from North Korea at the weekend has been linked to two renowned East European arms traffickers by a respected Swedish think-tank in the latest twist in the mysterious saga. The Ilyushin-76 aircraft, which was found to be carrying 35 tons of weapons including rockets and grenades, was most recently registered under a company called Beibars, linked to Serbian arms dealer Tomislav... ( gunpolicy.org )
Kenya
High-level Corruption Alleged in Kenya Police Gun Trafficking Scandal
Standard (Nairobi)
13 December 2009
Hardly a week after the Cabinet approved police reforms the Administration Police is in the eye of a new storm over an illegal arms haul. The force, which has been adversely mentioned in various reports that accuse it of gross human rights violations that include murder and rape during and after the 2007 General Election is fending off allegations that its top brass is involved in clandestine movement of arms. The centre... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Pennsylvania Legislators Should Listen to Law Enforcement, Not the NRA
Philadelphia Inquirer, Editorial
11 December 2009
If more lowlifes got the message that gun trafficking in Philadelphia would earn them years behind bars, maybe city streets would be less dangerous for brave officers like slain Police Sgt. Patrick McDonald. That message - along with a measure of justice - was delivered loud and clear this week. A federal jury convicted the man who transported the illegal handgun used by an ex-con to kill McDonald during a September 2008... ( gunpolicy.org )
India
4 Illegal 'Gun Factories' Raided, 6 Alleged Gun Runners Charged in Bihar
Press Trust of India / PTI
10 December 2009
MUNGER -- Four mini gun factories were today unearthed and six persons involved in manufacturing illegal firearms and supplying them to naxalite outfits in Jharkhand arrested here, police said. Superintendent of police M Sunil Naiak told reporters that the police today arrested two arms smugglers, Chetlal and Kundan, for supplying firearms to naxalites in Jharkhand. The SP said Chetlal and Kundan were hardcore naxalites... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom,Kenya
British Army Gear Among Large Ammo Cache and Guns Seized in Kenya
Daily Nation (Nairobi)
10 December 2009
NAIROBI -- A Kenyan working at a British Army base has been arrested and detained in connection with the huge cache of weapons seized by police in Narok. Mr John Wandeto, a civilian, was arrested as businessman Ishmael Munir and a senior Administration Police officer, Superintendent Joseph Maritim, were charged in court for illegally possessing government ammunition. Mr Wandeto, who is employed at the military base in Nanyuki,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Malaysia,Burundi
Malaysia Escapes UN Censure After Officials Scrap Arms Sale to Burundi
Malay Mail (Malaysia)
10 December 2009
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - An attempt by a local company to export some 30,000 assault rifles to Burundi, worth more than RM200 million, nearly caused Malaysia to be censured by the United Nations Security Council, if not for the prompt action by Malaysian officials at the UN body. The Malay Mail learnt that officials from the Permanent Mission of Malaysia to the UN in New York had managed to assure the world body that the Malaysian... ( gunpolicy.org )
Kenya
Police Arrest Businessman with 'Licensed' Guns, 100,000 Bullets in Nairobi
Associated Press
8 December 2009
NAIROBI, Kenya -- Kenyan police on Tuesday said they arrested a suspected weapons smuggler with up to 100,000 bullets and an assortment of guns, a huge cache in a country with stringent gun laws. Police recovered the weapons and ammunition in two raids carried out late Monday on the suspect's house in the capital, Nairobi, and on a business site in the western town of Narok, Police Commissioner Matthew Iteere said. Ever... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States,Canada
Smuggling Crime Guns from US to Canada 'So Easy,' No Need to Conceal
National Post (Toronto)
8 December 2009
Smuggling handguns into Canada was so easy for Earle Cooke that the dual citizen and status Indian eventually took very few precautions when crossing the border. "At first, I was concealing them, hiding them with the panelling in the vehicle. Then I realized how lax they were at the border. I didn't bother. I could buy a bag of bread and drop them in there. Buy groceries and mix them up with the groceries," Mr. Cooke testified in... ( gunpolicy.org )
Tanzania
Tanzania Denies, But 'Will Investigate' Gun Running to DR Congo
NAM News Network
8 December 2009
SIMBEYE, Tanzania -- Inspector General of Police Mr Said Mwema has said that Tanzanian police have launched a formal inquiry of individuals accused by a United Nations report of smuggling weapons to rebels in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). "For the police, the first step towards investigating a tip-off is an inquiry which we have already launched against individuals mentioned in the report," said Mr Mwema who introduced a maiden... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Indiana Leading Source State for Crime Guns Found in Illinois, Chicago
Times (Indiana)
7 December 2009
Illinois and Chicago maintain some stiff gun laws, but recently released federal statistics suggest a lot of guns seized last year by police in Illinois came from a source beyond the reach of those laws: Indiana. The relationship seems intuitive, said Chicago-based Special Agent Thomas Ahern of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The states share a border, and Chicago contains no gun stores. Ahern said... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Smart Gun Control Proposals Could Deny Weapons to US Terrorists
Washington Post, Editorial
6 December 2009
Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a bipartisan coalition of roughly 500 U.S. mayors, has been pushing for smart and sensible law enforcement solutions to reduce the number of illegal guns obtained by criminals or would-be criminals. Last month the mayors renewed their call for adoption of two relatively modest but potentially powerful proposals. The first aims to close the so-called "terror gap" in existing gun laws by prohibiting any... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Gun Registry, Gun Laws Save Lives, 'Uphold Social Order' in Canada
Peterborough Examiner (Ontario), Letter
5 December 2009
Recently, MPs voted 164 to 137 to repeal the registry of long guns and shotguns. This despicable, shameless, politically driven action flies in the face of public health, safety, and crime prevention. The issue of gun registration must not and cannot be limited to its impact on criminals. There are compelling reasons and widespread consensus in favor of compulsory gun registration. Gun registration provides vital safety information... ( gunpolicy.org )
India
Disciplinary Action Against 46 Indian Army Officers Selling Service Weapon
Hindustan Times (Delhi)
3 December 2009
Union Defence Minister A.K. Antony told the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday that action had been initiated against serving and retired army officers for selling/disposing of firearms illegally. "Sriganganagar District Collector (in Rajasthan) provided a list of officers who sold their non-service pattern weapons (NSP). The list included two major generals and two brigadiers," he said. A non-service pattern weapon is one for which... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
NY Mayor Slams US Congress for Hiding Gun Trace Records from FBI
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia), Opinion
3 December 2009
The news from Fort Hood shocked the nation: American soldiers shot on American soil. Thirteen dead and 38 injured. It was almost too terrible to believe. Almost. Unfortunately, the Fort Hood rampage was not the first time that our military personnel have been murdered in the United States this year. In June, Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad shot and killed an Army private and wounded another soldier at a military recruiting... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico,United States
Prosecutors Vow to Stem Flood of US-Mexico Border Gun Smuggling
Latin American Herald Tribune (Caracas) / EFE
3 December 2009
PHOENIX -- The head-on fight against weapons trafficking along the border with Mexico is one way to weaken the drug cartels, according to U.S. attorneys general assembled at their national convention on Wednesday. "The United States has increased its efforts to halt the flow of weapons toward Mexico," Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard told Efe. "The weapons are used by the cartels to carry out violent acts and try... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico,United States
Mexico-US Gun Traffic Exposed as Feds Visit 1100 Licensed Gun Dealers
Government Executive (USA)
1 December 2009
U.S. officials estimate that more than 90 percent of the cocaine, heroin and methamphetamines that enter the United States are funneled through Mexico across the Southwest border. A less frequently cited figure is equally alarming to anyone living south of the border: Ninety percent of the weapons seized from the drug cartels by Mexican authorities are traced to the United States. While the cartels are moving drugs north, arms traffickers... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Hidden Handgun Permits Arm US Cop-killers, Mass Shooters, Murderers
Philadelphia Inquirer, Editorial
28 November 2009
In the wake of a number of shocking mass shootings, Americans should call on their elected leaders to tackle the problem of easy access to guns for people who have no business being armed. Ever since the Virginia Tech killings in mid-2007 by a mentally ill college student, the need has been obvious to tighten laws to prevent such troubled individuals from obtaining gun licenses. But doing so bucks against the powerful gun lobby.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Congress Needs Courage to Tear Down Gun Lobby Interference
Washington Post, Opinion
27 November 2009
The news from Fort Hood shocked the nation: American soldiers shot on American soil. Thirteen dead and 38 injured. It was almost too terrible to believe. Almost. Unfortunately, the Fort Hood rampage was not the first time that our military personnel have been murdered in the United States this year. In June, Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad shot and killed an Army private and wounded another soldier at a military recruiting station in... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada,United States
Americans Amazed at Arrest for Smuggling Hidden Handgun to Canada
KIRO-TV News
26 November 2009
SEATTLE, Washington -- Canadians will welcome you and your money when the winter Olympics begin in February. But trying to take something else across the border could land you in jail. Gerald Burke of Tacoma knows that first hand, and is facing an uncertain future because of it. "The charge that the Crown is after is that I do three years in prison," he told KIRO 7 Investigative Reporter Amy Clancy recently. Burke... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
New York Democrats Gillibrand, McCarthy Tout Bill to Curb Gun Trafficking
Associated Press
24 November 2009
NEW YORK -- New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Carolyn McCarthy are introducing a bill to crack down on illegal gun trafficking. They said Tuesday the bill would make it a crime to traffic in firearms and would also go after middlemen who buy a gun for someone else so that person can evade background checks. The bill would provide funding for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms to hire 1,500 agents... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
South Carolina Puts Sick Twist on Black Friday, Offers Tax Break on Guns
New York Daily News
24 November 2009
The great state of South Carolina is putting its own sick twist on Black Friday with a tax holiday on firearm purchases. Not cars. Not clothes. Certainly not books. Just guns. For the 48 hours following Thanksgiving, gun buyers will enjoy a break of up to 9% in state and local taxes. Firearms traffickers are not expected to pass the savings on to New York criminals, but what is called... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Florida Gun Shows, Pawn Shops Fuelled New York Gun Running Gang
New York Times
23 November 2009
Against a backdrop of recent shootings of bystanders, including a 13-year-old boy from Queens and a 15-year-old girl from the Bronx, city officials and members of a civil rights group took action against gun violence on Monday, albeit in different ways and at different events. At City Hall, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and other officials announced they had broken up an illegal gun-sales operation in Brooklyn, while in Times Square... ( gunpolicy.org )
Bermuda,United States
Bermuda Dismisses Ammunition Smuggling Case Against US Woman
Associated Press
22 November 2009
HAMILTON, Bermuda -- Bermuda's highest court has struck down the conviction of a Florida woman who accidentally brought the ammunition magazine from her gun to the British island territory. The Supreme Court ruled there was no evidence that Lori DuBell intended to bring the gun magazine into Bermuda. The court issued an absolute discharge Friday meaning she will have no criminal record in the territory. The real estate... ( gunpolicy.org )
India
Home-made Pistols Seized, Gun Dealers Charged in Surendranagar
Times of India
21 November 2009
LIMBDI, Surendranagar -- Two arms dealers were arrested from Chotila highway on Friday for smuggling firearms from Madhya Pradesh. Four pistols and 56 live cartridges were recovered from them. According to police, accused Premkumar Besadiya alias Maharaj, native of Lahar Mihona in MP, and his local associate Raghu Bharwad, resident of Jamvali village in Sayala taluka in Surendranagar district, were arrested following a tip-off about... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
New Federal Law Will Prohibit Realistic Imitation Guns in Australia
Daily Telegraph (Sydney)
21 November 2009
New national gun laws will outlaw imitation firearms unless shooters hold a special licence to own them. The move follows a series of attacks using replica guns. A 10-year-old boy allegedly robbed a Hunter Valley video store with a replica gun two months ago. Two masked men with replica firearms robbed a fast food outlet in Padstow last month and a 77-year-old driver was robbed of his wallet in Manly by a teenager... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico,United States
Bush Aide Recommends US Assault Rifle Ban to Slow Mexican Drug War
Washington Times
17 November 2009
The former head of U.S. Customs and Border Protection called Monday for the U.S. to reinstitute the ban on assault weapons and take other measures to rein in the war between Mexico and its drug cartels, saying the violence has the potential to bring down legitimate rule in that country. Former CBP Commissioner Robert C. Bonner also called for the United States to more aggressively investigate U.S. gun sellers and tighten security... ( gunpolicy.org )
Nigeria,Ukraine,West Africa
Nigeria, Ukraine to Cooperate in Tackling Gun Running in West Africa
African Press Agency
17 November 2009
LAGOS -- Nigerian President Umaru Yar'adua said on Tuesday that Nigeria and the Republic of Ukraine would cooperate to stem the tide in illegal trading in small arms across West African countries. Receiving a letter of credence from the new Ukrainian Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Valerii Vasyliev in Abuja on Tuesday, Yar'adua expressed the hope that"Ukraine will help us to bring the illegal trade under control". Yar'adua noted... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Police Sting Nabs Five Gun Trafficking Suspects in Israeli Arab Town
Ha'aretz (Tel Aviv)
17 November 2009
Police on Tuesday arrested five men suspected of illegally trading firearms in the northern region of Wadi Ara, a predominantly Israeli Arab area. Undercover agents in recent weeks descended on the suspects' homes to purchase six handguns, a rifle and other ammunition. Police thus compiled enough evidence to expose the group and to arrest the suspects for trading and other offensives. Central District Police officers raided... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States,Canada
Using 'Straw Buyers,' Particularly Women, Part of US Gun Crime Trend
Bangor Daily News (Maine)
17 November 2009
Katrina Wickett was 23 in the summer of 2007 when her life spiraled out of control. The father of her children moved out of their Bangor apartment, leaving her with a 4-year-old, a 2-year-old and a newborn. A few months later, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services placed her children in the custody of her parents. By fall, she was without work, without a relationship and without her children, according to documents filed in U.S.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico,United States
Washington State Gun Show Dealers Feed Weapons to Mexican Cartels
Yakima Herald-Republic (Washington)
17 November 2009
YAKIMA, Washington -- ATF agent Jessie Summers tried to deal with misconceptions before he talked about the illegal gun trade in Central Washington. "We're not here to take anybody's guns," he told a group of city and law enforcement officials from across the state gathered at the Yakima Convention Center. "The image of us being jackbooted thugs doesn't hold water." Not that Summers is worried so much about public image... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico,United States
Mexico Border Control Task Force Seeks US Ban on Assault Weapons
Washington Post
13 November 2009
A binational task force on U.S.-Mexico border issues will call Friday on the Obama administration and Congress to reinstate an expired ban on assault weapons and for Mexico to overhaul its frontier police and customs agencies to mirror the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The recommendations are among a broad set of security, trade, development and environmental proposals that come as President Obama and his Mexicans counterpart,... ( gunpolicy.org )
India,United Nations
Rethink India's Decision to Abstain from UN Global Gun Trade Treaty Vote
Times of India, Editorial
13 November 2009
The past few weeks have seen a somewhat contradictory message emerging from New Delhi on the issue of arms trafficking. On the one hand, home secretary G K Pillai has stated Indian concerns about Maoists being supplied arms from China, albeit by private Chinese players rather than by Beijing. On the other, when the UN committee on disarmament and peace voted on a resolution last month calling for talks on a treaty to regulate the global... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Connecticut Police Abandon Crime Gun Tracing, 'Problem Doesn't Exist'
Fairfield Weekly (Connecticut)
12 November 2009
A 22-year-old thug from Stamford is convicted on Oct. 14 of possessing a "Street Sweeper 12-gauge revolving cylinder shotgun." Five days later, a Bridgeport coke dealer gets time added to his sentence for having a loaded Glock 23. The end of last month saw a career criminal from Hartford charged with carrying a .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol. If you're wondering where the hell these low-lifes are getting all this firepower, you... ( gunpolicy.org )
West Africa,Ghana
West African Journalists Commend 9 Countries for Tackling Gun Control
Ghana News Agency
12 November 2009
ACCRA -- The West Africa Network of Journalists for Security and Development (WANJSD) on Wednesday commended the "Group of Nine ECOWAS Countries," for ratifying the Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW), their ammunition and other related materials. Mr Francis Ameyibor, WANJSD Deputy General Secretary, stated in an interview with Ghana News Agency in Accra that considering the proliferation of SALW constituted a major... ( gunpolicy.org )
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