Philippines
Philippines Ex-Chief of Marines Sought in Theft of 72 Submachine Guns
GMA News TV (Manila)
4 July 2008
MANILA, Philippines -- The Sandiganbayan on Wednesday ordered the arrest of a former commandant of the Philippine Marines and seven other co-accused over the loss of 72 units of Heckler and Koch MP5 sub-machine guns in 2000. Sandiganbayan's Fifth Division ordered arrested retired Brigadier General Percival Subala and seven other people -- including military and police officials, and civilian respondents -- who were charged with... ( gunpolicy.org )
Sri Lanka
Guns a Threat to Business, High Cost of Armed Violence in Sri Lanka
Lanka Business Online, Web Page
2 July 2008
The proliferation of illicit small arms in Sri Lanka not only fuels crime but has indirect costs on business as well as the environment, a new survey says. It said 9mm pistols were sold in the underworld for 15,000 rupees and T-56 automatic assault rifles for 50,000 -- 75,000 rupees while ammunition is also easily available, according to information from criminals and prisoners. Crimes using small arms can impact the local... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Pro Footballer Accused of Stealing 34 Handguns from Virginia Gun Shop
Richmond Times-Dispatch (Virginia)
24 June 2008
Michael Henderson, a former back-up quarterback at Virginia Union, was one of two men arrested on Monday on multiple felony charges involving the June 13 break-in of Green Top Sporting Goods in Hanover County. Henderson, 21, and Leon E. Waddy, 21, are charged with burglary, grand larceny, possession of burglary tools and conspiracy to commit burglary, according to Hanover County Sheriff spokesman Lt. Mike Trice. The two allegedly... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Toronto Pulls Trigger on Gun Clubs, Evicts Shooting Ranges from City
Globe & Mail (Toronto)
24 June 2008
Two gun clubs on city property - including one in the rafters of Union Station -- will get the boot under Mayor David Miller's new rules aimed at curbing the number of handguns in the city, approved yesterday by city council. After a near daylong debate, council voted 31-9 for a policy that prevents new gun clubs and manufacturers from setting up in the city. The two affected gun clubs -- the Scarborough Rifle Club at the... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
30,000 Firearms 'Unaccounted For' in Feds' Sample of US Gun Dealers
New York Times
19 June 2008
WASHINGTON -- More than 30,000 firearms are unaccounted for in gun dealers' inventories nationwide, according to a new study by a gun control group. Further, the group, the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, says its finding most likely undercounts the missing firearms, since the data used, from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, are drawn from the compliance inspections that were conducted at gun dealerships... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Virginia Firearm Enthusiast Loses, Finds Stolen .50cal Machine Gun
Roanoke Times (Virginia)
19 June 2008
PEARISBURG -- No one was supposed to know John Billos had a Browning M2 .50-caliber semi-automatic stored in his workshop, so when the 85-pound, $9,000 weapon and 11 boxes of its bullets went missing, he panicked. But after more than three months of worrying and searching, the Giles County Sheriff's Office recovered the gun June 5 in Princeton, W.Va. They have warrants charging a Narrows man with stealing it. Now they have... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Licensed Gun Dealer Lost 29 Handguns in British Colombia Theft
Prince George Citizen (British Columbia)
17 June 2008
A man has been charged with more than 200 criminal offences after RCMP pulled over a vehicle containing 29 guns. RCMP said the man was heading through the Prince George area Friday after a major gun theft from a store in Fort St. John and was on his way to organized crime contacts in the Lower Mainland. Mounties caught up with him in Williams Lake. "If those guns had made it to the street, who knows how they might... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Thieves Take More Than 50 Guns from Michigan Firearm Dealer
Associated Press
12 June 2008
GENESEE TOWNSHIP, Michigan -- Authorities say more than 50 guns have been stolen from a Flint-area firearms dealer. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives says surveillance cameras show at least four suspects breaking into Bullock's Guns N More Inc. in Genesee County's Genesee Township early Thursday and stealing the weapons. The ATF is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Florida Cops Stop Woman Driver, Seize WWII Japanese Machine Gun
Gainesville Sun (Florida)
10 June 2008
WILLISTON -- A woman reportedly driving five miles an hour over the speed limit in Williston led police to a World War II-era Japanese machine gun. Agents from the U. S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms confirmed Monday that the gun seized June 5 was a rare Nambu machine gun used by Japanese soldiers during World War II. According to Police Chief Dan Davis, the case began when Cpl. Kevin Sheppard pulled over a red... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Canadian Back Country Gun Shop Loses Handguns in Ram Raid
CKFU Radio (British Columbia)
9 June 2008
FORT ST. JOHN -- Backcountry Sports was the target of a brash robbery early Sunday morning. At just before 4 am, suspects drove right through the front doors of the store, and continued to about half-way through the building. They then pried open some of the showcases and made off with an undisclosed amount of hand guns. The suspects then backed the vehicle out of the store causing more damage on the way out. Now,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Toronto Military Museum Loses Disabled Machine Guns to Burglars
Toronto Sun (Ontario)
8 June 2008
A Queen's Own Rifles display at Casa Loma was ransacked by burglars. Stolen in the break-in at the Kiwanis Club-operated castle were a Bren gun and a Sten gun (World War II-era British sub-machineguns), a .303-calibre Lee-Enfield rifle and a rare Queen's Own Rifle helmet. Toronto Police Staff-Sgt. Dan Sabadics said the best clue they have is the trail of blood left by one of the burglars after apparently cutting himself... ( gunpolicy.org )
Colombia, Venezuela
Venezuelan Sergeant Said Trafficking Ammunition to Colombia's FARC
Los Angeles Times
8 June 2008
BOGOTA, Colombia -- A Venezuelan national guard sergeant will face "the full weight of national law" after being arrested in a remote border area, allegedly on his way to deliver 40,000 rounds of ammunition to Colombia's largest rebel group, this country's foreign minister said Saturday. Sgt. Manuel Agudo Escalona, was arrested Friday with another Venezuelan and two Colombians in the eastern jungle state of Vichada with ammunition... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Prison Chief Fired After Handguns Discovered Missing from Jail Armoury
Washington Post
4 June 2008
The director of corrections for Prince George's County was fired yesterday after four handguns were found to be missing from the county jail's armory, the latest in a series of security mishaps at the facility. Alfred J. McMurray Sr., a 25-year veteran of the county Corrections Department, was relieved of his post two days after the guns -- 9mm Berettas, and their holsters -- could not be accounted for during a regular inventory... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Judge Strikes Down Some Philadelphia City Gun Laws, Lets Others Stand
Philadelphia Inquirer (Pennsylvania)
3 June 2008
A Philadelphia judge today sided with the National Rifle Association and struck down city ordinances banning assault weapons and limiting handgun purchases to one a month. In a blow to the city's attempt to write its own gun laws, Common Pleas Court Judge Jane Cutler-Greenspan ruled that Philadelphia should be permanently prevented from enforcing the laws that the City Council passed unanimously in April. But Greenspan... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Philadelphia Judge Blocks Assault Weapon Ban, 'One Gun a Month' Limit
Reuters
3 June 2008
PHILADELPHIA -- A Philadelphia judge struck down city ordinances banning assault weapons and limiting handgun purchases on Tuesday, in a blow to the city's attempts to make gun laws separately from the state. Pennsylvania state lawmakers, influenced by a strong rural gun lobby, have repeatedly rejected gun-control proposals from Philadelphia, one of the most violent cities in the United States. Judge Jane Cutler Greenspan... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Illicit Guns Flow Into Maryland from Dealers, Thieves in Virginia, Other States
Baltimore Sun (Maryland)
1 June 2008
The burglar known as "white boy" cut a hole in the roof of a Virginia gun store last July and took 40 weapons. Within a month, some of those guns began showing up on the streets of Baltimore -- 100 miles from the tiny Shenandoah Valley town of Washington, Va. Police seized the first on West Lombard Street in August. A suspect fleeing from police tossed away another on Hollins Street in September. A third gun from that burglary... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Employee Said Stealing Guns from FedEx, Selling to New Jersey Criminals
Newsday (New York)
29 May 2008
JERSEY CITY, New Jersey -- Police in Jersey City arrest two men in an alleged gun-selling scheme. Authorities say 28-year-old Patrick Dolan of Keyport stole 11 guns while working for FedEx. FedEx spokeswoman Sandra Munoz confirmed that Dolan works for the company and says FedEx is cooperating fully with authorities. Police say Dolan and 32-year-old John Sozomenou of Aberdeen were selling the guns at a housing project for... ( gunpolicy.org )
Kenya
Kenyan Prison Warden Arrested Selling Ammunition in Nairobi Supermarket
News24 (Cape Town)
29 May 2008
NAIROBI -- Kenyan police have arrested a prison warden who was caught selling ammunition in a Nairobi supermarket, says a spokesperson. The warden attached to the capital's Kamiti maximum-security prison was detained on Wednesday after being caught red-handed, said police spokesperson Eric Kiraithe. "Sixteen rounds of ammunition for a G3 rifle means utter devastation. The warden will be charged with illegal possession of... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Canadian Criminals Easily Steal Shotguns from Legal Owners - Police
Winnipeg Free Press (Manitoba)
28 May 2008
The shotgun seems to be the firearm of choice for Winnipeg criminals, judging by the sheer number of them police pull off the street. According to Det. Rob Duttchen, a Winnipeg police officer who's a member of the National Weapons Enforcement Support Team (NWEST), the shotgun's status as a non-restricted weapon means they are easy to get, and therefore widely used in crime. "That's the easiest firearm to obtain lawfully.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Mayor of Philadelphia Joins Fight to Ban Assault Weapons in Pennsylvania
Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh)
28 May 2008
HARRISBURG -- Philadelphia's new mayor, Michael Nutter, is joining with two Allegheny County legislators to push for new state laws aimed at reducing gun violence on Pennsylvania streets. But with the political power that sportsmen, hunters and the National Rifle Association have in the General Assembly, everyone admits it won't be easy to enact the measures. Mr. Nutter, a Democrat who took office in January, spoke to the... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Philadelphia Mayor Once Again Takes Gun Control Campaign to Lawmakers
Times Leader (Pennsylvania) / AP
28 May 2008
Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter said Tuesday he wants to work with anyone willing to help him address the gun violence that plagues his city and other parts of the state. Nutter, a Democrat who took office in January, told a Pennsylvania Press Club luncheon in Harrisburg that he was interested in "a different kind of dialogue," and that both sides have to be more realistic. "I'm committed to working with anyone who is... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Pennsylvania Gun Shop Robbed Again, 16 More Firearms Lost to Criminals
Beaver County Times (Pennsylvania)
27 May 2008
NEW GALILEE, Pennsylvania -- A cache of firearms was stolen last week in an overnight burglary of a gun shop, Koppel police said. Thieves dismantled an alarm and broke down the door of Guns Galore at 805 Washington St. sometime between 3 and 5 a.m. Thursday, store owner Jeffrey Albitz reported to police. They made off with 16 weapons. About half were handguns; the others were rifles and shotguns, Albitz said. The guns are... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Tasmanian Shooters Lock Up Firearms, Leave Keys, Thieves Take Guns
Hobart Mercury (Tasmania)
27 May 2008
An arsenal of guns has fallen into criminal hands after two brazen robberies at homes in Hobart's northern suburbs. The cunning thieves stole 18 target rifles, hunting rifles and shotguns worth more than $16,500 during recent robberies in Glenorchy and Claremont. In each robbery the thieves ransacked the homes and located keys which enabled them to unlock well-secured gun safes and steal firearms. They also searched... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Thieves Found it Easy to Steal 16 Firearms from Pennsylvania Gun Store
Beaver County Times (Pennsylvania)
27 May 2008
NEW GALILEE -- Two Lawrence County men were charged with possessing firearms stolen from a New Galilee gun shop early Friday. Shane Craft, 20, and Travis Brown, 19, both of 778 Beaver Dam Road, Little Beaver Township, were charged with receiving stolen property and illegal gun possession. Both remained in the Beaver County Jail on Tuesday on $15,000 bond. According to a report written by Beaver County Detective Timothy... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Renewed Growth in Australian Gun Numbers Must Be Tackled Urgently
Sunday Times (Western Australia), Editorial
25 May 2008
If there was anything positive to emerge from the tragedy of the Port Arthur massacre it was that our nation was forced to seriously confront for the first time the issue of gun control. The action that followed was swift with the introduction of tougher national gun laws and a buyback scheme. Understandably, given the atrocities committed by lone gunman Martin Bryant, there was widespread community support for these measures.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Western Australia Now Has More Guns Than Before Port Arthur Massacre
Sunday Times (Western Australia)
25 May 2008
WA has more guns now than before the 1996 Port Arthur massacre -- a reversal of a near decade-long downward trend in weapon ownership. The jump coincides with a scathing national report, which found many firearms owners were failing to properly store them, including high-powered weapons left unlocked in cases, cars and cupboards. Inadequate security was to blame for more than half the gun thefts in Australia. Also,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Mayor Tells Judge Philadelphia Gun Shops Are 'Traffickers' in Crime Guns
Philadelphia Inquirer (Pennsylvania)
21 May 2008
The legal battle over new city gun-control laws turned into a war of words beyond the courtroom yesterday as Mayor Nutter laid into the two gun shops challenging the ordinances. The lawyer for Colosimo's Inc. and Firing Line Inc. threatened to sue the mayor yesterday after Nutter lambasted them for selling multiple guns to individuals. "These gun traffickers are not going to stop us from keeping the citizens of Philadelphia... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
NRA Calls Philadelphia Mayor a 'Tyrant' for Passing City Gun Control Laws
Philadelphia Daily News (Pennsylvania)
21 May 2008
Lawyers for the National Rifle Association and the city continued to battle it out in court yesterday over five local gun-control laws passed last month. Common Pleas Judge Jane Cutler Greenspan, who may rule next week on whether to allow the laws to be enforced, has concerns with both sides. She repeatedly suggested that the city is trying to enforce power that state appellate-court rulings say belongs only to the state.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Pennsylvania Gun Control Group Wins $350,000 Joyce Foundation Grant
Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh)
21 May 2008
The state's largest gun control group, CeaseFirePA, is getting a $350,000 grant to strengthen its advocacy efforts statewide. The Chicago-based Joyce Foundation is granting the organization the money over two years to aid its bid to build a statewide, grass-roots response to gun violence, CeaseFirePA's executive director Joe Grace said. Although the six-year-old nonprofit group, which focuses on stopping gun violence and... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
UK Soldiers Said Smuggling Pistols, Assault Weapons, Renting to Criminals
BBC News
16 May 2008
Some British army weapons are finding their way into the hands of criminal gangs -- and a former Royal Military Police investigator believes they may be ill-equipped to stop it. Mark is in his 30s and he says he now lives a quiet life. But in the 1990s, he had links with criminal gangs in Manchester. He claims to have bought hundreds of guns to hire out to his associates for use in serious crime, and they would often come... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Lobby Opposition Misguided: Reporting Stolen Guns Hurts Criminals
Philadelphia Inquirer (Pennsylvania), Opinion
12 May 2008
Why in the world would an avid outdoorsman and hunter like me sponsor legislation -- to require the reporting of lost and stolen handguns -- on what looks like a big-city gun issue? The reason isn't so far-fetched. Hunting, guns and the outdoors are in my ancestral blood, just as football runs through the veins of other fathers and sons. As a little kid, I eagerly awaited the day I could hunt and trap with my dad and uncles. I owned... ( 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... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Georgia Gun Shop Loses 75 Handguns, Assault Rifles to Thieves
WXIA-TV News (Georgia)
5 May 2008
MARIETTA, Georgia -- Police are asking for the public's help after a huge heist from Wild West Traders Gun Shop at 2445 Austell Road in Cobb County. It happened Thursday just before 4:30am. Three men somehow bypassed the alarm system and were captured on surveillance video hauling out 66 handguns, seven assault rifles and two pistol grip shotguns from the racks and display cases. "We're dealing with 75 weapons... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
North Dakota Gun Dealers Lost 40 Guns: Most Found in Wisconsin
Grand Forks Herald (North Dakota)
29 April 2008
A man accused of stealing more than 40 guns from two separate Grand Forks dealers pleaded guilty Monday to three counts in federal court in Fargo. Kelly Stenstrum admitted to stealing 34 guns from the Home of Economy store on North Washington Street and taking seven more firearms from Raymond Podell, a private gun dealer on south Columbia Road in rural Grand Forks. The thefts took place about two weeks apart in April 2007. ... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Philadelphia, State Capitol Should Find New Way to Tackle Gun Violence
Philadelphia Daily News (Pennsylvania), Editorial
29 April 2008
On April 10, Mayor Nutter signed five gun bills. They would limit gun purchases to one per month, make it crime to not report a lost or stolen gun within 48 hours, ban semi-automatic weapons with clips that hold more than 10 rounds, and allow police to take guns from people considered a danger to themselves and others. They are good measures on their face. But they are illegal, since the city doesn't have the right to make... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
South Carolina Dealer Lost 31 Handguns: Some Found in NYC, Connecticut
Greenville News (South Carolina)
27 April 2008
Richard Shumate says that when he received a call one night about an alarm going off at his Taylors gun shop he didn't know whether it was cause for excitement. "Sometimes it's a false alarm," he said. "I had some boxes fall off the shelf one night and set it off." This time, it wasn't boxes. Shumate said he arrived at Trader's Gun Shop to find two holes in the building and handguns missing. The burglary... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Pennsylvania Needs Handgun Owner Licensing, Better Background Checks
Philadelphia Inquirer (Pennsylvania), Opinion
25 April 2008
Recent efforts to pass gun-control legislation in Pennsylvania have fallen flat -- to no one's surprise, probably. Laws that have passed either will have little effect on reducing gun violence (setting up a registry for lost or stolen handguns) or will likely be declared unconstitutional by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court (the bills passed by Philadelphia City Council). What can a legislator from the Philadelphia suburbs, one who... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Virginia Gun Shop Thefts Fuel Armed Crime in New York, New Jersey
Richmond Times-Dispatch (Virginia)
25 April 2008
Three years after a gang of robbers took 66 guns in a brazen, day-time holdup of a Chesterfield County gun shop, more than a half dozen of the weapons have turned up on the streets of seven Northeastern cities. The passage of time hasn't diminished law-enforcement efforts to recover the guns, taken by four masked men who stormed Bob Moates Gun Shop in a stickup that surprised even officials with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Restricting Illegal Guns is Law Enforcement, Not US 2nd Amendment Issue
Hartford Courant (Connecticut), Editorial
21 April 2008
Hartford police officers recovered about 400 illegally acquired firearms last year. Those weapons didn't pop up out of thin air. People who owned or had access to legal firearms either lost them or sold them to convicted criminals, the mentally ill and other people who were unauthorized to own guns. Many violent urban crimes and college campus shootings could be prevented if Congress would pass laws to impose foolproof... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Best Opportunities for Gun Control Reform Remain in US State Capitals
Philadelphia Inquirer (Pennsylvania), Editorial
17 April 2008
As expected, the National Rifle Association sprinted into court and got a temporary hold yesterday on the five gun-control laws enacted in Philadelphia. Unexpected, however, was District Attorney Lynne M. Abraham's announcing that she wouldn't prosecute anyone charged under the new ordinances. Call it selective prosecution. Fed up with the daily shootings in Philadelphia, the City Council passed -- and Mayor Nutter... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
On NRA Request, Judge Blocks Philadelphia from Enforcing New Gun Laws
Associated Press
17 April 2008
PHILADELPHIA -- A judge on Thursday temporarily blocked the city from enforcing five gun-control ordinances pending a challenge from the National Rifle Association. The NRA argues that state law prevents Pennsylvania municipalities from regulating guns, a view that even the city's crime-weary district attorney shares. "The city has no basis to pass any of these gun-control ordinances and they know it," lawyer C. Scott Shields... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
At State Level, Americans Make More Attempts to Limit Guns, Gun Violence
New York Times
15 April 2008
State lawmakers across the country are ramping up efforts to pass new restrictions on guns, following nearly a decade in which state legislative efforts have been dominated by gun advocates. Much of the proposed legislation -- some 38 states are considering gun-related bills -- focuses on cutting off gun access to convicted criminals and the mentally ill and on improving methods to trace guns used in crimes. Underlying... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada, United States
London, Ontario Police Say Most Crime Guns Come from Canada, Not USA
London Free Press (Ontario)
15 April 2008
One of the world's largest arms merchants is funding a new program to get illegal guns off London's streets. Meanwhile, Londoners are again urged to take advantage of a federal amnesty for handing over unregistered guns. General Dynamics Land Systems, maker of military vehicles, helped launch a new "cash for guns" Crime Stoppers program with city police. "London is our home -- it's where we live, work and raise... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Philadelphia DA Says She Supports New Gun Laws, But Can't Enforce Them
Philadelphia Inquirer (Pennsylvania)
15 April 2008
Just four days after Mayor Nutter and City Council celebrated enactment of a package of five gun-control laws, reality arrived in the form of District Attorney Lynne M. Abraham. Speaking yesterday at a City Council meeting, Abraham told members that she believed the new laws were unconstitutional and that she would not enforce them. "They are, on their face, illegal acts," said Abraham, who predicted that the first arrest... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Democratic Candidates Avoid Gun Debate 'To the Point of Pandering'
International Herald Tribune / AP
15 April 2008
HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania -- Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton are gingerly threading their way between two of the most politically charged numbers in Pennsylvania: the state's almost 1 million licensed hunters and Philadelphia's nearly one-a-day rate of gun murders. Gun control arouses deep emotions here. Deadly shootings have earned the state's largest city the ominous nickname: "Killadelphia." One of the strongest anti-gun... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Another Licensed Canadian Gun Collector's Pistol Turns Up in Drug Crime
London Free Press (Ontario)
13 April 2008
From a German soldier's hands on a Second World War battlefield, to the hands of a Strathroy collector, to a criminal's grip and, finally, into a London police storage vault. The odyssey of one Polish-made Radom pistol, scooped up in a police raid in London, has spanned borders, decades -- and both sides of the law. It's one of dozens of guns London police have seized in a crackdown on illegal firearms, and its story is... ( gunpolicy.org )
Afghanistan
Coalition 'Error' Delivered Machine Guns, Assault Weapons to Taliban Leader
Associated Press
13 April 2008
KABUL, Afghanistan -- A coalition helicopter trying to supply Afghan police with munitions dropped them in the wrong location and Taliban fighters later recovered the weaponry, an intelligence official said Sunday. A member of parliament, however, said he did not believe the arms drop was an accident. Amrullah Saleh, the head of Afghanistan's intelligence service, told a parliament security committee "coalition forces"... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Firearm Dealer Takes Issue with Philadelphia's New Gun Control Laws
Philadelphia Inquirer (Pennsylvania)
13 April 2008
When Mayor Nutter signed five new gun-control measures, he invoked the spirit of 1776 and announced that the city was declaring its independence from the gun violence that has wracked Philadelphia. Fred Delia, co-owner of Delia's Gun Shop in Wissinoming, had a different take. He said the gun crackdown "sounds like the British are coming back." With equal patriotic fervor, he declared that Nutter and City Council... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Philadelphia Gun Laws Defy State Legislature, As Did US Colonists v British
Pocono Record (Pennsylvania) / AP
11 April 2008
PHILADELPHIA -- Mayor Michael Nutter signed five new gun-control laws that defy the state Legislature and legal precedent, comparing the action to the stand early colonists took against the British monarchy. "Almost 232 years ago, a group of concerned Americans took matters in their own hands and did what they needed to do by declaring that the time had come for a change," Nutter said Thursday. "We are going to make ourselves independent... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Teen Boys Stole Handguns from Iowa Gun Show Stand, Home Burglary
Cedar Rapids Gazette (Iowa)
11 April 2008
CEDAR RAPIDS -- Additional charges have been filed against two Iowa City teenagers accused of stealing guns from a gun show at Hawkeye Downs in January. Tyler H. Carter, 17, of 2065 Little Creek Lane, and Ethan S. Johnston, 18, of 2889 IWV Rd. SW, are now facing charges in both Linn and Johnson counties of trafficking in stolen weapons, a Class D felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine ranging from $750 to $7,500.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Charlton Heston Would Be Proud: Pennsylvania Backs Down to NRA Again
Philadelphia Inquirer (Pennsylvania), Editorial
10 April 2008
With several hundred pro-gun activists converging on the Harrisburg Capitol Monday -- many wearing Second Amendment T-shirts -- it was not the day for Pennsylvania lawmakers to tackle any tough gun measures. Instead, state House members approved several initiatives that bore no resemblance to an actual crackdown on handgun trafficking. In turn, the gun-rights supporters celebrated the defeat last week of a tough anti-trafficking... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
City Council Vows to Defy Capitol, Enforce Local Gun Laws in 'Killadelphia'
Philadelphia Inquirer (Pennsylvania) / AP
10 April 2008
PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia City Council has passed five gun control laws without state approval. The vote Thursday was unanimous, and Mayor Michael Nutter has signed the measures and ordered their immediate enforcement. One of the bills would require reporting lost or stolen guns. Another would impose a limit of one handgun purchase per month, an attempt to slow the proliferation of straw purchases in Philadelphia.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Canadian Collector Had 70 Illegal Firearms, Handguns, Submachine Gun
Regina Leader-Post (Saskatchewan)
9 April 2008
REGINA -- There wasn't any sinister intention behind a fearsome arsenal of guns and ammunition found inside a south Regina home two years ago, a Regina court heard on Wednesday. Instead, the defence told court that Murray Dalrymple Hogg's impressive and varied collection of firearms was a kind of savings plan, an investment for a man of modest means. "This is his Registered Retirement Savings Plan, so to speak," lawyer... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Pennsylvania Gun Owners, Politicians, Lobbyists Rally to Decry Gun Control
Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh)
8 April 2008
HARRISBURG -- When the subject of handguns arises at the state Capitol, most of the recent attention has focused on Gov. Ed Rendell and other gun-control Democrats from Philadelphia who are trying to reduce the plague of deaths from gun violence in their streets. They'd like to limit gun purchases to just one per month, and require gun owners to report to police within 72 hours after they discover one of their guns lost or stolen.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Pennsylvania Gun Owners Raffle Handgun in Protest Against Anti-theft Law
Tribune-Review (Pittsburgh)
8 April 2008
HARRISBURG -- Gun owners vowed to continue fighting to protect their Second Amendment rights during a rally Monday, but a gun control advocate criticized their raffle of a pistol in the state Capitol Rotunda as "unfortunate" and "insensitive" to victims of gun violence. Daniel Plovic, 72, of Washington, Pa., won a Smith & Wesson semiautomatic handgun at the conclusion of the third annual pro-gun rally, where advocates urged the... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Pennsylvania Gun Lobby Rally Celebrates Defeat of Theft Bill 'Conspirators'
Philadelphia Inquirer (Pennsylvania)
7 April 2008
HARRISBURG -- Pro-gun activists, gathered in the Capitol today to celebrate victory over a gun-control bill in the state House last week, pledged to block any future attempts at "gun grabbing" legislation. Dressed in NRA caps, camouflage jackets and Revolutionary War uniforms, about 200 sportsmen and firearms owners cheered such speakers as Rep. Daryl Metcalfe (R., Butler), who assailed Gov. Rendell and his "gun-confiscating conspirators."... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Pennsylvania House Approves Bill to Curb Gun Trafficking, Straw Buyers
Philadelphia Inquirer (Pennsylvania)
7 April 2008
HARRISBURG -- Nearly a week after a controversial gun-control bill was defeated in the state House, the chamber unanimously approved legislation that supporters say will help achieve the same goal: curbing the illegal sale of weapons. The bill (HB 1845), which now goes to the Senate, contains a number of amendments targeted at so-called straw buyers, who purchase guns for felons. One amendment would increase the statute of limitations... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Pennsylvania Gun Control Advocates Undeterred by Another Legislative Loss
Philadelphia Inquirer (Pennsylvania)
3 April 2008
HARRISBURG -- A bill to limit the number of handguns a person could buy to one a month has met its fate -- defeat. Another measure that would have allowed municipalities such as Philadelphia to make their own gun laws -- vanquished. And the push to curb illegal gun trafficking? As of Tuesday evening, shot down. It was the latest loss in the last six months for Pennsylvania's gun-control movement, but nevertheless... ( gunpolicy.org )
Serbia
Serbian Policemen Detained for Illegal Sale of Assault Weapons, Handguns
Radio B92 (Belgrade) / BBC Monitoring Service, Transcript
3 April 2008
Four Belgrade police officers have been arrested on suspicion of illegal possession and sale of firearms. They were arrested and remanded in custody for 48 hours, announced the Interior Ministry late last night. The ministry states that members of the Sector for Internal Control Dragan J., Sasa Z., Branko R. and Zoran M. have been arrested as part of the Interior Ministry's wider activities in fighting corruption and crime.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Major US Gun Dealer Risks Losing Licence Amid Security Lapse Allegations
Daily Record (New Jersey)
1 April 2008
LONG HILL -- Sarco Inc., one of the nation's largest wholesale and retail suppliers of firearms and parts, is in danger of losing its state license to sell weapons because of alleged lax security measures. Sarco's state license to operate was supposed to expire on Monday, but a Superior Court judge in Morristown last week extended the license until this Friday, when he said he would hear arguments on whether Sarco owner Charles... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Pennsylvania's 'Dominant Pro-gun Ideology' Sinks Pistol Theft Reporting Bill
Philadelphia Inquirer (Pennsylvania)
1 April 2008
HARRISBURG -- The House tonight rejected a measure aimed at curbing illegal handgun trafficking, the first substantive gun restriction considered by the full chamber in more than a decade. By a vote of 128-75 the House defeated an amendment -- attached to a separate gun crime bill -- that would have made it mandatory to report lost and stolen handguns. The amendment won overwhelming support from Philadelphia-area lawmakers,... ( gunpolicy.org )
India
Celebrated Senior Indian Cop Killed with 'Lost' Police Handgun in Debt Row
Yahoo! News (India)
31 March 2008
In a startling disclosure on Sunday, the Gurgaon Police investigating ACP Rajbir Singh's murder claimed the .32 bore revolver with which the encounter specialist was killed by a property dealer was a service revolver and belonged to a senior police official of the Haryana Police. Police said the police official holding the rank assistant superintendent of police (ASP) lost it during an operation while chasing down criminals in Bhiwani... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Philadelphia Tries Again to Force Gun Owners to Report Stolen Firearms
Philadelphia Inquirer (Pennsylvania), Editorial
31 March 2008
Are Pennsylvania House lawmakers willing to stand tall this week -- or will they run for cover, leaving the communities they claim to represent to fend for themselves against the tide of gun violence? That's the choice faced by legislators in Harrisburg today, when handgun-control advocates begin yet another push for a modest rule requiring the reporting of lost and stolen handguns. Before Easter, House members got more... ( gunpolicy.org )
Uganda
Corrupt Ugandan Army Officers Selling Guns to Rebels, Trading Stolen Cattle
Monitor (Kampala)
28 March 2008
KAMPALA -- Kaabong District, RDC Geoffrey Kiwanda yesterday alleged that some UPDF soldiers are selling guns and ammunition to the Karimojong. Flanked by the Dodoth County MP, Fr Simon Lodou, Mr Kiwanda told journalists at Parliament that the UPDF is not only selling impounded cattle but also guns and ammunition. "Whenever we track these guns from Karimojong during the disarmament operations, we recover our very own guns... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Drug Enforcement Agents Lost 91 Guns in 5½ Years, Mainly from Cars
Associated Press
28 March 2008
WASHINGTON -- The Drug Enforcement Administration is losing more guns but fewer laptops than it was about five years ago, the Justice Department's inspector general said Friday. The follow-up report found that some of the same problems cited in a 2002 audit remain: Policies for storing weapons and laptops are not always followed and, when they are lost, officials don't regularly report them. The report credited the DEA... ( gunpolicy.org )
Philippines
Marines in Philippines 'Diverted' 77 Brand New H&K Submachine Guns
Manila Standard Today
27 March 2008
A retired Marine commandant and seven other people were charged before the anti-graft court yesterday over the unexplained disappearance of 77 sub-machine guns in June 2000. The Ombudsman charged retired Brig. Gen. Percival Subala, now deputy administrator for port operations at the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority; Col. Cesar de la Peña, former Marines chief-of-staff; Navy Capt. Teodoro Briones; SPO4 Richard Zules; and private... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Virginia Gun Range, Gun Shop Lose Another 86 Handguns, Rifles to Thieves
Richmond Times-Dispatch (Virginia)
25 March 2008
Once thieves pried their way through an exterior, side steel door at Dominion Shooting Range, the world was their oyster. The range's security system wasn't operating properly, and the thieves needed only to batter their way through a flimsy wooden door frame inside the range on Turner Road to get to what they wanted. To the right, there was a wall full of rifles for sale and display cases of handguns. To the left,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Control is Essential to Protect Citizens from Violence
South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale), Opinion
20 March 2008
Is it any wonder our nation leads the world in people behind bars for murders, rapes and all other violence? We have people like the Rev. Al Sharpton coming to Florida complaining about the treatment the teens accused of the Dunbar Village gang rape are getting, instead of vociferously denouncing it. We should not be surprised if the American Civil Liberties Union gets involved. We have mass killings in schools and places of business.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Texas Gun Dealership Loses Two Dozen Handguns to Thieves
KDFW-TV News (Texas)
20 March 2008
FORT WORTH, Texas -- Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms are investigating the theft of about two dozen handguns from a Fort Worth sporting goods store. Police say Cheaper Than Dirt Outdoor Adventures was robbed around 5 a.m. Thursday. The store owner told FOX 4's Adrian Arambulo that the thieves got away with about $10,000 worth of guns --- all of them handguns. The owner said his business... ( gunpolicy.org )
Rwanda
New Rwanda Gun Law Promises 5 Years to Life for Firearm Trafficking
New Times (Kigali)
19 March 2008
KIGALI -- The Lower Chamber of Parliament has passed a Bill that criminalizes the illegal possession of firearms. The Bill determines ways of acquisition, possession, carriage, manufacturing, selling, storage and obtaining all types of ammunitions and their accessories. Any person who exposes, lends, gives away or loses a firearm will serve a sentence of one year in prison and a fine of Frw100,000 or both. It also... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Pennsylvania Democrats Fail to Pass Mandatory Gun Theft Reporting Rule
Philadelphia Inquirer (Pennsylvania)
19 March 2008
HARRISBURG -- A much-anticipated vote in the state House on a gun-control measure was derailed yesterday when Democratic leaders couldn't muster enough members to keep it on track. The House was scheduled to resume debate yesterday on a proposal to require gun owners to report lost or stolen weapons. But Democrats, who have a razor-thin (102-101) margin of control in the chamber, were forced to suspend the afternoon voting... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Any Law to Modify Pennsylvanians' God-given Right to Pack Pistols is Heresy
Philadelphia Daily News (Pennsylvania), Column
17 March 2008
There it was, hidden between the codicils and caveats of an anti-crime bill. Before you could say "NRA," gun-control advocates had snuck it onto the floor of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. It's what you have to do to get a public hearing on any legislation that represents even the slightest encroachment on the inalienable right to own a handgun in Pennsylvania. Gun ownership is religion here. Any bill that... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
CeaseFire Pennsylvania Rallies for Gun Theft Reporting, Handgun Control
Philadelphia Inquirer (Pennsylvania)
17 March 2008
HARRISBURG -- CeaseFire PA, together with law enforcement officials and community groups from across the state, will kick off a day of lobbying this morning with an 11 a.m. press conference to garner support for legislation requiring gun owners to report lost and stolen handguns. The press conference, in the main rotunda of the Capitol, will be followed by several hours worth of knocking on lawmakers' office doors, organizers said.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Hundreds of Pennsylvania Gun Control Campaigners Rally for Gun Theft Law
Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh)
17 March 2008
HARRISBURG -- Several hundred gun-control supporters filled the Capitol rotunda today to urge legislators to enact what advocates see as an important piece of gun safety legislation. It would require a handgun owner to inform police within 24 hours anytime his or her weapon is lost or stolen. Too often, advocates said, when police locate a handgun that's been used in a crime, they trace it back to the owner, who simply... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Pennsylvania Bill Would Put Onus on Gun Owners to Report Firearm Thefts
Philadelphia Inquirer (Pennsylvania)
17 March 2008
HARRISBURG -- Handgun-control proponents in the State House are attempting to force a floor vote today on a controversial bill that would require handgun owners to tell authorities when their weapons are lost or stolen. To avoid a counter-lobbying campaign by the National Rifle Association, lawmakers late Wednesday filed the language as an amendment to a crime-code bill that had already cleared a House committee. The move sends... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Washington Police Trace Weapon Traffickers, Arrest Interstate Gun Runners
Washington Post
17 March 2008
For police and federal agents trying to keep guns out of the hands of criminals in the District, building a case against a firearms trafficker can mean months of work. Or it can come together quickly -- as fast as a speeding motorcycle. Virginia State Trooper Eric Linkous was looking for speeders on Interstate 66 in Fauquier County on Aug. 10 when Michael W. Lewis II blew past him on a Suzuki Katana going 99 mph. By the time Linkous... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Iraq
200,000 Missing Guns at Centre of US, Iraq, Kuwait Military Corruption Probe
KippReport (Dubai) / Trends Magazine
16 March 2008
Major Gloria D. Davis of the US Army was buried in Washington's Arlington Cemetery, the last resting place of many of America's military heroes, on December 23, 2006. But the 47-year-old Davis, of Missouri, an 18-year army veteran, did not perish fighting her country's enemies. Instead, the US Army said, she died in "a non-combat-related incident" in Iraq. In fact, Gloria Davis put a bullet in her brain on December 12 in her quarters... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Canadian Park Wardens Lost 21 Rifles, Shotguns in a Single Gun Theft
Canadian Press
16 March 2008
OTTAWA -- Thieves nabbed 12 gauge shotguns and scores of rifles in a massive heist at one of Canada's national parks, says a newly released document. Parks Canada's inventory of items stolen from Manitoba's Riding Mountain National Park lists 21 guns -- and the agency says the Mounties have recovered just two of them. An official from Parks Canada says the weapons, stolen in November 2006, were not kept in special gun lockers... ( gunpolicy.org )
Trinidad & Tobago
Lax Gun Storage Blamed as Trinidad Security Firm Loses 7 Handguns
Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday
15 March 2008
Seven semi-automatic pistols have gone missing from a southern security firm and security officers and a senior supervisor are being questioned by police about the missing firearms. Police sources said that each firearm is valued at approximately $2,500. South senior police investigators and the Estate Police Association, have launched a full investigation into the matter. It was revealed that the firearms were discovered... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Nebraskans Cave to NRA, Agree to Trash Local Handgun Licensing Law
Papillon Times (Nebraska) / Midlands News Service
13 March 2008
LINCOLN -- Under pressure from the National Rifle Association, State Sen. Brad Ashford of Omaha has rewritten his guncontrol proposal for the second time. In the version he brought to lawmakers Wednesday, Ashford no longer calls for a new commission to identify "inherently dangerous" guns that ought to be banned in Nebraska. "No bill to ban any weapons will pass this Legislature," Ashford said, explaining his aboutface.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Philadelphia City Council Sues State Govt to Permit Local Gun Control Laws
Philadelphia Inquirer (Pennsylvania)
12 March 2008
Adopting strict laws to control the straw-purchasing of guns in Philadelphia doesn't go against the state's authority to regulate firearms, City Council members Darrell L. Clarke and Donna Reed Miller told a panel of Commonwealth Court judges this morning. Those judges indicated that city officials have a steep road to climb with their argument. For them to prevail, the state Supreme Court will have to reverse a 12-year-old ruling... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Philadelphia Sues State Govt to Allow City to Set Its Own Gun Control Laws
Philadelphia Daily News (Pennsylvania)
12 March 2008
City Council squares off against the state General Assembly in Commonwealth Court this morning over whether the city can enforce its own gun laws. Council members Darrell Clarke and Donna Reed Miller filed a lawsuit last fall citing a "state-created danger" after several local gun-control laws were passed but not enforced because the General Assembly had not voted on corresponding state legislation. Clarke and Miller are... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
UK Gun Crime Falling, Gun Homicides Slowly Rising, New Database Coming
BBC News
10 March 2008
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith is launching the National Ballistics Intelligence Service (NABIS) to help the fight against gun crime. But what is it and how will it work? Official figures suggest gun crime has been falling, but firearm killings showed a slight rise in the most recent Home Office statistics and the government has pledged to tackle the problem. "We are determined not to let violent offenders get away with wrecking... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Gun Homicide, Gun Theft 'Declined Dramatically' After Australian Gun Laws
Age (Melbourne)
8 March 2008
Victorian police are planning a crackdown on gun owners. They are set to check whether 18,000 of the state's registered gun owners have stored their firearms properly. The crackdown comes as gun-related murders and gun theft have declined dramatically since the gun-law reforms after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre. New research by the Australian Institute of Criminology shows that the theft of firearms has dropped 72% since... ( gunpolicy.org )
New Zealand
NZ Police Glock Pistols Go Missing After Being Couriered to Police Armoury
New Zealand Herald
8 March 2008
Two police pistols have gone missing while being couriered from north of Auckland to Wellington. The police-issue Glock pistols -- sent from Warkworth station in December -- have not yet reached the police armoury in Wellington. "We can't jump to conclusions here. All we can really say is they are missing," said Inspector Tom Ireland, police operations and projects manager. "Whether they have been misplaced or... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Charges Say Oklahoma Cop Stole, Sold Handguns from Police Firing Range
Tulsa World (Oklahoma)
6 March 2008
Federal charges filed Wednesday accuse a Tulsa police officer of stealing Tulsa Police Department guns and selling them on the Internet. Officer Buddy Visser, an instructor at the department's firing range, was charged with possessing and selling stolen firearms and ammunition and with fraud. Visser, a Tulsa police officer for 17 years, had been suspended with pay in early December as the department and the federal Bureau... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
South Australian Gun Laws Tightened to Curb Armed Gang Violence
ABC News (Australia)
5 March 2008
South Australian police will be given more powers to act against people possessing illegal firearms under new laws announced by the State Government. The legislation is targeted at bikie gangs and violent gun crimes, such as a shooting last year at an Adelaide nightclub. Under the laws, police will have the power to put prohibition orders on people who use unlicensed firearms. A person subject to such an order... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
As Street Values Rise, US Gun Thieves, Interstate Gun Runners Get Bolder
Virginian-Pilot (Virginia)
4 March 2008
Most of us know the gun debate as a war of words -- a battle of sound bites between this side and that. The real front lines are on the streets, where good guns try to hold back the bad ones, and no one takes the time to hold rallies, give speeches or argue about the Second Amendment. There, the struggle is as intense as ever. "In so many murders and robberies, the weapon of choice is a gun," said Norfolk Police... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
New Jersey Approves One-handgun-a-month Sales Limit (13 Pistols a Year)
Asbury Park Press (New Jersey)
4 March 2008
TRENTON -- New Jerseyans -- be they sport shooters, casual collectors, hunters or someone with criminal intent -- would be restricted to purchasing one handgun every 30 days, or 13 in a year, under legislation approved Monday, though not without dissent. "I feel good, but it is only the first step in the process," said Assemblywoman Joan Quigley, D-Hudson, sponsor of the measure. Quigley was joined by Jersey City Mayor... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Armed Robber Targets Vancouver Gun Shop, Takes Several Handguns
Vancouver Province (British Columbia)
29 February 2008
An armed robber escaped with several handguns after targeting an East Vancouver hunting-goods store. In a takeover-style armed robbery, the thief burst into Italian Sporting Goods in the 800-block Renfrew Street just before 2 p.m. on Tuesday. He ordered staff and customers to the floor, then smashed a display case and grabbed several handguns. The man fled in a waiting vehicle, which police have yet to find. ... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Mothers of Gun Violence Victims Join Push for Gun Control in Pennsylvania
Tribune-Review (Pittsburgh)
27 February 2008
Each time Terri Coles hears about a child being gunned down, she relives the moments after her 8-year-old daughter was shot to death. Coles, 37, said her life was destroyed on Jan. 25, 2002, when her youngest child, Taylor, and Coles' fiance, Parrish Freeman, died in the ambush on Mr. Tommy's Sandwich Stop in Homewood. She said she doesn't want another family to feel such pain. On Tuesday, Coles and other mothers of crime... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Pennsylvania Groups Push for Gun Theft Reporting, One-gun-a-month Laws
Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh)
27 February 2008
CeaseFirePA, an organization that works to reduce gun violence, gathered with residents, local law enforcement and victims of gun violence yesterday at UPMC Children's Hospital to urge revival of legislation that it said could help take illegal guns off the streets. One bill, which would have prohibited purchasing more than one handgun a month, was defeated in the state House Judiciary Committee. Another, tabled in the... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
English 'Shocked' as Suffolk Newspaper Reveals 40 Guns Stolen in 4 Years
Ipswich Evening Star (UK)
25 February 2008
More than 40 guns have been stolen in Suffolk in the space of four years, The Evening Star can reveal today. New figures show that between 2003 and last year, 43 guns, including shotguns, rifles and handguns, have been "misappropriated", a term including stolen guns as well as those obtained by fraud or forgery. It is not clear how many of the weapons remain at large on the streets of Suffolk. The alarming figure... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
UK Army NCOs Arrested for Stealing Machine Guns, Selling to Criminals
Mirror (UK)
18 February 2008
Three soldiers have been arrested on suspicion of stealing machine guns, grenades and ammunition from their base and selling them to gangsters. A 36-year-old sergeant and two lance corporals -- a man of 27 and a 26-year-old woman -- were seized as police raided their barracks in Canterbury, Kent. An Army insider said: "The police swoop was sensational, there were squad cars everywhere. "We all knew something very... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Illegal Gun Crackdown, Firearm Theft Prevention Mooted for South Australia
ABC News (Australia)
12 February 2008
The South Australian Opposition has called on the Government to crack down on the number of illegal weapons in the state. The Opposition's police spokesman, David Ridgway, says that criminology data shows about 200 guns were stolen in the state in the year to June 2006. Only 3 per cent of those weapons were recovered by police. While it is not known whether a stolen weapon was used in an apparently bikie-related... ( gunpolicy.org )
Nigeria
Senior Army Officers on Trial for Stealing, Selling Military Weapons in Nigeria
Daily Sun (Lagos)
11 February 2008
ABUJA -- Five Senior Army officers and 10 other soldiers are to appear before a military court martial in Kaduna today for alleged involvement in illegal sale of arms and ammunition. The court martial set up by the Army high command to try some of its officers and soldiers involved in the illegal sale of arms and ammunition. The accused officers to appear before the court martial set up by the Army high command, include, Colonels... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Michigan Gun Dealer Loses 200 Handguns, Rifles, Shotguns to Criminals
WJRT-TV News (Michigan)
7 February 2008
LINCOLN TOWNSHIP -- It is believed to be one of the biggest gun store thefts in recent Michigan history. Two-hundred handguns, rifles and shotguns have been stolen from a Midland County firearms dealer. The robbery took place late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning at the Joe Gun, Inc. firearms store on East Saginaw Road in Lincoln Township. We hear about these gun robberies from time -- 30 guns stolen, maybe 50.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Australian Cop Allegedly Stole Police Glock, Swapped Pistol for Surfboards
Courier-Mail (Brisbane)
4 February 2008
A Gold Coast policeman who allegedly stole a police handgun and swapped it for surfboards has been charged and stood down from duty. Senior Constable Christopher Curtin is accused of stealing the Glock pistol from a gun safe at the Surfers Paradise police station in March 2001. Police internal investigators allegedly found two surfboards at his Gold Coast hinterland home last month. Curtin appeared in Southport... ( gunpolicy.org )
Kenya
Mob Breaks Into Kenyan Police Armoury, Steals 12 Guns, Kills Officer
East African Standard (Nairobi)
2 February 2008
NAIROBI -- Four people, including a police officer, were killed in Kericho as arsonists struck at residential estates following the slaying of Ainamoi MP David Kimutai Too. Three of them were shot dead by an Administration Police officer, who was later burnt alive by a mob that broke into an armoury at Ainamoi district officer's office and stole 12 firearms and ammunition. The incident occurred on Thursday night -- the... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
South Carolina 'Doing Little' to Control Gun Trafficking - Brady Campaign
Independent Mail (South Carolina)
1 February 2008
WASHINGTON -- A gun control advocacy group says South Carolina "is doing little" to keep criminals and others from easily obtaining guns, and the group ranked the state with 11 points out of a possible 100. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence released the score card today. Evelyn Dolven, a South Carolina Million Mom March spokeswoman, said the state has not passed key gun trafficking laws such as mandatory background... ( gunpolicy.org )
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