Finland
Commission Proposes Ban on Semi-automatic Handguns in Finland
Macleans (Canada)
4 March 2010
On Sept. 23, 2008, a culinary student named Matti Juhani Saari walked into a vocational college in Kauhajoki, Finland, drew a semi-automatic pistol, and killed 10 people before taking his own life. Less than a year earlier, an 18-year-old fatally shot eight people at a high school in Tuusula, 50 km north of Helsinki, before killing himself. In the wake of Saari's rampage, Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen promised a grieving nation that... ( gunpolicy.org )
Ireland,United Kingdom
Report Details Last Acts of Gun Surrender, Destruction in Northern Ireland
Associated Press
3 March 2010
DUBLIN, Ireland - The governments of Ireland and Britain praised their disarmament commission Wednesday and published its final achievements in removing weapons from Northern Ireland's underground armies. Both governments in 1997 asked Canadian Gen. John de Chastelain to persuade a half-dozen militant factions to surrender their hidden arsenals. That mission finally ended last month with a flurry of weapons moves. Wednesday's... ( gunpolicy.org )
Netherlands
Gang Spotted Loitering at Amsterdam Airport, Loaded Handgun Seized
Radio Netherlands
2 March 2010
Dutch border police say a 30-year-old man carrying a loaded gun was arrested at Amsterdam Schiphol airport on Monday. Two other men, aged 24 and 26 and thought to be accomplices, were also detained. The three men were reportedly loitering in the airport's shopping zone and behaving suspiciously. Their movements were first followed on CCTV, then a special observation team shadowed them for a while. Finally the police decided to take... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Swansea 12yr-old Killed 10yr-old with Shot to Heart from Dad's .22 Airgun
BBC News
25 February 2010
A coroner has urged parents to supervise children using air guns after a 10-year-old boy died after being shot at close range in the heart. Rhys Johnson of Llansamlet in Swansea died in hospital on 27 September. An inquest heard he and a friend were using his father's airgun without his knowledge in a lane behind his home. Recording a verdict of accidental death coroner Philip Rogers was told Rhys's friend did... ( gunpolicy.org )
Ireland
Handgun Assassin Kills One, Misses Others in Limerick Vengeance Killing
Independent (Dublin)
24 February 2010
The gunman suspected of murdering a breadman attempted to target two other innocent figures, including a relative of the dead man, in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, gardai believe. In a brazen bid to claim another life, it is understood that the murderer approached a city council employee he mistook for victim Daniel Treacy's uncle, Pa Keane, while he was suspected to have been armed with a handgun. Gardai in... ( gunpolicy.org )
Russia
Policeman Gets Life for Shooting 7, Killing 2 in Moscow Supermarket
Associated Press
19 February 2010
MOSCOW, Russia - A Moscow court sentenced a police precinct chief to life in prison Friday for a drunken shooting spree that killed two people and wounded seven. Maj. Denis Yevsyukov opened fire last April inside and outside a Moscow supermarket. He killed a cab driver and wounded several passers-by in the street, then gunned down a cashier and a customer in the market. He then held two dozen people hostage for several hours and... ( gunpolicy.org )
Hungary
Hungary PM Calls for Greater Gun Control, Crackdown on 'Sport' Shooters
Hungary Around the Clock (Budapest)
19 February 2010
Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai yesterday asked Justice and Law Enforcement Minister Imre Forgács to draft a decree on tightening gun control regulations within days. Bajnai spoke about crime as he assessed 2009 at a police conference. "The tragic or almost tragic shooting incidents of recent months have drawn attention to the need to tighten regulations on access to firearms," he said, adding "we cannot allow sick people who are... ( 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 )
Finland
National Handgun Ban Mooted After String of Shootings in Finland
Associated Press
17 February 2010
HELSINKI, Finland - A Finnish government commission on Wednesday proposed a ban on semiautomatic handguns after two school shootings in recent years left 20 people dead. The ban, which needs parliamentary approval, would sharply reduce the number of legal weapons in a country that ranks among the world's top five in civilian gun ownership. "We've had a very weapon-friendly culture," commission chairman Pekka Sauri said.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Specialist Gun Trainer Shot, Killed Lancashire Police Officer in Exercise
BBC News
15 February 2010
The officer who shot Pc Ian Terry, 32, earlier said he acted "instinctively", as Greater Manchester Police's firearms unit practised in a disused factory. The ammunition used to kill Pc Terry, in 2008, was only to be shot at a person if "there was a threat to life". Pc Terry was not wearing body armour, Coroner Nigel Meadows told the inquest. The father-of-two, from Burnley in Lancashire, was shot at close range... ( 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 )
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Licensed Gun Owners Number 300,000 in Bosnia, Many More Guns Illegal
SEESAC / BalkanInsight.com (Belgrade)
11 February 2010
According to official data, almost 300,000 Bosnian citizens hold firearms licenses, and many more possess weapons that are not registered. This number was given to media by Ivo Miro Jovic, a member of the state parliament's commission on security and defence. Jovic said that 164,000 citizens of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina hold a license for some kind of firearm, while in Republika Srpska the number reaches 116,000.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Switzerland
Army-issue Guns at the Heart of Family Violence in Switzerland [Francais]
24 Heures (Switzerland)
9 February 2010
[Translated summary: 76% of the homicide-suicide cases in Switzerland involve firearms, very often a gun kept at home by Swiss army reservists, according to a new university study.] Une étude criminologique le démontre: en Suisse, les auteurs de drames familiaux recourent trois fois sur quatre aux armes à feu et, très souvent, il s'agit d'une arme de service. Voilà qui apporte de l'eau au moulin des adversaires de l'arme détenue... ( gunpolicy.org )
Switzerland
Swiss Army Service Firearms Often Used in Murder/Suicide [Francais]
Journal (Geneva)
8 February 2010
Translated summary: Swiss army military guns are often used in family violence, particularly in murder-suicide cases where a male shooter kills a female partner.] Les auteurs de drames familiaux ont le plus fréquemment recours à une arme à feu. Quant aux armes de service, elles tuent dans un quart des cas, selon une étude de l'hôpital universitaire de Lausanne (CHUV) publiée en janvier. L'étude publiée en janvier... ( gunpolicy.org )
Ireland,United Kingdom
IRA Factions Surrender Their Guns for Destruction in N Ireland Amnesty
Associated Press
8 February 2010
DUBLIN -- A ruthless IRA splinter group, the Irish National Liberation Army, declared Monday it had fully disarmed but offered no regrets for committing some of the worst atrocities of the Northern Ireland conflict. "We make no apology for our part in the conflict," said INLA spokesman Martin McMonagle, who spent seven years in prison for plotting to plant bombs in England and assassinate Northern Ireland's senior Protestant politicians.... ( 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 )
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 )
Netherlands
Dutch Police, 500 Nightclubs Trial 'Drop Vaults' for Illegal Guns, Drugs
Radio Netherlands Worldwide
5 February 2010
Five hundred nightclubs and cafés in the Netherlands will be fitted with vaults where visitors can drop off their illegal weapons and drugs anonymously. Police will keep the keys to the vaults and will regularly open them to confiscate the contents. The vaults are a project of Justice Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballinn who will officially install the first such receptacle in a bar in the town of Loosdrecht on Friday. Mr Hirsch Ballin... ( gunpolicy.org )
Kenya,Czech Republic
Police Find Another 30,000 Kenyan, Czech Bullets in Suspect's Home
Associated Press
1 February 2010
NAROK, Kenya - Kenya's police chief says officers have seized another cache of bullets at the premises of a man already facing charges for a separate arms seizure last year. Matthew Iteere says police found the Kenyan and Czech-made bullets in a container at Munir Ahmed's garage. He says police seized two other containers but are yet to confirm their contents. Most of the 30,000 bullets are Kenyan, Iteere says. Such bullets... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
UK Teacher Struck Off for Firing Unregistered Airgun in Dispute with Youths
BBC News
26 January 2010
A school teacher who fired an air pistol to scare a gang of youths who attacked him has been struck off. Allan Dickson's actions were deemed "highly irresponsible and reckless" by a panel at the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS). The disciplinary sub-committee said there was no alternative to removing the 33-year-old's name from the teaching register. The decision means that he is banned from teaching.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Loophole Allows British Arms Dealers to Sell Deactivated Machine Guns
Birmingham Mail (UK)
25 January 2010
As long as you have the cash, you can snap up a deactivated weapon -- because the law currently classes them as metal ornaments. But those with the know-how and the tools can easily reactivate them to fire live ammunition. Guns on display at the shop have included a Russian Kalashnikov AK-47 machine gun, a British-made World War II era Sten machine gun and a German Luger hand gun. The Mail found the fearsome looking... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Gun Owner Shot 4yr-old Daughter, Estranged Partner, Self in Hampshire
BBC News
25 January 2010
Family and friends remembered a mother who loved her daughter "like a lion" at their funeral in Hampshire. It is believed Andy Copland, 56, shot his daughter Maisie, four, and his ex-partner Julie Harrison before turning the gun on himself on 29 December. Maisie and her mother, 40, were found with serious head injuries when police arrived at Church Hill in Aldershot. Mourners paid tribute during a service at Holy... ( gunpolicy.org )
Serbia
Assault Weapons, Machine Guns Leak from Unattended Military Barracks in Serbia
SEESAC / RTS (Belgrade), Transcript
23 January 2010
Unknown persons stole around 30 automatic rifles and two machine guns from the barracks "Tanasko Raji?" in ?a?ak, which has not accommodated soldiers for years. The RTS confirmed that the unknown persons had stolen around 30 automatic rifles and two machine guns from the barracks "Tanasko Raji?" in ?a?ak, which had not been occupied by the military for years. According to the yet unofficial information, 30 automatic rifles... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel,United Kingdom,United States
Smith & Wesson Executive Among 22 Charged in Gun Sale Bribery Case
Bloomberg (USA)
19 January 2010
A Smith & Wesson Holding Corp. sales executive and a former U.S. Secret Service officer were among 22 officials at companies that supply law enforcement and the military who were charged with violating U.S. anti-bribery laws. Amaro Goncalves, vice president of sales at Smith & Wesson, and R. Patrick Caldwell, chief executive officer of Protective Products Of America Inc. and a former deputy director of the Secret Service, were... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States,United Kingdom,Israel
Smith & Wesson Exec, 21 Others Charged in FBI Gun Sale Bribery Sting
Boston Herald
19 January 2010
A Smith & Wesson executive was among 22 officials at suppliers to police and the military who were charged Monday in Las Vegas with violating anti-bribery laws, the Justice Department announced today. Amaro Goncalves, the Springfield-based gun maker's vice president of sales, was arrested with the others after a 2½-year undercover sting operation aimed at schemes to bribe a foreign official. Smith & Wesson released the... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel,United Kingdom,United States
FBI Charges S&W Exec, 21 US-UK-Israeli Arms Dealers for Gun Sale Bribes
Reuters
19 January 2010
WASHINGTON -- An executive for Smith & Wesson Holding Corp (SWHC.O) and 21 others have been charged with violating federal bribery laws involving the sale of weapons and protective gear, the U.S. Justice Department said on Tuesday. The indictments accused the individuals, including Smith & Wesson Vice President for Sales Amaro Goncalves, with violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, or FCPA, and conspiracy to commit money laundering... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
British Arms Dealer Sold Guns to War Torn Countries Without a Licence
Press Association (UK)
19 January 2010
A British arms dealer from west London traded thousands of military weapons with war-torn countries across the globe without a UK licence, a court has heard. Gideon Sarig 58, of Lauderale Road, Maida Vale, deliberately chose not to apply for the licence as he arranged for armour-piercing ammunition, pump-action shotguns, bombs and other weapons to be sent to countries including Sri Lanka and Israel. Sarig used contacts... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Man Shot Dead in Apparent Suicide at Licensed UK Gun Club
Leicester Mercury (UK)
18 January 2010
The death of a man at a gun club in Harborough Road, Kibworth Beauchamp, is not being treated as suspicious. Police were called to Kibworth Gun Club, on the A6 at Kibworth Beauchamp, at 2.15pm on Friday following reports that a man had been shot. Officers said the man's body was found near the club buildings, close to a range. Paramedics were called and pronounced the man dead at the scene. The victim, a man in... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
'Obsessed' Gun Owner Found with 30 Illegal Firearms, Bombs in Yorkshire
Yorkshire Post (UK)
15 January 2010
A home-made collection of bombs, guns and knives, this is the arsenal found hidden at the Yorkshire home of a bus driver who was a member of the British National Party. [Photo] Locked away in an untidy attic bedroom, the cache, assembled over 10 years by former soldier Terry Gavan, was so large it took police and counter-terrorism experts six days to complete a forensic survey of the house. Gavan was jailed for 11 years... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Hostile BNP Member Gets 11 Years for Illegal Weapon Cache and Craft
Guardian (UK)
15 January 2010
A BNP member who spent a decade building up a cache of weapons in a bedroom hideaway was jailed for 11 years today. Bus driver Terrance Gavan manufactured highly dangerous firearms and explosives at the home where he lived with his mother in Batley, West Yorkshire. Police discovered 54 improvised bombs including nail bombs and a booby-trapped cigarette packet, as well as 12 firearms. The former soldier told detectives... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
British Extremist, Gun Enthusiast Jailed 11yrs for Making Illegal Weapons
Press Association (UK)
15 January 2010
A BNP member who spent a decade building up a cache of weapons in a bedroom hideaway was jailed for 11 years today. Bus driver Terrance Gavan manufactured highly dangerous firearms and explosives at the home where he lived with his mother in Batley, West Yorkshire. Police discovered 54 improvised bombs including nail bombs and a booby-trapped cigarette packet, as well as 12 firearms. The former soldier told detectives... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Ballistic Tracing Helps UK Police Reduce Gun Crime
BBC News
14 January 2010
The National Ballistics Intelligence Service (Nabis) works by combining advanced forensic technology and police intelligence information. It has played a key role in prosecuting "armourers", including Paul Alexander, who was jailed indefinitely last year. Nabis says guns are becoming difficult to obtain - meaning rival gangs must sometimes use the same weapons. The service, which was jointly established by the... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Bristol's Pilot Amnesty Programme Nets 3 Handguns, 1 Shotgun, in 1 Day
BBC News
13 January 2010
Four firearms have been anonymously handed in to Bristol police in one day as part of an operation to cut gun crime in the city The weapons, three handguns and a shotgun, were handed in anonymously to police at Trinity Road station. An Avon and Somerset Police spokesman said criminals were handing over the guns as "they know the pressure's on". The operation, piloted in the city, will be rolled out across the force... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Scottish Rugby Player Nabbed at Training for Unsecured Firearm Stash
Daily Record (Scotland)
11 January 2010
A RUGBY club captain was arrested in front of team-mates after police found a stash of guns in his home. Scottish Hydro Caledonia League 1 player Cameron Kennedy had left the weapons lying about in his house, with the door wide open. Acting Tayside chief constable Justine Curran told Kennedy: "I am no longer satisfied that you can be permitted to possess firearms and shotguns without danger to the public safety." At... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Gun Tracing Helps to Crack Down on UK Crime
BBC News
11 January 2010
A firearms database has linked more than 350 guns with crimes in its first year of operation in England and Wales. The National Ballistics Intelligence Service (Nabis) works by combining advanced forensic technology and police intelligence information. It has played a key role in prosecuting "armourers", including Paul Alexander, who was jailed indefinitely last year. Nabis says guns are becoming difficult to obtain... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Convicted Gun Criminal Caught with Handgun
Daily Mail (UK)
8 January 2010
A teenager jailed for shooting dead his 12-year-old sister was back behind bars tonight after police caught him with a loaded handgun. Kasha Peniston, 19, was sentenced to two years for killing his sister Kamilah when he was 17 after expressing 'devastation' over her death and claiming it was an accident. He claimed he would 'live with the knowledge for the rest of his life that he was responsible for the death of his young... ( gunpolicy.org )
Serbia
Serbia 'Largest' Military Arms Exporter in SE Europe
Balkans.com (Belgrade)
4 January 2010
Serbia has become the largest exporter of arms and military equipment in southeastern Europe, Defense Minister Dragan Sutanovac said. "In 2009, the Serbian military industry exported arms and equipment worth 300 million euros. I hope at the end of 2010 we can say that we earned a billion euros just by exporting military equipment," Sutanovac told International Radio Serbia in a recent interview. "Besides the fact that we... ( gunpolicy.org )
Finland
'Jealous' Finland Gunman Stalked, Killed Ex-girlfiend, 4 Others, Self
Sydney Morning Herald
3 January 2010
A man who killed his former girlfriend then shot dead four of her work colleagues at a shopping mall in Finland appears to have deliberately pinpointed his victims. Ibrahim Shkupolli, a father of three originally from Kosovo, ended his New Year's Eve killing spree by turning his weapon on himself, bringing the overall toll from the tragedy in the Helsinki suburb of Espoo to six. As relatives tried to come to terms with... ( gunpolicy.org )
Finland
Police Say Finland Shopping Mall Gunman Stalked, Chose His Victims
Associated Press
1 January 2010
ESPOO,Finland - The gunman who killed five people during a shooting rampage in Finland apparently chose his victims, police said Friday. Chief investigator Esa Gronlund of the National Bureau of Investigation told reporters that a preliminary investigation has indicated that Ibrahim Shkupolli's method of shooting the five Finns, most of them at a shopping mall in the town of Espoo, suggest that he had planned Thursday's slayings,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Finland
Latest Finland Shooting Spree Prompts New Gun Law
Agence France Presse
1 January 2010
Finland is in mourning after a jealous ex-lover shot dead his former girlfriend and four of her work colleagues in the latest armed rampage which has reignited debate on the country's gun controls. Ibrahim Shkupolli ended his killing spree on Thursday by turning his weapon on himself, bringing the overall toll from the tragedy in the normally sleepy Helsinki suburb of Espoo to six. As relatives of the victims tried to come... ( gunpolicy.org )
Finland
Gunman Kills Ex-Girlfriend, 4 Others, Self in Finland's Latest Mass Shooting
Independent (UK)
1 January 2010
After two mass shootings in two years, Finns had been hoping they had seen an end to such murderous outbreaks. But yesterday the small Scandinavian nation's nightmare returned when a solitary gunman dressed in black killed five shop assistants near Helsinki, sparking fresh concerns over the country's liberal gun laws. The gunman, who had previous convictions for gun offences, shot his ex-girlfriend with an unlicensed handgun at... ( gunpolicy.org )
Finland
Finland to Tighten 'Primitive' Gun Control Laws
Xinhua
1 January 2010
HELSINKI,Finland - Finnish Interior Minister Anne Holmlund said on Saturday that Finland will amend the gun law to tighten control on guns, Finnish media reported on Saturday. A 43-year-old man named Ibrahim Shkupolli, a Kosovo Albanian, shot and killed four employees at Sello shopping center in Espoo, southern Finland, as well as his ex-girlfriend at her home, who was also employed there, and finally himself on Thursday. The... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
UK Family Killer had History of Gun 'Infatuation,' Domestic Violence
Times (UK)
31 December 2009
An investigation is under way into how a man with a history of violence against women obtained a gun to shoot dead his four-year-old daughter and her mother. As the extent of Andy Copland's criminal past and violent behaviour emerged, the family of Julie Harrison and her daughter, Maisie, said they were "innocents in an awful tragedy". Ms Harrison, 40, died yesterday morning in hospital from head injuries, the day after... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Licensed UK Gun Collector Gets 5yrs for 'Aladdin's Cave' of Illegal Firearms
Telegraph (UK)
30 December 2009
A pensioner who was found with an "aladdin's cave" of more than 50 firearms, including a home made cannon, has been jailed for five years. Roy Bennett, 71, was living in a farm cottage Heywood, near Rochdale, when he amassed the guns. He pleaded guilty to nine firearms offences at Bolton Crown Court last week. In March this year, officers from Rochdale CID executed a search warrant at Bennett's home. Bennett had... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Estranged Husband Shoots 4yr-old Daughter, Wife, Self in UK Custody Fight
Guardian (UK)
29 December 2009
A four year-old girl was shot dead and her mother critically wounded in an incident in Aldershot yesterday in which a man, believed to be the child's father, was also found shot dead. Hampshire police were called to the terrace house near the town centre at 10am after neighbours reported hearing a violent dispute. It is thought the woman, named in reports as Julie Harrison, had dropped her daughter Maisie off at the house... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
3000 Firearms to be Destroyed after Northumbria Arms Seizures
The Journal (UK)
28 December 2009
MACHINE guns, rifles and shotguns are among nearly 3,000 firearms taken off the streets of the North East in the past two years, The Journal can reveal today. The weapons are now set to be destroyed. Northumbria Police and Durham Constabulary released details of all firearms confiscated since September 2007 under the Freedom of Information Act. They include examples of the British Army's standard SA-80 assault rifle and... ( gunpolicy.org )
Ireland
Minister Questions Credibility of Enraged Irish Combat Pistol Shooters
Argus (Ireland)
23 December 2009
DUNDALK -- Dundalk sharp shooters claim Justice Minister Dermot Ahern has targeted them in new legislation 'aligning us with criminals' after 23 handgun licences were refused in the last month. The has learned that new laws restricting hand gun ownership saw a group of local prize winning precision shooters forced to hand in their firearms in recent weeks. Now, the group say they are intending to challenge the licence refusals,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
UK Conservatives Promise to Change Law on Killing Burglars, Intruders
Sky News Online (UK)
21 December 2009
The Tories want to give people who kill burglars while defending their home more protection from prosecution, according to the shadow home secretary. Chris Grayling promised a review of householders' rights to defend themselves against intruders. He said there were some cases where it may be "proportionate" to take a housebreaker's life - such as when someone is attacked in his home by an armed intruder. However,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
UK Gun Lobby Protests Police, Public Alarm at Men with Guns in Fields
Telegraph (UK)
20 December 2009
Shooting groups are reporting a growing number of cases where officers in armed response vehicles and helicopters are swooping on people who are legally shooting. In many cases, the shooters are arrested and have had their guns seized. They are sometimes locked up and have their DNA taken, before police accept their error. The Countryside Alliance has described as "hysterical", the "massive overreaction" by officers, while... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Liverpool Police Christmas Card Warns Women Not to Hide Men's Guns
Telegraph (UK)
19 December 2009
Cards bearing the message 'Gun crime always ends in tears, make sure they're not yours', are being sent to the women by Merseyside Police and local councils to urge them to help stop the use of guns. The cards, showing a Christmas wreath on the front and a funeral wreath on the inside saying 'Make sure it is a Christmas to remember and not one to regret', are part of an anti-gun crime campaign targeting young people believed to... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
UK Man Caught Using 'I'm a Spy' Lie to Escape 'Dirty Harry' Handgun Rap
Telegraph (UK)
17 December 2009
A secret intelligence analyst, Neil McLellan, who escaped jail on firearms charges by claiming his job at GCHQ was pivotal to national security is behind bars after it was disclosed he had lied about his employment under oath. The 49 year-old escaped jail despite admitting possession of a "Dirty Harry" style .44 magnum handgun, after he lied about working at the intelligence centre in Cheltenham, Glos. He was given a suspended... ( 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 )
Austria
Angry Viennese Gun Owner Targets Divorce Judge, Kills Woman in Court
Associated Press
16 December 2009
VIENNA, Austria - A drunk teacher unhappy with a judge's ruling in his divorce case returned to the courthouse Wednesday and fatally shot one of its employees, authorities said. The gunman, 57, was arrested after gunning down a 42-year-old mother of two young children at the district courthouse in Hollabrunn, 30 miles (50 kilometers) northwest of Vienna, said Leopold Etz of the Lower Austrian criminal police force. Wilhelm... ( 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 )
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 )
United Kingdom
Essex Police Say 90% of 'Firearm Incidents' Involve Only Imitation Guns
Daily Mail (UK)
5 December 2009
An innocent game of cops and robbers used to provide two benefits - lots of fun and a basic understanding of right and wrong. But children caught playing with a toy gun today have been warned they face something far more memorable - a raid by armed police marksmen. Officers have told parents to avoid buying youngsters plastic guns for Christmas in case passers-by mistake them for dangerous weapons. The warning... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom,Scotland
Victory for Dead Boy's Parents as Britain Allows Scotland to Ban Airguns
Sunday Mail (Scotland)
30 November 2009
MSPs will be given the power to ban deadly airguns, we can reveal today. Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy has secured an agreement to transfer authority over the weapons from Westminster to Edinburgh. It means a ban -- which has all-party support at Holyrood -- is now almost certain. The deal is a massive victory for the parents of tragic toddler Andrew Morton. Sharon and Andy Morton have campaigned relentlessly... ( gunpolicy.org )
Hungary
Licensed Pistol Club Shooter Arrested for Hungarian University Killing
Hungary Around the Clock (Budapest)
30 November 2009
A court of the city of Pecs (S Hungary) has ordered the pre-trial detention of the young man who shot four people, killing one of them, at Pecs University earlier this week, Judge Istvan Hajdu told the press on Saturday. The 23-year-old pharmacology student gave himself up shortly after firing shots at his classmates, a lab worker and a cleaning woman in the biophysics research centre of the university just before noon on Thursday.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Switzerland
Swiss Reconsider Keeping Army Guns at Home, Cite Frequent Shootings
SwissInfo
27 November 2009
Swiss soldiers who do not want to keep their military-issue guns at home are to be allowed to store them for free at an army logistics centre. The new rule, which comes into force on January 1, was adopted by the Swiss government on Friday as part of its amendments to the regulations on firearms. The cabinet also called for earlier detection of soldiers who represent a potential threat. Under another amendment,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Hungary
Student, Club Shooter Kills 1, Injures 3 in Hungarian University Shooting
Hungary Around the Clock (Budapest)
27 November 2009
A pharmacology student fired shots inside a building of Pecs University in the south of Hungary just before noon on Thursday, killing a classmate and wounding another student, a male lab worker and a cleaning woman, local county police chief told the press from the site. Police have arrested the attacker, a 23 year-old man, who gave himself up over the phone shortly after firing the shots with a handgun, Jozsef Dakos said. ... ( gunpolicy.org )
Germany
School Shooter's Father Let Son Have Gun, Faces 15 Homicide Charges
Deutsche Welle (Germany) / DPA / AP
27 November 2009
German prosecutors have filed criminal charges against the father of a teenager who killed 15 people in a shooting spree in March. Victims' relatives have demanded that he pay for leaving the murder weapon unsecured. A spokeswoman for the public prosecutor's office in the southwestern city of Stuttgart said on Friday that the father of Tim K. had been charged with 15 counts of negligent homicide. A trial date is yet to be announced.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Switzerland
Swiss Accused of Careless Gun Exports, Cabinet Aims for Clearer Law
SwissInfo
24 November 2009
Questions are being raised in Switzerland over exports of weapons and war material -- and not only by the pacifists behind the nationwide vote on November 29. The government in its official information brochure for voters describes its policy of trading war material as restrictive, transparent, tough and not open to frequent abuses. Throughout its campaign the pacifist group for a Switzerland without an Army has tried to... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Most British Women Caught Carrying a 'Firearm' Are Merely Cautioned
Press Association (UK)
19 November 2009
Almost two out of three women caught with firearms in London are not prosecuted, according to police figures. The Metropolitan Police said 88 out of 140 women caught carrying a weapon were given cautions in the year 2008/09. Of the remaining criminal suspects, 47 were charged and five were handed youth reprimands. The figures emerged after the force's anti-shooting Trident unit launched a campaign warning wives... ( 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 )
France
Boy Took Family Rifle to Kill Teachers, School Shooting 'Foiled' in France
BBC News
17 November 2009
Police in a town near Paris have foiled a 13-year-old boy's plan to shoot his teachers and himself after being warned by his parents, officials say. When the boy approached the school in Beauvais with a loaded hunting rifle he found it guarded by police and turned back, according to judicial officials. Police detained the suspect after he was found by his parents in an internet cafe in the town centre. His parents... ( gunpolicy.org )
Russia,China,Pakistan
Russia Confronts Pakistan, China Over 'Illegally' Copied AK Assault Rifles
United Press International
16 November 2009
HONG KONG, China -- At a press conference held during an international exhibition of defense equipment in Turkey last summer, a Russian military delegation harshly criticized the Pakistan Ordnance Factories Company for copying Russian weapons systems. The Russians claimed that the POF's RPG-7P anti-tank rockets, 122-mm D-30 howitzer ammunition and PK-10 assault guns were 100-percent imitations of Russian systems. The PK-10 assault... ( gunpolicy.org )
Russia,Venezuela,United Nations
Ten Countries Apply to Build Kalashnikov Assault Rifle Producing Plants
RIA Novosti (Russia)
10 November 2009
MOSCOW -- Ten countries have applied for licenses to construct plants to produce Kalashnikov assault rifles, a deputy CEO of Russia's state arms exporter Rosoboronexport said Tuesday. Rosoboronexport is currently fulfilling a 2005 contract to build a Kalashnikov plant in Venezuela. "In the past few years, ten foreign states have applied to Russia for the creation of facilities on their territories to build licensed Kalashnikov... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom,Northern Ireland,United States
Smith & Wesson Gun Maker Sees Sales Almost Doubling in 3-5 Years
Reuters
9 November 2009
Smith & Wesson Holding Corp (SWHC.O), known for its 157-year-old handguns business, expects to nearly double its annual sales in the next three to five years, the company said in a filing. The Springfield, Massachusetts-based company which forecast $650 million in yearly sales also expects gross margins of 35 to 36 percent by that time, boosted by its acquisition of privately held Universal Safety Response Inc (USR). It... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Former UK Army Sergeant Made Guns for Gangs, Jailed 'Indefinitely'
Telegraph (UK)
7 November 2009
A former Army sergeant, Paul Alexander, who made guns for gangs operating in Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham, has been jailed indefinitely. Detectives said Alexander, 53, was a "significant" supplier and had been tracked down following the launch of an operation against gangs in the wake of the shooting of 11-year-old Rhys Jones in Liverpool two years ago. Police said they found a gun factory at a house Alexander rented... ( gunpolicy.org )
Thailand,United States,Russia,Colombia
Documents Shed New Light on Viktor Bout 'Merchant of Death' Arms Deal
Washington Times
5 November 2009
Newly obtained documents prepared by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) describe an elaborate sting operation to capture purported weapons trafficker Viktor Bout in Bangkok and America's current appeal to extradite him to New York. However, the documents, made public recently, do not confirm that Mr. Bout had access to the weapons or where the arms and ammunition were located. Mr. Bout, a Russian citizen, has... ( gunpolicy.org )
India,United Nations,Russia,China
UN Gun Trade Treaty 'Likely Very Weak' as India, Russia, China Abstain
Times of India / TNN
2 November 2009
NEW DELHI -- Even as the crucial global arms trade and transfers (ATT) treaty, which seeks to regulate the $55 billion arms trade and promote democracy, found overwhelming support from 153 member countries at the UN on Friday, India was among the 19 who abstained from the meet. These 153 countries -- including top arms suppliers like US, Britain, Germany and France -- supported a UN disarmament committee resolution which will lead... ( gunpolicy.org )
Germany,United Nations,Russia,China
Germany Backs Global Arms Trade Treaty, China and Russia Abstain
Deutsche Welle
31 October 2009
Germany, along with other key United Nations members, has backed talks on a global treaty to regulate the global trade of weapons. Two major arms suppliers, Russia and China, refused to support the measure. The United Nations resolution calls for talks aimed at agreeing a treaty to police the world's $55-billion (37-billion-euro) arms trade. The UN General Assembly's first committee on disarmament and peace passed the resolution... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations,United States,Russia
US On Board, Russia Abstains in UN Global Gun Trade Treaty Talks
Reuters
30 October 2009
UNITED NATIONS -- The world's top weapons exporters agreed to back negotiations on a global treaty to regulate the world's $55 billion arms trade, but Russia refused to show support, diplomats said on Thursday. The deal came after negotiators from four of the top arms traders -- the United States, Britain, France and Germany overcame sharp disagreements on the wording of a U.N. General Assembly resolution that will guide negotiations... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom,Scotland
Scottish Gun Crime at 10-year Low, Gun Death, Gun Injury at 30-year Low
BBC News
27 October 2009
Gun crime in Scotland has fallen to its lowest level in a decade, while the number of deaths and injuries from such weapons reached a 30-year low. Offences involving guns dropped 17% to 949 in 2008-09, compared with 1,144 the previous year, official figures showed. But police solved fewer gun-related crimes, as the offence clear-up rate fell from 64% to 59%. Scots ministers welcomed the figures, while using them... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Police Boss in Rapid U-Turn: London Bobbies with Guns 'Not an Option'
Evening Standard (London)
27 October 2009
The Met this afternoon halted the deployment of regular armed patrols in London gun crime hotspots. The announcement came after the Evening Standard revealed the anger of residents' groups and Metropolitan Police Authority members. Opponents said there had been no consultation and there were fears it could lead to the arming of all police. Pilot patrols from the CO19 firearms unit have been sent to estates in Tottenham,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom,Scotland
Starved of Handguns, Scottish Gangs Steal Licensed Shotguns, Rifles
Times (UK)
26 October 2009
Shotgun and rifle crime has more than doubled in Scotland because police have been so effective in cracking down on handgun smugglers, it emerged yesterday. Gangs finding it harder to access the smaller weapons are instead arming themselves with shotguns and rifles stolen from licensed holders. The Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency says that a recent rise in illegal handgun trade led officers to crack down on smugglers.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Russia
Kalashnikov, 90, Decries "Criminal" Use of Rifle, Russia's Loss of Profits
Reuters
26 October 2009
KLIMOVSK, Russia -- Approaching 90, the inventor of the Kalashnikov assault rifle has one big regret: The almost unstoppable Kalashnikov, designed in 1947, has become the weapon of choice for militants and rebels from Liberia to Afghanistan as well as gangsters and drug traffickers. "It is painful for me to see when criminal elements of all kinds fire from my weapon," Mikhail Kalashnikov said in a videotaped address to... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Britain Deploys Permanently Armed Police in London Gang Strongholds
Associated Press
23 October 2009
LONDON -- Wielding submachine guns and pistols, British police are making rare armed patrols in crime-blighted London neighborhoods -- a change in law enforcement tactics that may prompt calls for the wider use of weapons by the country's traditionally unarmed Bobbies. London's police department said Friday that a new armed unit is carrying out regular sweeps of districts riven by gun battles between rival drug gangs. Unlike... ( gunpolicy.org )
Russia,China
Russia, China Near Copyright Deal to Licence Kalashnikov Production
RIA Novosti (Russia)
22 October 2009
KLIMOVSK -- Russia is working to reach an agreement with China on copyright protection of Kalashnikov assault rifles, the head of Russia's state arms exporter Rosoboronexport said Thursday. "We have received China's national patent for Kalashnikov products. The documents have been handed to the Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation to prepare and conclude an intergovernmental agreement in the field," Anatoly Isaikin... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Armed British Police Officers Go on Routine Foot Patrol for the First Time
Telegraph (UK)
22 October 2009
A hand-picked team from CO19, the Metropolitan Police's elite firearms unit, will walk the beat in gun crime hotspots where armed gangs have turned entire estates into "no go" zones. Local politicians and anti-gun campaigners have reacted with anger at the news that the officers will carry Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine guns -- capable of firing up to 800 rounds-per-minute -- and Glock semi-automatic pistols. CO19 currently... ( gunpolicy.org )
Thailand,United States,Russia
US Pushes Thais to Extradite Suspected Russian Gun Runner
Associated Press
14 October 2009
BANGKOK -- A senior U.S. Justice Department official on Tuesday told Thai officials the extradition of suspected arms dealer Viktor Bout is "a matter of great importance to the United States." U.S. Deputy Attorney General David Ogden told reporters he was "disappointed" by the decision of a Thai lower court in August to reject a U.S. extradition request for the Russian and was hopeful an appeals court would rule to extradite him.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Germany,Syria,Iran,United States
US Seizure of Iran-Syria Ammunition Cargo 'Embarrassing' for Germany
Spiegel (Germany)
12 October 2009
US troops boarded a German-owned freighter in early October and found eight containers full of ammunition, allegedly headed to Syria from Iran. The shipment is in violation of a UN weapons embargo and has become a source of chagrin in Berlin. An "embarrassing affair," is how one German diplomat described it. The official could also have added: potentially damaging to trans-Atlantic relations. In an operation reported on... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Locals Worry Gloucester Bobbies Wear Guns Even When Not in a Hurry
Citizen (Gloucestershire)
8 October 2009
Concerns have been raised over police officers patrolling the streets of Gloucester with guns. Armed police attended 51 incidents in the county over the past six months but officers from the Armed Response Unit carry handguns at all times, even when they are dealing with non-emergency or routine situations. The sight of policemen openly carrying guns has sparked fears among some city residents. Reports have come... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Tougher Gun Sentence Upheld, 'Assassins' Armourer' Jailed 11yrs in UK
BBC News
7 October 2009
A top judge has backed "punitive" sentences for gun trade criminals, saying they should suffer punishments similar to those using weapons. Lord Chief Justice Lord Judge said "deterrent" terms were essential to help protect the public. He added that the gravity of gun crime meant that indeterminate jail terms were appropriate. His comments mean that people involved in the supply or conversion of firearms should... ( gunpolicy.org )
Serbia
Police Destroy 17,000 Confiscated, Surplus Firearms in Belgrade
B92 Radio (Belgrade)
3 October 2009
BELGRADE -- Serbian police (MUP) today destroyed 17,000 light weapons and small caliber arms in the Recycling Center in the Belgrade suburb of eleznik. "Most of these arms are illegal and were seized in police raids, while a part was made obsolete at the MUP," Interior Minister Ivica Dacic told reporters today. The weapons collected and destroyed include pistols, revolvers, carbines, hunting rifles, air weapons, and other... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
London Police Warn Girls Not to Hide Illegal Guns for Their Boyfriends
BBC News
30 September 2009
Young women are being warned not to hide guns for their boyfriends, brothers or male friends in a new campaign by the Metropolitan police. It is aimed at the growing number of teenage girls in London who, the Met says, are being persuaded to store weapons for male gang members. Police are primarily targeting black girls aged between 15 and 19. People caught hiding a gun for someone else can expect to receive a five-year prison sentence.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom,England & Wales
Welsh Community in Mourning After 10yr-old Boy Shot Dead with Air Rifle
Western Mail (Wales)
29 September 2009
A 10-year-old who was shot dead with an air rifle was playing a game of Cowboys and Indians at the time of the tragic accident. Rhys Johnson died yesterday morning after being shot in the chest with the gun, which he had found in a garage earlier in the afternoon. The schoolboy, from Llansamlet, Swansea, went out to play with it in fields behind his home with a 12-year-old boy, a close friend. Police yesterday... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom,England & Wales
10yr-old Welsh Boy Dies in Airgun Shooting, 12yr-old Questioned
BBC News
28 September 2009
A 10-year-old boy has died after he was shot with an air gun in Swansea. Police were called to the Llansamlet area of the city at 1815 BST on Sunday but the boy died later in intensive care at Morriston Hospital. A neighbour said the grandmother of the boy, named locally as Rhys Johnson, told him he had been involved in an accident. Police are not treating the death as suspicious. A 12-year-old boy, who knew the... ( gunpolicy.org )
Taiwan,Philippines,France
181 Weapons, Submachine Guns Seized from Taiwan-Philippines Fisher
Agence France Presse
27 September 2009
TAIPEI -- Taiwan police have cracked a major firearms smuggling ring, seizing five men and 181 guns -- the largest haul found in the island's history -- officials said Sunday. The police found the weapons in Hung Hsing, a fishing boat based southern Kaohsiung city, which had just returned on Friday from the Philippines, the officials said. The police immediately arrested alleged ring leader Ting Chen-hsiang, 53, and two... ( gunpolicy.org )
Taiwan,Philippines,France,Italy,Germany,Israel,United States
181 Smuggled US, European Guns in Taiwan Seizure of Philippine Cargo
Central News Agency (Taiwan)
27 September 2009
Six suspects, including the ring's mastermind surnamed Ting, were arrested in what may be the largest arms smuggling bust ever in Taiwan, the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said yesterday. CIB officials displayed their haul of 181 guns and 22,685 rounds of ammunition in the lobby of its crime-fighting center in southern Taiwan's Kaohsiung City. Powerful submachine guns, rifles, and expanding "dum dum" bullets were... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
DNA Found on Crime Guns Links More Killings to UK Weapon Maker
Birmingham Mail (UK)
26 September 2009
The fatal shooting of a student gunned down in a Birmingham street earlier this year has been linked to a firearms mastermind who armed UK street gangs. "Merchant of death" Paul Alexander illegally converted replica weapons into lethal guns and supplied the "assassination kits" to gangs in the north east for as little as £1,500-a-time. Two of the ex-soldier's weapons were involved in a vicious feud between gangs in Liverpool... ( gunpolicy.org )
Denmark
500 Illegal Firearms Seized from Gang of Danish Gun Enthusiasts
Politiken (Denmark)
25 September 2009
Northern Jutland police have infiltrated a major network of allegedly illegal weapons dealers and have confiscated 480 guns, among others firearms that have been used in the ongoing gang war in Copenhagen. Dept. Chief Superintendant Frank Olsen tells TV2News that 11 men have been arrested, adding that the men have denied trading in weapons, but have said that they have a big interest in firearms. According to the police,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Thailand,Colombia,United States,Russia
Cold War Reopened in Fight to Free, Jail 'Merchant of Death' Gun Runner
Reuters / RIA Novosti
24 September 2009
MOSCOW -- Colombia has appealed to Thailand over its decision not to extradite alleged Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout to the U.S., the Kommersant daily reported on Thursday. Former Russian army officer Bout, 42, was arrested in Thailand in March 2008 during a sting operation led by U.S. agents. The Bangkok Criminal Court refused in August to extradite Bout to the United States, where he is accused of conspiring with others... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Licensed UK Public School Sport Shooter Gets 4yrs for Smuggling Guns
BBC News
23 September 2009
A student found with 200 weapon parts in his East Lothian home has been jailed for almost four years. Ramsay Scott, 21, bought £20,000 worth of gun components on the internet using his mother's credit card. The High Court in Edinburgh heard how the former public schoolboy was interested in extreme violence and had trawled websites linked to massacres. Scott, who was sentenced to three years and nine months in... ( gunpolicy.org )
Russia, United States
Kalashnikov Faces Bankruptcy as Knock-offs Outsell AK-47s Ten to One
Globe & Mail (Toronto)
21 September 2009
For years, the AK-47 assault rifle has been the world's most popular weapon, the gun of choice for dictators, gang members and Third World revolutionaries. But the global recession and a proliferation of copycats has left the Russian maker of the Kalashnikov, OAO Izhmash, in financial turmoil. Monday, a court in Russia said it will consider a bankruptcy application filed against Izhmash by a supplier owed more than $13-million... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Former Soldier, 'Dealer in Death' Made Guns for Use in British Crimes
BBC News
21 September 2009
A former soldier -- described in court as a "dealer in death" -- has been told he faces a lengthy prison sentence for turning imitation guns into real ones. Paul Alexander, 53, was due to be sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court after admitting firearms offences. But sentencing was adjourned to allow a background report to be prepared. The court was told Alexander had operated a "gun factory" in Bardfield Saling,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Switzerland
Central Armouries Store Swiss Army Guns in 'Hot' Crime Areas [Francais]
20 Minutes (Switzerland)
21 September 2009
[Translated summary: Almost one-third of military weapons stored centrally in the Geneva canton come from neighbourhoods with high break-in rates. The Mayor of Vernier calls for all firearms to be centrally stored.] Près d'un tiers des armes de service déposées à l'arsenal viennent des quartiers sensibles du Lignon, des Libellules et des Avanchets. «Entre 180 et 200 armes sont actuellement en dépôt volontaire à... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Firearm Instructor Mixed Ammo, Shot Colleague in UK Police Classroom
Telegraph (UK)
19 September 2009
A police firearms instructor shot and nearly killed a former champion rifle marksman during a gun awareness training exercise after mistakenly loading a Magnum.44 revolver with live ammunition he kept in a Quality Street tin, a court heard. Pc David Micklethwaite, 52, who has admitted breaching health and safe rules, pulled the trigger while pointing it at a civilian colleague on one of his classroom courses. London's Southwark... ( gunpolicy.org )
West Africa,Czech Republic
Czech Government Builds Gun Marking, Tracing Capacity in West Africa
United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI) DC/3190, Media release
18 September 2009
NEW YORK -- Small arms experts from West African nations gathered in Prague, capital of the Czech Republic, from 14 to 18 September to participate in a capacity-building workshop focusing on implementation of the International Instrument to Enable States to Identify and Trace, in a Timely and Reliable Manner, Illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons. United Nations Member States adopted the document, also known as the International... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Airgun Killed 18yr-old UK Girl, But Not Powerful Enough to Lay Charges
BBC News
17 September 2009
The case against three men charged over the death of a teenager who was shot in the eye with an air rifle has been dropped after new evidence emerged. Rachel Davies, 18, was shot on 7 December last year in Bury, Greater Manchester. She died two weeks later. The men were charged with possession of a firearm without a certificate. The case collapsed when prosecutors told Bolton Crown Court tests had found the air... ( gunpolicy.org )
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