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Mexico Gangs Prefer Guns from the 80s-90s as They Are Harder to Trace
31 January 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
According to Mexico's Defense Department, criminal organizations are equipping themselves with firearms that are between 20 and 30 years old. The government says this casts doubt on the claim that the gangs are better armed than the security forces.
The Mexican Army seized over 130,000 firearms since 2006, the majority of which were fabricated in the 1980s and 1990s, Excelsior reports. These include makeshift weapons that were modified or repaired using old parts from... (GunPolicy.org)
Theft From Gun Owners Fuels Crime Gun Market in South Australia
30 January 2012
Advertiser (Adelaide)
The black market for guns is thriving in SA, fuelled by the theft of up to 200 guns each year.
Police figures show that a total of 1316 guns have been taken from homes, businesses and vehicles since 2004.
Experts warn the thefts are the likely source of illegal firearm sales.
Police say they recover a "substantial" number of guns annually but admit it can take many years to find them, with 64 of the firearms recovered last financial year reported stolen up to 15... (GunPolicy.org)
Assembling Illegal Guns with Imported Pieces, Growing Trend within Sydney's Underworld
29 January 2012
Daily Telegraph (Sydney)
Criminals are assembling illegal weapons in backyard firearm factories after importing them piece-by-piece over the internet.
The Sunday Telegraph can reveal the parts are being sourced from legitimate gun dealers in the US and pieced together in NSW after arriving in the mail undetected.
Detective Superintendent Ken Finch, commander of the Firearms and Organised Crime Squad (FAOCS), said a number of unrelated individuals had already been arrested and charged over the... (GunPolicy.org)
US Suggested Mexico Allow Illegal Guns to Cross Border to Cartels
28 January 2012
Washington Post / AP
WASHINGTON — Newly released Justice Department emails sent to Capitol Hill for a congressional inquiry into a gun-smuggling operation indicate that the head of the department's criminal division suggested letting some illicit "straw" weapons buyers in the U.S. transport their guns across the border into Mexico where they could be arrested.
According to the emails turned over to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Friday night, the Justice official,... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil: 4.3 Million Guns Sold in 5yrs, 40,000 Gun Deaths in 2009 [Portugues]
27 January 2012
Publica (Brazil)
[Translated summary: domestic manufacturers alone sold 4.3 million guns in Brazil over the past five years. Nearly 40,000 people died in 2009 in episodes involving firearms, including homicides, suicides and accidents, according to latest figures provided by the Ministry of Health. A study by Pablo Dreyfuss, who was a leading expert on the subject, showed that 90% of these deaths are the result of crimes and the risk of dying from injuries caused by firearms in Brazil... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil, the Worlds' 4th Largest Arms Manufacturer and Exporter [Portugues]
27 January 2012
Publica (Brazil)
[Tanslated summary: Brazil, fourth largest exporter in small arms and around 4,5 million arms exported in the past five years.]
De maneira pouco transparente, governo incentiva crescimento da indústria. Ênfase é nas armas leves: Brasil é 4º maior exportador mundial. Levantamento inédito do Exército revela que nos últimos 5 anos, exportamos 4,5 milhões de armas.
Uma pequena lata metálica, arranhada e atirada ao chão, gerou o primeiro vexame diplomático... (GunPolicy.org)
Madagascar,Guinea,Ghana,Botswana,Angola,Algeria,South Africa,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,Russia,Austria,Israel,Germany,Italy,United States,Yemen,Philippines,Pakistan,Sri Lanka,Tunisia,Brazil,Burkina Faso,Egypt,Côte d'Ivoire,Malawi,Mauritania,Morocco,Namibia,Niger,Nigeria,Congo (ROC),Senegal,Tanzania,Uganda,Zambia,Zimbabwe,Argentina,Ecuador,Chile,Honduras,Guatemala,United Arab Emirates,Trinidad & Tobago,Jordan,Dominican Republic,Singapore,Kazakhstan,Liberia,Saudi Arabia,Bosnia & Herzegovina,Congo (DRC),Guyana,Mauritius,Latvia,Oman,Nepal,Somalia,Bolivia,Colombia,Venezuela,Peru,Mexico,Qatar,Kuwait,Indonesia,Malaysia,Thailand
Brazilian Gun Industry Seeks New Markets: Africa and Asia [Portugues]
27 January 2012
Publica (Brazil)
[Translated summary: With the support of the Ministries of Defence and Foreign Affairs, Brazilian gun manufacturers seek new markets in countries with a history of human rights violations: Tunisia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Philippines and Yemen. Brazil is among the six countries in the world with annual exports exceeding $ 100 million, according to recent research from Small Arms Survey. According to the Army, responsible for supervising and controlling exports from 2005 to... (GunPolicy.org)
In Wake of Botched Gun Trafficking Probe, US Reveals New Sting Rules
27 January 2012
Chicago Tribune / Reuters
WASHINGTON - The Obama administration on Friday revealed new reforms undertaken to improve how it conducts undercover gun trafficking investigations in the wake of a botched operation in which scores of weapons disappeared.
The reforms require additional oversight of undercover operations, including those that involve more than 50 firearms, and, in most cases, ends the practice of paying gun dealers to serve as confidential informants.
Additionally, a new review... (GunPolicy.org)
Spanish Police Dismantle Gang Accused of Arms Trafficking [Espanol]
20 January 2012
ABC News (Spain)
[Translated summary: Spain's Civil Guard has dismantled an organisation based in Almería, said to be dedicated to arms and ammunition trafficking across the country, with the arrest of sixteen people and the seizure of 45 firearms and more than 1,200 cartridges of different calibres.]
ALMERIA - La Guardia Civil ha desarticulado una organización asentada en Almería dedicada al tráfico de armas y municiones en todo el país con la detención de dieciséis personas y... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Dealers on Mexico Border Must Report Multiple Sales
18 January 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
A ruling by a US judge on tracking the sale of high-powered firearms in states on the southern border is a step forward for authorities trying to legislate against the flow of guns into Mexico.
Federal Judge Rosemary Collyer upheld an order made last year by the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The ATF asked more than 8,000 gun dealers in Arizona, Texas, California and New Mexico to report sales of multiple semi-automatic rifles to one... (GunPolicy.org)
Siberian Truck Driver Takes Crates of Army AK-47s, Sells for Firewood
13 January 2012
RIA Novosti (Russia)
MOSCOW - A retiree in the Udmurtia region of the western Urals has alerted police after finding scores of Ak-47 assault rifles in crates he bought for firewood, police said.
The Udmurtian man contacted the police after he found "an object similar to a Kalashnikov assault rifle" in one of the wooden cases, a police source said.
Another 78 rifles and munitions were later found in the crates which the man bought for firewood from a Kamaz truck driver who was supposed to... (GunPolicy.org)
Ending the Flood of Illegal Guns in America - Wall Street Journal Opinion
23 December 2011
Wall Street Journal, Opinion
Historians have long debated who was the first person to call the U.S. Senate the "world's greatest deliberative body." Soon we may ask who was the last person to believe it. Our dysfunctional Congress has repeatedly failed to perform its duties under the Constitution to pass a budget, to advise and consent on presidential nominations, and, perhaps most tragically, to curb illegal handgun violence.
In New York, we've recently seen only too dramatically the consequences... (GunPolicy.org)
Registration, Ballistics Tie Baltimore Police Glock to Murder of 2 Girls
17 December 2011
Baltimore Sun
The wanted poster portrays a .40-caliber Glock Model 22 semiautomatic pistol, serial number EKG463US, that resembles thousands of standard-issue guns owned by the Baltimore Police Department.
But this particular weapon found its way out of the hands of law enforcement and into the hands of a suspected killer — an above-board but nightmarish scenario for city police. Authorities say the gun was used three years ago to shoot two young girls on a dirt road outside a... (GunPolicy.org)
US Federal Police Investigate Florida-Cayman Islands Gun Smuggling Ring
12 December 2011
CayCompass.com (Cayman Islands)
United States federal law enforcement authorities are investigating a firearms smuggling operation between south Florida and Grand Cayman that's been ongoing since at least 2008, according to US District Court records obtained by the Caymanian Compass.
The investigation, a branch of which led to the 2009 arrest, conviction and incarceration of four local men in US federal prison, caught up with a fifth suspect, Mikkyle Brandon Leslie – known in Cayman as Brandon... (GunPolicy.org)
Jamaica Mandates that All 25,000 Licensed Firearms Must Be Re-marked
9 December 2011
Jamaica Observer
The Government has mandated that all licensed firearms be provided with traceable security marks as it modernises the country's anti-gang legislation as part of the fight against crime.
Following a decision taken by the Cabinet, all holders of licensed firearms will have to present them to the licensing authority to be marked when being licensed by special machines to be acquired under an agreement with the Organisation of American States.
"This is important for us to... (GunPolicy.org)
US Quietly Approves Massive Escalation in Number of Guns Sold to Mexico
6 December 2011
CBS News (USA)
Selling weapons to Mexico - where cartel violence is out of control - is controversial because so many guns fall into the wrong hands due to incompetence and corruption. The Mexican military recently reported nearly 9,000 police weapons "missing."
Yet the U.S. has approved the sale of more guns to Mexico in recent years than ever before through a program called "direct commercial sales." It's a program that some say is worse than the highly-criticized "Fast and... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Gun Laws, Scrapping of Long Gun Registry Explained, Debated
6 December 2011
CBC News (Canada)
The contentious long-gun registry is on the cusp of being abolished, meaning rifles and shotguns like those sold at Stephen Milton's King City, Ont., shop will disappear from government records.
But while police say that would make it harder for them to do their jobs, Milton says it would be a good move.
"We don't have a gun problem. We have a criminal problem, we have a gang problem, we have problems with people who have no regard for the law whatsoever," he said.... (GunPolicy.org)
Burundi,Uganda,Rwanda,Congo (DRC),Africa
Africa: Six Years On - The UN's International Small Arms Tracing Instrument
5 December 2011
Institute for Security Studies (Tshwane/Pretoria), Report
The ability to trace small arms and light weapons (SALW) is an important step toward transparency and preventing the illicit use of firearms in conflict and crime. December 8th 2011 marks the 6th year since the adoption of the International Tracing Instrument (ITI) by the United Nations General Assembly.
In adopting the ITI, although not legally binding, the UN Member States acknowledged that the instrument would enable them to identify and trace, in a timely and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Institute for Security Studies (Tshwane/Pretoria)
About 240,000 Guns Untraceable in Switzerland [Francais]
5 December 2011
Le Dauphiné Libéré (France)
[Translated Summary: 240,000 of the two million guns in circulation in Switzerland are untraceable, says the Ministry of Defence. The National regulations would be a cause: in terms of Defence, Switzerland has a people's army - reservists are allowed to store their weapons at home, to carry them unloaded, and private gun sales are permitted.]
La Suisse évoque bien plus l'image de paix et de concorde civile que celle des armes à feu. Pourtant, le pays est l'un de... (GunPolicy.org)
Civilians Have Easy Access to Illegal Guns in Kurdistan Black Market
3 December 2011
Kurdish Globe (Kurdistan)
Some see their firearms as further protection
Twenty years after the Kurdish uprising, civilians still keep guns in their homes.
Firearms remain widely accepted by people in a region where possession of unlicensed firearms is considered illegal.
A weapon that was once essential for their survival--especially in the 90s--still has not lost its appeal among civilians. Politicians gift guns as a tradition.
The gun market located outside of Erbil city is part of some 20... (GunPolicy.org)
19,000 Handguns, 3 Million Rounds of Ammo Seized at Pakistani Airport
3 December 2011
International News (Karachi)
PESHAWAR - Two more consignments of arms were seized at the Peshawar Airport during the last couple of days while the Interior Ministry and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Department of Home and Tribal Affairs have launched separate inquiries into the import of tens of thousands foreign-made weapons allegedly through illegal means.
Sources said the officials involved have started approaching different quarters to save their skin following the appearance of reports about the scam in... (GunPolicy.org)
Smuggled AK-47s, Handguns, Explosives Seized at Slovenia-Italy Border
3 December 2011
Associated Press
ROME - Italian police have seized a truck full of AK-47s, explosives and hundreds of rounds of ammunition as it crossed from the Slovenian border into northern Italy.
Italy's financial police said today the 32-year-old Slovenian driver was arrested as his truck crossed the border near Trieste, and that an investigation was underway to determine where his "veritable arsenal" was headed.
Police said the truck, which appeared to be carrying home electronics equipment,... (GunPolicy.org)
Congress Was Not Misled on US-Mexico 'Gun Walking' Probe - Justice Dept
2 December 2011
New York Times
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department on Friday turned over to Congress nearly 1,400 pages of "highly deliberative internal communications" about the drafting of a February letter in an effort to show that agency officials did not knowingly mislead lawmakers in connection with a disputed gun trafficking investigation called Operation Fast and Furious.
The letter, which rejected early accusations of wrongdoing in Fast and Furious, told lawmakers that the Bureau of... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Nuts Need Fear, Conspiracies, Obama to Hate, Flourish, Raise Money
1 December 2011
New York Times, Opinion
PHOENIX — When it became clear in the early fall of 2008 that Barack Obama, son of a Kansan and a Kenyan, would be the 44th President of the United States, many citizens rushed to their gun shops, stocked up on ammo and camo, and tried to fortify their nests with all manner of lethal weapons.
Though he had said nothing about gun control in the campaign, Obama, to a certain kind of person, appeared to be a grave threat to the Second Amendment. He was urban —... (GunPolicy.org)
Congo (DRC),Africa,Kenya,United States
High-price US Fashion Jewellery Made from AK-47s Funds Gun Destruction
30 November 2011
New York Times
When Cara Buono arrived at the Emmy Awards in September, nominated as best guest actress in a drama series for her role as Dr. Faye Miller in "Mad Men," she wore a $150,000 political statement in her lobes. "These earrings," she said, "are made from AK-47 gun metal."
Ms. Buono's husband, Peter Thum, is a founder, with John Zapolski, of Fonderie 47, an organization that converts what is perhaps the most widely distributed assault rifle into jewelry.
On a visit to Kenya... (GunPolicy.org)
About 116,000 Guns Registered, 20,000 Untraceable in Geneva [Francais]
30 November 2011
Tribune de Genève
[Translated Summary: Following a recent shooting in Switzerland, Bernard Bersier, Chief of the Firearms Service, analyses the situation in Geneva. Last year, 115,684 firearms were registered in Geneva, one firearm per four inhabitants. Behind this official number hides a grey market that constitutes the real danger, explains Mr Bersier.]
Suite à la mort par balle d'un homme aux Cygnes, Bernard Bersier, chef du Service des armes, analyse la situation genevoise.
A... (GunPolicy.org)
3% of 3,500 Guns Seized in France Are Automatic Assault Rifles [Francais]
29 November 2011
Europe 1
[Translated Summary: French police seized 3,500 weapons since the beginning of the year, 3% of which were automatic rifles. In Eastern Europe, an AK-47 costs some hundred Euros, but once in France, it costs around 2,000 to 3,000 Euros.]
Decryptage - Les armes automatiques circulent illégalement. D'où viennent-elles, qui les utilisent ?
Deux fusillades meurtrières en moins de 24 heures à Marseille. Et par deux fois, les malfaiteurs ont tiré à l'arme de guerre, en... (GunPolicy.org)
Following Latest Shootings, France to Review Gun Control Law [Francais]
29 November 2011
AFP
[Translated Summary: Following recent shootings in which burglars and robbers used weapons of war against police officers, the French Senate will review a new gun-control bill to reinforce the fight against gun trafficking. Amendments to the Firearms Decree-Law of 1939 will include stricter maximum penalties: prison terms rising from seven years to ten years, and fines rising from 100,000 Euros to 500,000 Euros.]
PARIS — Le Sénat examinera le jeudi 8 décembre, une... (GunPolicy.org)
South America,Central America,Caribbean,Guatemala
Guatemala Commits to Gun Marking in Cooperation Agreement [Espanol]
28 November 2011
EFE News Agency
[Translated Summary: A cooperation agreement with the Organization of American States (OAS) commits Guatemala to mark firearms in order to help prevent illegal gun trafficking in Latin America and the Caribbean. In the first year of the agreement, the General Directorate for Firearms and Munitions Control (DIGECAM) is required to register about 1,500 guns a month.]
Guatemala - Guatemala publicó hoy un acuerdo de cooperación con la Organización de Estados Americanos... (GunPolicy.org)
Iraq,Afghanistan,United States
Conspiracists Chatter as Secretive US Company Buys Up Gun, Ammo Makers
26 November 2011
New York Times
SCARBOROUGH, Me. - Lined up in a gun rack beneath mounted deer heads is a Bushmaster Carbon 15, a matte-black semiautomatic rifle that looks as if it belongs to a SWAT team. On another rack rests a Teflon-coated Prairie Panther from DPMS Firearms, a supplier to the United States Border Patrol and security agencies in Iraq. On a third is a Remington 750 Woodsmaster, a popular hunting rifle.
The variety of rifles and shotguns on sale here at Cabela's, the national... (GunPolicy.org)
Central America,United States,Mexico,Guatemala
Guatemala and the Black Market for US Weapons
25 November 2011
InSight Crime (Bogota)
The trafficking of weapons over the U.S.-Mexico border is well-documented -- lesser known but also significant is the sale of U.S. weapons to Guatemalan government contractors, which are then siphoned off to criminal groups.
The Mexican government has focused much of its efforts to stop arms trafficking on the smuggling of weapons over the U.S. border. This strategy ignores other sources of weapons, and other entry points. Central America, for example, represents a... (GunPolicy.org)
Guatemala,United States,Mexico,Costa Rica,South America,Caribbean,Central America
Gun Trade Drives Soaring Latin American Homicide Rates, say Experts
24 November 2011
AFP
SAN JOSE — Illegal weapons trafficking has turned Latin America into a region of bloodletting in which over 40 percent of the world's homicides take place, experts warned Wednesday.
"Forty-two percent of homicides with a firearm that happen worldwide take place in Latin America, though only 10 percent of the world's population lives here," said Nobel laureate and former president Oscar Arias, citing UN data, at a conference of experts.
Although weapons such as... (GunPolicy.org)
Europe,United Kingdom,Scotland
Every Crime Gun, Spent Bullet, Cartridge Case to Be Traced in Scotland
24 November 2011
BBC News
Scottish police have announced a new weapon in the fight against gun crime.
Using computer techniques they will identify weapons more quickly and link firearms incidents across the UK.
Previously it was possible to compare firearms and ballistic materials such as cartridges and bullets for links with other crimes.
But the National Ballistics Intelligence Service (Nabis) will allow police to check databases in England and eventually parts of Europe.
Within 48 hours... (GunPolicy.org)
Destroying Canada's Gun Records Could Break Laws, say Federal Officers
22 November 2011
Hill Times (Ottawa)
PARLIAMENT HILL — Two of the most powerful officers of Parliament raised new questions Tuesday about aspects of a controversial bill the majority Conservative government is steamrolling through the Commons to dismantle the federal long-gun registry and destroy its entire database of records.
Information Commissioner Suzanne Legault warned MPs on the Public Safety Committee the legislation, Bill C-19, ignores "the spirit and the letter" of access to information law... (GunPolicy.org)
South America,Guatemala,El Salvador,Central America,United States,Mexico
Black Market Gun Runners Develop New Central American Routes - Report
21 November 2011
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Because the recent spike in drug-related violence in Mexico has coincided with the 2004 expiration of the U.S. assault weapons ban, and because a significant portion of the weapons used in Mexican crimes have been traced to U.S. vendors, Mexican officials often accuse liberal U.S. gun laws of being a major obstacle to a safer Mexico. Indeed, President Felipe Calderon made precisely this point during a speech to U.S. Congress in 2010.
U.S. officials have not denied that... (GunPolicy.org)
El Salvador Government Seizes an Average of 12 Guns per Day in 2011
18 November 2011
InSight Crime (Bogota)
El Salvador's government has seized an average of 12 weapons per day so far in 2011, according to officials.
According to a report in La Prensa, Deputy Director of Public Safety Hugo Ramirez Mejia said that between January 1 and November 15 this year, the Firearms and Explosives Division (DAE) of the country's police force seized a total of 3,915 firearms.
Ramirez Mejia said this was a similar figure to those seized in the same period last year.
Since January 2010,... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,South America,Central America,Caribbean,Trinidad & Tobago
US Gives Marking Machine to Trinidad Police, 300 Guns Marked per Month
17 November 2011
Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday
The Police Service will use a new firearms laser marking machine to mark an average of 300 firearms per month over the course of next year.
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar made this statement at a brief ceremony to receive one of those machines at the Hyatt Regency, Port-of-Spain yesterday. The machine was donated to the police by the United States (US) government through the Organisation of American States.
Persad-Bissessar said on July 27, Government entered... (GunPolicy.org)
Guatemala,United States,Mexico,Central America
Arms Trafficking, Business of Death: Guns in Central America [Espanol]
16 November 2011
Contralinea (Mexico)
[Translated Summary: Contralinea magazine details the routes by which guns are trafficked into Mexico, including the flow of arms from the US directly to Guatemala, and then over Mexico's southern border. English translation at: http://bit.ly/uBnEGu]
En la última década, México pasó del lugar vigesimosegundo al quinto en tráfico de armas en el ámbito mundial. Se calcula que cada día ingresan al país unas 2 mil para abastecer a los cárteles de la droga, la... (GunPolicy.org)
Scrap Italy's Gun Registry, Risk More Violence, Say Police Unions [Italiano]
15 November 2011
Corriere Adriatico (Ancona)
[Translated summary: The Italian Senate adopted a law suppressing the firearm registry established in 1975, thus reducing gun control restrictions. Police deplore this action, as it risks liberalising the illicit gun trade and increasing the overall level of violence.]
ROMA - L' anagrafe delle armi non c'è più: un articolo introdotto nel maxiemendamento alla legge di stabilità approvato in commissione Bilancio al Senato ha infatti cancellato il Catalogo nazionale... (GunPolicy.org)
Dumping Canada's Gun Registry Risks More Gun Running - Federal Memo
15 November 2011
CTV News (Toronto) / Canadian Press
OTTAWA — Scrapping the requirement to register rifles and shotguns could fuel illegal firearms trafficking across the Canadian border, warns an internal federal memo.
It says the move would weaken import controls by eliminating a requirement for border officials to verify firearms coming into the country.
"Such a loophole could facilitate unregistered prohibited and restricted firearm trafficking into and through Canada," says the declassified memo, originally... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns Destroyed in Australian Gun Buybacks Now Replaced with Imports
13 November 2011
ABC Radio National - Background Briefing, Transcript
Gun clubs report lots of new members, hunting is cool, and handguns are gangland chic. The hundreds of thousands of guns destroyed in buybacks since Port Arthur have been more than replaced by new ones. But guns are highly political and the national system for monitoring gun ownership is a mess. Reporter, Ian Townsend.
Ian Townsend: There may be more guns in Australia today than there have ever been. In the past 16 months in Queensland alone, nearly 50,000 guns—such... (GunPolicy.org)
Guatemala,El Salvador,Mexico,United States,Honduras,South America,Central America,Caribbean
Latin American Leaders Demand International Action on Arms Trafficking
11 November 2011
InSight Crime (Bogota)
The 2011 Ibero-American Summit, held in Asuncion, Paraguay in October, was criticized for its failures, but leaders used the platform to call attention to the global arms trade and demand international cooperation on more effective measures to fight weapons trafficking and organized crime.
At the close of the summit, the member countries issued a separate and special declaration (available in pdf format here) defining public security as a precondition for economic and... (GunPolicy.org)
US Baseball Hero Cleared of Celebratory Shooting in Dominican Republic
9 November 2011
BBC News
Dominican Republic baseball star Alfredo Simon has been cleared of charges over a fatal shooting in the country on 1 January.
Simon, pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles, was accused of shooting dead one man and injuring another during New Year celebrations.
Defence lawyers said the prosecution had failed to prove he fired the shots.
The baseball player was held for two months earlier this year as the main suspect before being released on bail.
Simon was accused of... (GunPolicy.org)
From Arms to Farms - Indian State Plans to Melt Guns Into Garden Tools
9 November 2011
BBC News
PATNA, Bihar - Police in the northern Indian state of Bihar have come up with an original way to deal with the surfeit of seized illegal firearms that are stored in police station storehouses, or malkhanas.
They have decided to melt the weapons down into farming and gardening tools.
"The weapons stashed in police station malkhanas are of no use once the legal process of the case is over. They stink like dead bodies," says Abhyanand, the Bihar police chief who has... (GunPolicy.org)
Military Suicides: Gun Lobby Feeds on Fear, Relies on Dividing Americans
8 November 2011
New York Times / Opinion Blog, Opinion
Of all of the lobbying organizations that feed off fear, and rely for their funding and power on dividing Americans, one of the worst is the National Rifle Association.
The NRA never misses a chance to misrepresent the positions of people who advocate reasonable gun control, to make Americans afraid that the government wants to take away their right to defend their homes and their loved ones, and to turn any attempt to have a sensible conversation about guns into an... (GunPolicy.org)
Rifles, Shotguns Set to Become Invisible if Canada Scraps Gun Registry
8 November 2011
McGill Tribune (Montreal)
On Oct. 25 Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his Conservative government introduced Bill C-19 to the House of Commons. This bill, known as the Ending the Long-gun Registry Act, seeks to abolish the current long-gun registry. If passed, gun owners will no longer be required by law to register rifles and shotguns. Furthermore, Bill C-19 would ensure the destruction of all existing records of these weapons in the Canadian Firearms Registry.
The Conservative government's... (GunPolicy.org)
Attorney General Urges US Lawmakers to Slow US-Mexico Gun Running
8 November 2011
New York Times
WASHINGTON — Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. on Tuesday sought to move past the political furor over Operation Fast and Furious, the disputed Arizona gun trafficking investigation, to the wider problem of the flow of American firearms to Mexican drug cartels — and what he portrayed as roadblocks members of Congress have thrown up to stemming that flow.
In testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Mr. Holder criticized a recent vote by the House of... (GunPolicy.org)
Kenya Police Recover Illegal Arms in Refugee Camp
1 November 2011
Nairobi Star (Kenya)
A security operation to recover illegal firearms in the three refugee camps in Garissa county in North-Eastern region has unearthed a cache of firearms believed to have been used in crime including hijacking vehicles belonging to humanitarian organisations and foreigners in refugee camps.
The operation which started two weeks ago in the Ifo, Hagardera and Dagahaley have so far recovered four AK 47 assault rifles, 16 magazines and 477 bullets in Hagardera refugee... (GunPolicy.org)
Bill to Kill Canada Long-Gun Registry Delists Sniper Rifles, Semi-Automatics
1 November 2011
Toronto Star (Ontario)
OTTAWA — The powerful Ruger Mini-14 semi-automatic rifle used in the 1989 Montreal massacre and this summer's Norway bloodbath.
Sniper rifles that can pierce light armour from a distance of up to 1.5 kilometres.
Or one that can drop a target two kilometres away.
They are all weapons that will soon be declassified under the Conservatives' bill to kill the long-gun registry and freed from binding controls that now see them listed with the RCMP-run database.
They... (GunPolicy.org)
Rising Rate of Gun Theft in Australia Begs Tougher Controls on Storage
31 October 2011
Courier-Mail (Brisbane)
A report by the Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) has found 1,570 firearms were stolen in 620 incidents in 2008-09.
The National Firearm Theft Monitoring Report said only three per cent of these guns were used to commit an offence, or were stolen by someone charged with a serious criminal offence.
The most commonly stolen firearms were rifles, followed by shotguns.
Nearly a quarter of people (24 per cent) who reported a stolen firearm had not stored it... (GunPolicy.org)
New Law to Control Possession of Firearms in Uganda
29 October 2011
New Vision (Kampala)
The government is drafting a Bill to control possession of firearms held by security agencies and civilians.The Firearms, Ammunitions and Related Materials Bill, seeks to harmonise all existing laws governing possession of guns, including the Firearms Act, 1970.
The Act only regulates ownership of firearms held by individuals, while those held by the police and security agencies are governed under separate laws.
Under the new licensing system, the Government will... (GunPolicy.org)
Marking Allows Swazi Police to Track Guns from Dealer to Owner
27 October 2011
Observer (Mbabane)
Police will now be able to track guns from supplier to the owner after they were presented with a marking machining.
They were further trained on the usage of the gadget used to mark guns during a three-day SARPCCO training workshop on the firearms marking machine held at Sibane Hotel.
The police service will not be the only ones to benefit but soldiers and correctional services officers as well.
Registrar of Firearms in the country Assistant Superintendent Marble... (GunPolicy.org)
US Defends Gun Sale Reporting Requirement in Court
26 October 2011
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Gun store owners in southwestern border states argued in federal court Tuesday that the Obama administration cannot require them to report when customers buy multiple high-powered rifles.
The Justice Department responded to a lawsuit seeking to block the two-month-old requirement by asking a judge to uphold its legality, arguing the measure could help stop the flow of guns to Mexican drug cartels. It requires sellers in California, Arizona, New Mexico... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Government Presses Ahead with Plan to Ease Gun Laws
25 October 2011
Reuters
OTTAWA - The government pressed ahead on Tuesday with plans to scrap a registry of shotguns and rifles, brushing off police complaints the move will make their life tougher.
The Conservatives - who enjoy considerable support in rural areas - have long argued that the long-gun registry is wasteful, does nothing to cut crime and unfairly targets law-abiding farmers and hunters.
"Our government will continue to uphold our commitment to effective gun control measures that... (GunPolicy.org)
Guatemala,El Salvador,Caribbean,South America,Central America,Mexico,United States
Authorities Discussed California's Role as a Pipeline for Illegal Guns to Mexico
25 October 2011
Southern California Public Radio (USA)
State and local officials were joined by Mexican law enforcement in Los Angeles Tuesday to discuss California's role as a pipeline for illegal weapons to Mexican drug cartels.
Authorities say California actually ranks much lower than other border states in gun trafficking. But the state's highways are often used to transport the weapons.
State Senator Kevin De Leon chairs the Senate Select Committee on Immigration and the Economy. The L.A. Democrat says federal... (GunPolicy.org)
Bill to End Canada Long-Gun Registry Will Destroy Data Already Collected
25 October 2011
Toronto Star (Ontario)
OTTAWA—Prime Minister Stephen Harper has acted to kill any attempt by a provincial or future federal government to recreate the doomed long-gun registry.
In a surprise move aimed at putting a bullet in the registry for good, the Conservative government bill tabled Wednesday orders the commissioner of firearms to destroy "as soon as feasible" records related to 7.1 million long-barreled guns collected over the past 15 years.
If passed, Bill C-19 would, as promised,... (GunPolicy.org)
Eight New York Policemen Charged in Gun Smuggling Ring
25 October 2011
Reuters
NEW YORK - Eight New York City policemen were charged on Tuesday with helping run a gun-smuggling ring in a city whose mayor, Michael Bloomberg, is leading a national campaign against illegal guns.
The men were accused of exploiting their experience and credentials to take part in schemes to illegally transport guns, slot machines, cigarettes and counterfeit goods across state lines, a criminal complaint released by the U.S. District Attorney's Office said.
Five of... (GunPolicy.org)
Bahamas Police Seized and Marked 361 Illegal Guns So Far
24 October 2011
Nassau Guardian (Bahamas)
National Security Minister Tommy Turnquest said last week that 361 illegal guns have been marked and taken off the streets with the police force's new firearms marking machine. This figure does not include the 18 guns turned in so far under the 30-day gun amnesty, set to expire on November 3.
In 2010 police confiscated 261 weapons.
In his contribution to the debate on the package of anti-crime bills last week Wednesday, Turnquest said that "firearms marking is... (GunPolicy.org)
Airguns Allowed into Canada Easily Converted into Real AK-47, Police Say
20 October 2011
CBC News (Canada)
The RCMP are racing to track down and seize hundreds of replica AK-47 BB guns imported from China that investigators fear can be easily reconfigured into deadly prohibited weapons.
The Mounties launched raids and seizures last week on a number of gun stores in B.C., Ontario, and Quebec. Investigators believe the toys — assembled with authentic parts from the Chinese Type-56 version of the AK-47 semi-automatic assault rifle — can be transformed into weapons with a... (GunPolicy.org)
London, Ontario Gun Violence Fear: Toronto's Guns Land Here
19 October 2011
London Free Press (Ontario)
Many come from the U.S. - ripped off, smuggled across the border and often secreted here with the illegal drug trade.
But London also pays for crime in the Big Smoke - Toronto, with many of the illegal guns seized here by police originating in the mega-city as well. As recently as four years ago, four of every 10 guns seized by a special London squad could be traced back to the Toronto area.
But the truth is, illegal weapons scooped off London streets - 441 so far... (GunPolicy.org)
Licensed Canadian Firearm Dealer, Offsider Jailed for Gun Trafficking
18 October 2011
Province (British Columbia)
The son of a cop who was arrested after police found 127 firearms in his vehicle was sentenced Monday to 61/2 years in prison.
Marc Gougeon, a native of Montreal who was living in Vancouver's West End at the time, was convicted in May of trafficking in firearms.
Gougeon, 33, the son of a Montreal police officer, was arrested in September 2006 in Burnaby while driving a rented vehicle with the handguns, all of them semi-automatic weapons with the serial numbers... (GunPolicy.org)
Second Bush Administration Gun-Trafficking Investigation
15 October 2011
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — A second Bush administration gun-trafficking investigation has surfaced using the same controversial tactic for which congressional Republicans have been criticizing the Obama administration.
The tactic, called "gun walking," is already under investigation by the Justice Department's inspector general and by congressional Republicans, who have criticized the administration of Democratic President Barack Obama for letting it happen in an operation called... (GunPolicy.org)
EU Votes for Control of Cross-Border Movement of Civilian Firearms
13 October 2011
EuroNews (France)
The European Parliament has approved new rules to control the cross-border movement of civilian firearms such as sports and hunting weapons.
The thinking behind the new export procedure is to keep track of weapons by introducing more transparency, and to fight illegal trafficking.
MEP Salvatore Iacolina from the European People's Party said: "What happened in Norway should not happen again. With these new rules we guarantee the simplification of the procedures,... (GunPolicy.org)
Cayman to Establish a Firearms Authority to Decide Who Gets a Licence
13 October 2011
Cayman News Service
The country's legislators had another rare moment of harmony on Wednesday when they all voted to support a private member's motion to establish a firearms authority to decide who gets a gun licence.
Currently, it is the commissioner of police alone who makes the decision to grant or deny a firearms license to an applicant on Grand Cayman but legislatures have voted to amend legislation which will see the country's top cop share the decision with at least three local... (GunPolicy.org)
South Africa Police Gun Control Described as a 'Nightmare', Say MPs
13 October 2011
Cape Argus (Cape Town)
Political Bureau
NATIONAL police commissioner General Bheki Cele and his top cops were slammed by Parliament's police oversight committee yesterday over the state of the service, with the chair of the committee describing its firearms control as a "nightmare".
In the past five years, 11 935 SAPS firearms have been lost or stolen.
As the police top brass were being grilled, Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa said in a written parliamentary reply that one-third (91 191) of... (GunPolicy.org)
One-Third of All South African Police Firearms Remain Unmarked
12 October 2011
Democratic Alliance (Cape Town), Media release
In reply to a parliamentary question the Minister of Police has revealed that one-third or 91 191 SAPS firearms still need to be marked to clearly identify them as SAPS weapons. This means that it is impossible to track where many of the lost and stolen firearms end up. It certainly explains the low recovery rate of 7% when it comes to missing weapons.
In the last five years, 11 935 SAPS firearms have been lost or stolen I shall be writing to the Independent Complaints... (GunPolicy.org)
Caribbean,South America,Central America,Trinidad & Tobago
Increase in Trinidad Gun Crimes the Result of Drug-Trafficking, Gangs
11 October 2011
Guardian (Trinidad and Tobago)
National Security Minister Brigadier John Sandy says an increase in gun-related crimes is the result of drug-trafficking and gang violence over the past ten years in T&T. He said because of the country's geographical location T&T faced the direct effects of the illicit drug-trafficking and illegal firearms trades.
"We know full well that firearms remain a major threat to this country. These firearms fuel drug-trafficking and gang violence and other criminal activity."... (GunPolicy.org)
Gunman Who Killed 4 and Himself in US Used Illegally Altered AK-47
5 October 2011
Las Vegas Review Journal (Nevada)
CARSON CITY - The gunman who killed four people and then himself at a restaurant on Sept. 6 used a Chinese-made version of an AK-47 assault rifle altered into an illegal automatic weapon, the Carson City sheriff's office said Wednesday.
Sheriff Ken Furlong said his deputies and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms were continuing to investigate how the weapon and others ended up in the hands of Eduardo Sencion.
Sencion, 32, of Carson City, fired 60... (GunPolicy.org)
Former US Marine Smuggled up to 80 Guns for UK Criminals - Court
5 October 2011
Guardian (UK)
Guns smuggled into the UK on commercial flights by a former US marine captain were used to carry out crimes on the streets of Britain, including a fatal shooting, a court was told.
Steven Greenoe, 37, bought weapons from American gun shops, broke them down to their component parts, and smuggled them into the UK in his luggage, Liverpool crown court heard on Wednesday.
Two British men were also said to have been involved in the alleged conspiracy: Steven Cardwell, 31,... (GunPolicy.org)
India,Russia,Germany,United States
India's Unlicensed Gun Market Thrives on Smuggled, Home Made Firearms
5 October 2011
First Post (Mumbai)
A 10-year-old boy was accidentally shot dead by his 12-year-old neighbour while they were playing cop and thief in West Delhi earlier this week. On 24 September, 23-year-old toll attendant, Umeshkant Pandey, was shot dead by the driver of a white Bolero. His crime: he asked the driver to pay Rs 27 as toll tax.
Gun crime has consistently been on the rise in India, and every few weeks, there is a new tragedy. An armed gang shoots a woman over a small piece of jewellery,... (GunPolicy.org)
US Customs Seized 30 Assault Rifles Bound for Mexico
22 September 2011
Reuters
AUSTIN, Texas - U.S. customs agents in Texas seized 30 high-powered assault rifles when they searched a car heading into Mexico in what they said was the largest gun seizure at the state's border this year.
Agents at the Del Rio port of entry found the stash of Kalashnikov and M-4 type rifles in the trunk of a Nissan Altima headed into Mexico on Wednesday, and arrested the 18-year-old driver from Eagle Pass, the Customs and Border Protection agency said in a news... (GunPolicy.org)
Barbados,United States,Trinidad & Tobago
Electronic Tracing Begins on 102 Seized Guns in Trinidad & Tobago
22 September 2011
Guardian (Trinidad and Tobago)
Electronic tracing has begun on the 102 firearms which were recovered since the state of emergency was implemented on August 21. The electronic tracing system, also known as eTrace, is being conducted by police officers of the Crime and Problem Analysis Branch (CAPA). CAPA previously was known as the Modus Operandi Unit of the Police Service. The eTrace system is a web-based firearm trace request submission system that provides for the electronic exchange of crime gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Body Seeks to Clear the Air on Trinidad's Destruction of Illegal Guns
21 September 2011
Caricom News Network (Jamaica)
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – The President of the Police Social and Welfare Association, Anand Ramesar said Wednesday that Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar may have spoken out of turn when she said that a United Nations team would be arriving here next month to help destroy illegal guns in the country.
Persad Bissessar told reporters following her return from the United Nations on Tuesday that whilst in New York she met with the UN authorities who work at... (GunPolicy.org)
East Africa,Somalia,Sudan,Uganda,Ethiopia,Kenya
Hundreds Die in Gun Violence, Cattle Rustling in East African Drought
20 September 2011
Think Africa Press, Opinion
TURKANA, Kenya - On a recent trip to Turkana in northern Kenya, somewhere between Maralal and Baragoi we stopped by a dry riverbed. A group of 12 men came into view through the desert scrub. As they drew closer their weapons were clearly visible, a mix of AK47s, ex-government issue G3s and a few older rifles. Our nervousness was unwarranted and the group barely slowed as they passed, merely raising their hands in greeting before continuing on towards some distant... (GunPolicy.org)
UN Team Plans Visit to Destroy Illegal Guns in Trinidad & Tobago
20 September 2011
Trinidad and Tobago Express
A United Nations (UN) team will be coming next month to help destroy some of the illegal guns in this country, says Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar.
She was speaking yesterday morning at Piarco International Airport upon her return from New York where she attended the UN's 66th General Assembly.
Questioned on the small arms treaty and drug trafficking, the Prime Minister said whilst on her one-day trip to New York she met with the UN authorities who work at... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico Still Waiting for Answers on US Gun-running Programme
19 September 2011
Los Angeles Times
Reporting from Mexico City and Washington— Last fall's slaying of Mario Gonzalez, the brother of a Mexican state prosecutor, shocked people on both sides of the border. Sensational news reports revealed that cartel hit men had tortured Gonzalez, and forced him to make a videotaped "confession" that his high-powered sister was on the take.
But American authorities concealed one disturbing fact about the case from their Mexican counterparts: U.S. federal agents had... (GunPolicy.org)
Man Charged with Smuggling Hundreds of Guns to Puerto Rico from US
8 September 2011
Orlando Sentinel (Florida)
Investigators have charged a New Jersey man with trafficking hundreds of .40-caliber Glock pistols from Central Florida to Puerto Rico though underground channels, a federal affidavit states.
Luis Velazquez-Pinero was indicted on Aug. 31 on charges that he illegally shipped firearms in interstate and foreign commerce, travelled from New Jersey to illegally acquire firearms and lied to investigators.
Records show agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and... (GunPolicy.org)
Europe,North America,South America,United States,Caribbean,Cuba,Jamaica
Jamaica to Sign Anti Drug and Gun Trafficking Pacts with Cuba
6 September 2011
New York Times / AP
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica's top security official announced Tuesday that he will lead a delegation to Cuba this week to sign agreements strengthening cooperation against drug trafficking and other crimes.
Security Minister Dwight Nelson said the pacts are intended to increase intelligence sharing about the "movement of guns and drugs and the groups involved in their movement between the two countries."
Jamaica is the Caribbean's largest source of marijuana for the... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico Arrests US Man Accused of Smuggling Arm Parts for Cartels
6 September 2011
Washington Post / AP
PHOENIX — Police have arrested an American man who allegedly smuggled parts for as many as 2,000 grenades into Mexico for drug cartels, more than a year after he was released by U.S. agents who stopped him at the Arizona-Mexico border for having more than a hundred grenade parts.
While a Department of Justice official said the case will be added to the investigation of Operation Fast and Furious, a flawed effort by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and... (GunPolicy.org)
Well Over 16,000 Firearms 'Lost' by US Gun Manufacturers Since 2009
2 September 2011
CNN
WASHINGTON -- Thousands of firearms have gone missing from manufacturers' inventories since 2009 "without a record of being legally sold," according to a report released Thursday by a gun control advocacy group.
The report by the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence put the number of missing weapons at 16,485.
"It is shocking that gun makers are so oblivious to public safety that they lose track of thousands of guns every year," Henigan, acting president of the Brady... (GunPolicy.org)
Feds' US-Mexico Gun Trafficking Scandal Costs Top Officials Their Jobs
31 August 2011
New York Times
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration on Tuesday replaced two top Justice Department officials associated with an ill-fated investigation into a gun-trafficking network in Arizona that has been at the center of a political conflagration.
Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. announced the resignation of the United States attorney in Phoenix, Dennis K. Burke, and the reassignment of the acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Kenneth... (GunPolicy.org)
Kenya Gun Control, Firearm Licensing Restrictions, Penalties to Increase
30 August 2011
Nairobi Star (Kenya)
The government is to introduce new laws for acquiring guns. Kenya National Focal Point on Small Arms and Light Weapons Director David Kimaiyo has said the new laws will include stiff penalties for misuse of illegally acquired guns.
Kimaiyo said there had been many cases of misuse of licensed guns but now proper vetting will be done before guns are issued. He said currently the laws dealing with licensed guns did not adequately deal with their abuse.
Kimaiyo who was... (GunPolicy.org)
Amnesty in Tanzania: Surrender Illegal Arms in Churches, Mosques
12 August 2011
IPP Media (Dar es Salaam)
Police in Arusha Region have ordered people who possess unlicenced arms to surrender them in churches, mosques and other religious houses.
Arusha Regional Police Commander Thobias Andengenye issued the order yesterday when commenting on the ongoing countrywide exercise on illegal arms surrendering.
The move comes few days after the East African Community (EAC) Sectoral Council met here on inter-state security to step up joint regional security operations and training... (GunPolicy.org)
South African Govt Urges Security Companies to Monitor their Guns
10 August 2011
South African Government (Pretoria), Media release
Strict compliance and greater cooperation between private security and SAPS is crucial.
The Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA) has been urged to ensure it keeps track of security companies that possess firearms as well as ensure that properly-registered personnel utilise these firearms.
This is the view of the Minister of Police, Nathi Mthethwa in reference to a Parliamentary reply submitted recently on whether companies comply with firearms... (GunPolicy.org)
Government Hired an Expert to Help Stem Flow of Guns into Jamaica
10 August 2011
Jamaica Observer
Government has sought the help of an international expert to develop a national policy to stem the flow of small arms into the island — the prevalence of which has been blamed for the country's year-to-year high murder rate.
The consultant, a woman whose identity has not been disclosed, began her six-month contract on June 9 and will also look at legislation on explosives and all firearms.
National Security Minister Dwight Nelson made the disclosure yesterday during... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Lobby Tries to Kill New Law on Reporting of Multiple Gun Sales
9 August 2011
USA Today, Editorial
Martin Johnson had a nice little business going in 2008 and 2009. He'd leave home in California and buy dozens of guns in Arizona, where the gun laws are much looser, using an Arizona driver's license to pretend that he still lived there. Back in California, Johnson sold the guns to his neighbor, a convicted felon who couldn't legally buy guns at all. The neighbor sold some of the guns to his buddies, none of whom was a legal buyer, either.
NRA: Gun form won't deter... (GunPolicy.org)
Canberra Black Market Fed by Theft of Legal Guns, But Scope is Unknown
8 August 2011
Canberra Times (Australia)
The theft of legal guns is feeding Canberra's black market for firearms as authorities struggle to comprehend the scope of the illegal weapons trade in the territory.
ACT Policing has told The Canberra Times that a black market for guns exists in Canberra, but says its size is unknown.
Estimates put the number of illegal guns in Australia at between 400,000 and 700,000, compared to 2,675,785 licensed firearms.
Experts believe most black market guns have been stolen,... (GunPolicy.org)
Guatemala,El Salvador,Central America,Mexico,United States
US Gun Lobby, Congress Hamper, Slow Work of Feds' Gun Tracing Centre
5 August 2011
Houston Chronicle (Texas)
MARTINSBURG, West Virginia — No signs mark the outside of the hidden 1960s-vintage government facility in the bucolic countryside of West Virginia's panhandle.
Even the parking lot is obscured by black tarps lining a cyclone fence.
But just inside the warehouse-like brick building is the National Tracing Center, the epicenter of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' effort to combat and control illegal gun use.
When police need to trace a... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico,Canada,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,United States
US Gun Lobby, Arms Makers Raise Alarm Over UN Global Gun Trade Process
5 August 2011
Fox News (USA)
A controversial U.N. proposed treaty aimed at regulating guns worldwide has been shrouded by confusion and misinformation.
Known informally as the 'Small Arms Treaty,' its detractors have charged the proposed agreement with secretly trying to take guns out of the hands of Americans and circumventing the 2nd Amendment.
While that is unlikely, a working draft proposal obtained by FoxNews.com contains language that some gun advocates say could have a real impact on... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Lobby Fights Mexico Border Semi-automatic Rifle Sale Control
3 August 2011
New York Times / Reuters
WASHINGTON - The U.S. gun industry on Wednesday sued to block requirements that weapons dealers along the border with Mexico report multiple sales of semi-automatic rifles, escalating the fight with the Obama administration.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) last month ordered more than 8,000 gun dealers in Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and California to report such sales to try to stem the "iron river" of guns flowing to violent Mexican drug... (GunPolicy.org)
With 2 Guns Turned In During Cayman Amnesty, Police Now Offer Cash
2 August 2011
CayCompass.com (Cayman Islands)
With just two firearms being turned in during the Royal Cayman Islands Police guns amnesty programme in July, officers have decided to extend the programme for another month.
This time around, they'll be offering cash to individuals who turn in their weapons.
According to Robert Baraud of High Impact Media, his company has set aside $2,000 for police to offer to those who turn in weapons or ammunition. Additional donations for the programme will be sought from the... (GunPolicy.org)
Kyrgyzstan,Czech Republic,Pakistan,Afghanistan,Central Asia,Russia,Uzbekistan,China,Kazakhstan,European Union,United States,Colombia,Iran
Smuggling of Small Arms in Central Asia Is Endemic - British Expert
2 August 2011
Journal of Turkish Weekly (Turkey), Transcript
British intelligence analyst and journalist Richard M. Bennett says the Fergana Valley is extremely vulnerable to the covert smuggling of arms and drugs, despite the official reports of Central Asian governments denying its highlighted status. Mr. Bennett told JTW that Russia has been responsible for an overwhelming amount of illegal arms circulating in ex-Soviet Central Asia. In his view, Russia's military intelligence (GRU) is the mastermind of major trafficking... (GunPolicy.org)
For Mexicans, US Gun Industry Plays a Role in Mexico's Drug Violence
31 July 2011
McClatchy Newspapers (USA)
MEXICO CITY -- While a gunrunning sting known as Fast and Furious draws criticism in Congress for losing track of weapons that were smuggled into Mexico, Mexicans say the controversy confirms their conviction that the U.S. gun industry profits off of bloodshed south of the border.
As new details of the U.S. undercover operation emerged last week in congressional hearings in Washington, many Mexicans said the scandal demonstrates how easily crime gangs obtain large... (GunPolicy.org)
Tracking Guns in Canada - With or Without the Federal Registry
30 July 2011
Montreal Gazette (Québec)
There are ways to track firearms with or without the federal long-gun registry, which is expected to be scrapped this fall:
TRACKING GUNS
Toronto Police Chief William Blair, the current president of Canadian Association of Police Chiefs, wrote federal Public Safety Minister Vic Toews on May 19 with a few ideas:
--That the long-gun regis-try's existing data (firearms descriptions, serial numbers, owners' names and addresses) be transferred within the RCMP to the... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Control in Canada: Crime and the Long-gun Registry
30 July 2011
Montreal Gazette (Québec)
MONTREAL - There are two basic crime scenes when it comes to gun violence in Canada. One involves weapons that are traceable - sometimes using the $1 billion long-gun registry that is likely to be scrapped by the Conservative government this fall, as promised. The other - far more common - involves guns that are not traceable because they are not registered, the registration number was erased or the guns used to kill are never found.
The looming question as MPs get set... (GunPolicy.org)
Inside the Controversial US-Mexico Gun Trafficking Investigation
30 July 2011
Associated Press
PHOENIX -- Ten days before Christmas, ATF agent John Dodson awoke, got his morning coffee, switched on the TV news – and heard the words he had dreaded every day of every month he had been a member of the gun-trafficking investigative team called the Group VII Strike Force.
A Border Patrol agent had been shot dead in a gun battle with suspected bandits. The agent was 40, only months older than Dodson himself, another ex-military man who chose to serve his country by... (GunPolicy.org)
Italian Guns To Be Manufactured With New Tracing Technology
29 July 2011
Security Management News (USA)
Italian gun manufacturers will begin putting RFIDs on their weapons starting next year, according to a U.S. gun distributor who sells them. The new technology is set to become standard for inventory and tracking weapons manufactured in Italy. RFID tags can be small tags or chips programmed with identifying information that can be read by a scanner. Gun enthusiasts have raised privacy concerns about the practice, saying that it would make it possible for people to detect... (GunPolicy.org)
Feds Made 'Colossally Dumb Decision' Allowing US Guns to 'Walk' Into Mexico
28 July 2011
New York Times, Editorial
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives — perennially hogtied by the gun lobby's power over Congress — made a colossally dumb decision when it concocted a sting operation that let 2,020 high-powered weapons slip across the border into Mexico.
The goal of Operation Fast and Furious, begun in 2009, was to tolerate suspicious large-scale purchases of assault weapons on the American side of the border in order to track the guns all the way up the... (GunPolicy.org)
Son of Israeli Gun Inventor Arrested for Possession of Huge Weapons Cache
27 July 2011
Ha'aretz (Tel Aviv)
The Kfar Sava policemen who found dozens of guns packed in boxes at the Galili family's Hod Hasharon home on Monday were sure they had discovered one of the Sharon region's biggest arms dealers. They summoned reinforcements, and dozens of policemen rushed over.
Unfortunately, the policemen did not connect the family name to the name on some of the guns. Zeev Galili, who was home when the officers arrived, insisted that he had inherited the weapons, which originally... (GunPolicy.org)
Firearm Trafficking: The Embarrassing US-Mexico Operation [Francais]
26 July 2011
Radio Canada
[Translated summary: The investigation carried out into the US Operation against firearms trafficking between US and Mexico is embarrassing for Washington.]
La Chambre des représentants enquête sur une opération du gouvernement américain contre le trafic d'armes entre les États-Unis et le Mexique, qui est en train de plonger Washington dans l'embarras.
Lancée en 2009 par des agents du Bureau de l'alcool, du tabac et des armes à feu (ATF), à Phoenix,... (GunPolicy.org)
