Gun Policy News
Firearm violence, gun control and small arms
China,United States,Ghana,Nigeria
Nigerian Civilians Hold 2 Million Guns, Security Forces 600,000
30 January 2012
Nation (Nigeria)
Members of the dreaded insurgent group, Boko Haram, armed robbers and hired assassins have done great havoc with guns acquired illegally. Where are they coming from? OLUKAYODE THOMAS and JOKE KUJENYA examine the sources of illegal arms into the country.
The ruins are still visible on the police zonal headquatres in Kano. The offices of the State Security Service (SSS) and the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) testify to the Boko Haram bombing and armed assaults of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Nation (Nigeria)
35782
Philippines
New Philippine Law Allows 15+ Guns per Civilian, No Light Weapons
29 January 2012
Manila Bulletin
MANILA, Philippines – The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading a new firearms law that would amend the Martial Law-era firearms regulations and provide for a comprehensive regulation of firearms, light weapons, and ammunition in the country.
Congressmen unanimously approved House Bill (HB) No. 5484 a few months after lawmakers sought stronger and clearer laws against possession of light weapons and high-powered firearms such as the ones... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Manila Bulletin
35783
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)
Read More: Publica (Brazil)
35794
Greece,Colombia,Sri Lanka,Syria,Chad,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
The Arms Trade Treaty and Human Rights - Amnesty's Report [Francais]
25 January 2012
Amnesty International
[Translated summary: While international negotiations on the adoption of an International Arms Trade Treaty are at a crucial time, Amnesty International published a report illustrating through the situation in 5 countries (Chad, Syria, Sri Lanka, Colombia, and Greece) the necessity of such an instrument to prevent deadly and irresponsible arms transfers.]
A l'heure où les négociations internationales en vue de l'adoption d'un traité international sur le commerce des... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Amnesty International
35769
India
India Separatists Lay Down Hundreds of Automatic Rifles and other Weapons
24 January 2012
Reuters
GUWAHATI - Hundreds of separatists in India's northeast handed over automatic rifles and other weapons to the home minister and senior paramilitary and army officers on Tuesday, signalling the government remains open to peace talks in the region.
More than a dozen insurgent groups have been fighting the government for decades in Assam and neighbouring states of northeast India, killing thousands in attacks on civilians troops and paramilitary.
The groups blame the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Reuters
35762
Iran,Ukraine,Ghana,Nigeria
Illegal Arms Importation, a Threat to Nigeria's Existence
23 January 2012
Nation (Nigeria), Editorial
A critical factor fuelling the alarming state of insecurity in Nigeria today is the dangerously large number of illegal arms circulating throughout the country. It is with these illegal weapons that sundry criminal elements have unleashed an unprecedented orgy of violence in recent times. In carrying out their dastardly acts, armed robbers, kidnappers, aggrieved militants, perpetrators of ethno-regional and communal conflagration, religious (Boko Haram) zealots,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Nation (Nigeria)
35758
Turkey
Turkish Charity Tells Battered Women How to Save their Lives - With a Gun
18 January 2012
New York Times
ISTANBUL — When the police showed up at the home of Muzeyyen Yanik in Istanbul in October in response to her request for protection from an abusive former husband, she had been dead and buried for three months — shot four times in the head. He is now on trial for murder.
Another woman, Ferdane Col of Izmir, had actually succeeded in obtaining a restraining order against her husband before being stabbed to death in October. He has been arrested.
Then there was... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New York Times
35749
Thailand
Thailand's Lethal Fascination with Firearms [Espanol]
18 January 2012
ABC News (Spain) / EFE
[Translated summary: According to data from the United Nations, firearms are used in 80% of homicides committed in Thailand, a percentage that is almost hand in hand with nations such as South Africa, Colombia, Mexico, Guatemala, or the United States.]
BANGKOK - La fascinación de los tailandeses por las armas de fuego, de las que hay 15 por cada 100 habitantes, hace que Tailandia sea uno de los países con un mayor promedio de homicidios cometidos por gente propensa... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: ABC News (Spain) / EFE
35746
Iraq
Public Demands Gun Ban, Kurdistan Govt Stops Gun Sales, Possession
14 January 2012
AK News (Kurdistan)
KIRKUK - It is two days since the sale of guns were banned in Chamchamal. The city's gun shops have been closed and violators will be penalized.
Chamchamal deputy mayor, Tareq Rashid, told AKnews that all the licenses to sell guns will be annulled. No one will be allowed to deal with guns openly or concealed.
In June Kurdistan Region Interior Ministry ordered that only people in a few "special" posts or on certain occasions will be re-licensed to carry arms. But in... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: AK News (Kurdistan)
35735
Germany,Poland,Nigeria,China,United Kingdom
UK Arms Dealer Arranged to Sell 80,000 Chinese Guns to Nigeria - Court
10 January 2012
BBC News
A British-based arms dealer helped organise the shipment of thousands of guns from China to Nigeria without the necessary licence, a court has heard.
Gary Hyde partly arranged and organised the shipment in 2007 of 80,000 rifles and pistols and 32 million rounds of ammunition.
Southwark Crown Court heard he did not receive permission from the relevant government department.
Mr Hyde, from Derwent near York, denies the charges.
The court was told the shipment involved... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BBC News
35724
Israel,Jordan,Iraq,Turkey,Syria,Lebanon
Syria Crisis Amplifies Demand for Black Market Guns in Lebanon
10 January 2012
Daily Star (Beirut)
BEIRUT - As Abu Rida reels off a list of the latest prices for weapons and ammunition on Lebanon's black market, his small audience lets out low whistles of surprise."$2,000 for an RPG?" said one man, referring to a rocket-propelled grenade launcher.
"I swear to God," replied Abu Rida who has seen his profits skyrocket over the past year. "The prices are crazy. And it's all going to Syria."
Black market arms dealers like Abu Rida are struggling to cope with a soaring... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Daily Star (Beirut)
35721
India
Police Seize 35 Firearms, Bust Fake Gun Licence Racket in South India
10 January 2012
Deccan Chronicle (India)
HYDERABAD - The city Task Force sleuths busted a fake gun licence racket and seized 35 illegal fire arms from security guards working in various agencies. About 11 security guards and the owner of Protection Management Services were arrested on charges of forging gun licenses and using them to procure weapons.
The police commissioner, Mr A.K. Khan, said, "Security agencies are aware of what they are doing. We checked their licences with the issuing authorities and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Deccan Chronicle (India)
35720
Taiwan
Police Seize More Than 2,000 Guns in Buildup to Taiwan Elections
8 January 2012
Taipei Times
Law enforcement personnel nationwide seized 2,213 illegal firearms during raids conducted over the past year as part of efforts to prevent violence from marring the Jan. 14 presidential and legislative elections.
According to statistics released by the Supreme Prosecutors' Office on Friday, since the National Police Agency launched its first nationwide crackdown on illegal firearms in February last year, the police have pursued 1,860 cases involving the illegal... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Taipei Times
35717
India
Gun Tantra in Etah, India: Anyone Worth His Salt Keeps Firearms
6 January 2012
Hindustan Times (Delhi)
From being the birthplace of 12th century poet Amir Khusro to a district where the high crime rate makes virtually anyone worth his salt keep firearms, the descent of Etah into disrepute makes it a symbol of much that's wrong with UP's wild west. Its residents know this ground reality all too well.
That is why the question - what is Etah famous for? - gets seven out of 10 people here to reply 'crime', albeit after a little prodding.
One does not have to go far to see... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Hindustan Times (Delhi)
35709
Slovakia,Austria,Azerbaijan,Serbia,Russia,Armenia,Turkey,Romania,Czech Republic,Croatia,United States,Bulgaria,Ukraine,Southern Europe,Georgia,Eastern Europe
South Caucasian Republics Purchased 107,324 Small Arms in 2005-2010
4 January 2012
Milaz.info (Azerbaïdjan)
The South Caucasian republics purchased 107 324 small arms from various countries of the world in 2005-2010.
APA reports quoting the UN Register of Conventional Arms that Georgia takes the first place among the South Caucasian republics on purchase of small arms during this period.
Georgia bought 76 377 small arms from 7 countries. The submachine guns, short rifles, pistols, automatic rifles, pistol-machineguns, heavy machineguns, grenade launchers as well as the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Milaz.info (Azerbaïdjan)
35704
Philippines
Muslim Region of Mindanao, Philippines: Governor to Purge Illegal Firearms
2 January 2012
Philippine Star
COTABATO CITY, Philippines – After declaring war on illegal loggers, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) officer-in-charge Mujiv Hataman vowed to address the proliferation of firearms in his region, home to warlords and clans that maintain arsenals as symbol to perpetuate power.
Hataman, who is an ethnic Yakan from Basilan, said he will initiate measures to account loose firearms cautiously due to the strong centuries-old tradition of Southern Moro... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Philippine Star
35703
China,Europe,United States,Thailand
Firearms Only for the Rich: Bangkok Guns 'Like a Louis Vuitton for Guys'
2 January 2012
CNN
If you have an itchy trigger finger while visiting Thailand it may be difficult to purchase a gun, but wealthy foreigners and Thais who live here can now enjoy their weapon of choice thanks to the recent lifting of a ban imposed in Bangkok last year.
Tourists can, however, buy custom-made leather holsters and other accessories at the estimated 80 weapons stores along Burapha Road, just east of the Sala Chalerm Krung Royal Theatre, where the vast majority of Bangkok's... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: CNN
35698
Philippines
Filipino Police Gun Barrels Taped to Prevent NYE Celebratory Shootings
28 December 2011
Daily Mail (UK)
In many parts of the world, the traditional celebration of happy events is to fire gunshots into the air - a kind of makeshift personal firework, if you will.
The Philipines is no different, so to keep discipline over New Year's Eve in the country this year, officers in the Filipino police have taped their subordinates' firearms shut.
These pictures show policemen on parade for a 'sealing of firearms' ceremony at their headquarters in Camp Crame, suburban Quezon city,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Daily Mail (UK)
35693
India
Like Pizza, Home Delivery of Illegal Guns 'Just a Phone Call' Away in Indian City
24 December 2011
Times of India
After pizza and grocery deliveries, it is now time for home delivery of weapons. Anyone who is interested in buying illegal weapons - be it a country-made pistol, rifle or shotgun - can get them with just a phone call.
In Jharkhand, the process is easy. Get in touch with the firearm manufacturer, usually based in Bihar, or one of their representatives in Jharkhand. They provide an account number in which the money can be deposited. Once the amount is deposited, the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Times of India
35689
United States,India
Gun Possession a Status Symbol in India, Firearms a Common Dowry Item
22 December 2011
Star Online ((Malaysia)
Possessing firearms is a status symbol in India's northern rural belt and it isn't unusual to find guns as part of a bride's dowry.
For a country that witnesses a whopping 10 million marriages a year, India boasts a cachet of interesting nuptial traditions as well.
While the big cities are synonymous with the Big Fat Indian Wedding – occasions which showcase opulence, financial clout and the social pecking order of well-to-do families – swathes of the northern... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Star Online ((Malaysia)
35686
Philippines
Over 40,000 Gun Owners with Expired Licences in Central Visayas, Philippines
21 December 2011
Philippine Information Agency, Media release
CEBU CITY -- The Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 warned gun owners that failure to renew their gun license will be tantamount to illegal possession of loose firearm.
Over 40,000 gun holders in Central Visayas have expired licenses this year.
PRO-7 Deputy Regional Director for Operations S/Supt. Louie Oppus asked gun holders to renew their firearms as the police us strengthening their close monitoring on loose firearms.
Records of the Firearms Explosives Security... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Philippine Information Agency
35683
Lebanon
Beirut Politicians Demand 'A City Without Weapons' [Francais]
20 December 2011
L'Orient-Le Jour (Beirut)
[Translated summary: Following a series of shootings in the streets of Beirut, several deputies of the city expressed their discontent and recommended "a city without weapons".]
Les députés de la capitale s'apprêtent à entamer une série de rencontres avec les trois pôles du pouvoir pour demander que les armes soient retirées des rues de Beyrouth.
Suite à une série d'incidents sécuritaires ces dernières semaines dans les rues de Beyrouth, au cours desquels... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: L'Orient-Le Jour (Beirut)
35679
Philippines,Indonesia
Concern over Continuing Gun Smuggling between Indonesia, Philippines
14 December 2011
GMA TV News (Manila)
Indonesia's foreign minister, in Manila for an official visit, has expressed concern over the continuing smuggling of firearms between Indonesia and the Philippines, fearing that some of these weapons may end in the hands of terrorists.
"Illicit transfer of firearms is certainly one issue that we're keen to address," Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa told reporters, adding that the problem was among the many issues that he raised with Philippine Foreign Affairs... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: GMA TV News (Manila)
35667
India
Police 'Bury Gun Culture,' Seizing Fake Licences from Hyderabad Criminals
14 December 2011
Times of India
Senior police officers say they are only acting on directives issued by higher authorities and are thus busy plugging loopholes to make laws pertaining to possession of firearms watertight. "We have no problems with players possessing firearms. But there have been many instances when nefarious individuals have posed as shooters to obtain licenses and it is only natural that the rules are being tightened to stop this racket," says city police commissioner AK Khan, who is... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Times of India
35660
India
Spurt in Use of Illegal Guns Reported in Vizag, Andhra Pradesh, India
12 December 2011
Times of India
VISAKHAPATNAM - Illegal weapons are finding their way into the city. The firing incident that took place at railway station on Friday evening raised serious questions about the use of guns by criminal gangs. Police sources blamed criminals from other states for the use of illegal fire arms. A person, believed to be a CISF constable was arrested by police on Saturday, in related to Friday's firing incident. They suspect that he and his colleagues were involved in three... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Times of India
35658
Bangladesh,Myanmar,South East Asia,China,India
Indian Insurgents Procuring, Smuggling Arms from China, Southeast Asia
9 December 2011
Times of India
NEW DELHI - Insurgent groups in the northeast are procuring arms in China and some other South East Asian countries before smuggling them into India through Myanmar and Bangladesh, the government has said.
"There are reports that insurgent outfits operating in the northeastern states of India have been procuring arms through smugglers based in the Yunnan province of China, Myanmar and South East Asian countries," minister of state for home Mullappally Ramachandran said... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Times of India
35663
Jamaica,Honduras,Israel,Canada,Norway,Australia,Colombia,El Salvador,United States,Venezuela,Pakistan,Mexico
Armed Societies, Another Tragedy for Women: Mexico, Pakistan, Venezuela
9 December 2011
Inter Press Service News Agency
CARACAS - Kairobis Arcia, 25, died from a bullet to her head shot by her husband, Oswaldo Mendoza, 32, who said he was blinded by jealousy in an argument fuelled by alcohol and drugs.
Her murder was just one of the more than 468,000 homicides a year that occur worldwide, 42 percent of which are committed with firearms. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the global murder rate is 6.9 per 100,000 people – 11.9 per 100,000 among men and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Inter Press Service News Agency
35654
Japan
Police Oppose Gun Lobby Push to Slacken Law, Reduce Gun Limits in Japan
7 December 2011
Japan Today
TOKYO — Farmers in rural areas have been reporting increasing damage to their crops by wild boar, deer and other animals. To make firearms more accessible, a bill that would loosen the currently tight restrictions on hunting rifles has been proposed in the Diet. But, the Sankei Shimbun (Dec 4) reports, the police remain adamantly opposed to changes in the law.
According to data compiled by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, in 2009, crop damage from... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Japan Today
35639
Israel
Israeli Security Guards Hold 130,000 Guns, Shot, Killed 24 Off Duty
6 December 2011
Jerusalem Post (Israel)
MK Tzipi Hotovely (Likud), chairwoman of the Knesset Committee on the Status of Women, demanded on Monday that security guards be required to leave their weapons at work, following a report that 24 people were killed in the last decade by guns belonging to off-duty security guards.
The report was issued by Woman to Woman, the Jerusalem Shelter for Battered Women.
"Security companies seem to have received an exemption from the law that forbids guards to remove their... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Jerusalem Post (Israel)
35633
Thailand,Colombia,Russia,United States,Uganda,Rwanda,South Africa,United Arab Emirates,Belgium,Sudan,Somalia,Côte d'Ivoire,Liberia,Angola,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,Congo (DRC)
Stopping the Trade in Death, Gun Trafficking, Smuggling - Opinion
6 December 2011
New York Times, Opinion
On a dark November morning in 2004, I woke up in my bungalow overlooking Lake Kivu, tense with anticipation. Our small United Nations team was about to undertake a surprise inspection of three airfields in eastern Congo, notorious for smuggling operations.
With the backing of U.N. peacekeeping forces and a U.N. Security Council mandate, we searched almost every incoming and outgoing aircraft that day. By evening, we had the evidence to link several aviation front... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New York Times
35632
Russia,Mozambique,Nigeria,India,Australia,East Africa,Eastern Europe,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
Global: Unplanned Explosions at Munitions Dumps Increasing - IRIN / SAS
5 December 2011
IRIN (UN News)
JOHANNESBURG - The rate of accidents at munitions storage sites has risen to unprecedented levels in 2011, despite a growing international commitment to assist countries in managing their weapons and ammunition stockpiles.
"During the first ten months of 2011, the average number of explosions has increased to more than three per month - the highest rate recorded in a calendar year," said the Small Arms Survey (SAS), a Geneva-based NGO monitoring small arms and armed... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: IRIN (UN News)
35622
Syria,Iran,Iraq,Turkey
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)
Read More: Kurdish Globe (Kurdistan)
35634
Turkey,Pakistan
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)
Read More: International News (Karachi)
35620
Central Asia,United States,Afghanistan,India
US Gets India to Train 30,000 Afghan Soldiers, Give Them Assault Rifles
3 December 2011
National (Abu Dhabi)
NEW DELHI - India plans to fly 20,000 to 30,000 Afghan troops to training bases in India over the next three years and is expanding its presence in Afghanistan as US troops leave.
The US is reportedly eager for more countries to take on part of the US$12 billion (Dh44bn) training bill for the Afghan security forces, and is also running out of time, having set 2014 as the deadline for transferring combat duties to local troops.
With the Afghan government unwilling to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: National (Abu Dhabi)
35615
Turkey,Nicaragua,Mexico
Mexico Makes Biggest-Ever Seizure of Smuggled Guns, Source Unknown
29 November 2011
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Federal authorities confiscated 911 guns from a container ship in the port of Lazaro Cardenas, on Mexico's Pacific, which was headed to Nicaragua.
The guns were found on board a cargo ship en route to Nicaragua, during a planned stop at the Michoacan port of Lazaro Cardenas. The ship is believed to be of Turkish origin, but no information was provided on the origin or destination of the weapons.
The operation was carried out by Mexico's Navy, working with the Federal... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogota)
35607
Philippines
Philippines: Gun Ban Imposed in Zamboanga, Basilan
29 November 2011
Business World (Philippines)
ZAMBOANGA CITY - A gun ban has been imposed in Zamboanga City and Basilan province to stem the series of attacks, a Cabinet official said yesterday, with the recent blast tagged to the bandits.
While details on how the restriction will be enforced were not raised during a media briefing, Local Government Secretary Jesse M. Robredo said mobile and standard checkpoints will be deployed in the two areas.
"Sinabihan na po yung mga kasama natin sa PNP at AFP na wala munang... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Business World (Philippines)
35597
Cambodia,Thailand,India,Myanmar,Bangladesh
Menace of Illicit Small Arms Industry, Trade, Violence in India - Opinion
28 November 2011
Express Buzz (India), Opinion
According to a recent study, India witnessed 4,100 gunshot murders in 2008. These murders would work out to 12.2 per cent of the over 33,700 murders reported during the year. Overall, there were over 6,200 deaths due to gunshots; about 66 per cent of them were murders, 26.3 per cent were accidental deaths and 7.7 per cent were suicides. It was also reported that most of the victims of firearm murders in India were killed using unlicensed firearms.
Studies conducted... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Express Buzz (India)
35629
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)
Read More: New York Times
35581
Iraq,Jordan,Turkey,Syria,Lebanon
Gun Smuggling Business Booming in Lebanon, Thanks to Syrian Uprising
25 November 2011
National Post (Toronto) / Reuters
BAALBEK, Lebanon — Weapons dealer Abu Wael has traded guns in Lebanon's Bekaa valley since the last days of his country's civil war, nearly a quarter of a century ago.
This has been his busiest year ever.
Unrest in neighbouring Syria has sent demand for weapons soaring, doubling prices for Kalashnikov assault rifles and other weapons and helping supply the increasingly well armed insurrection challenging President Bashar al-Assad.
In the first six months of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: National Post (Toronto) / Reuters
35582
China
China Arrests Illegal Arms Makers: Guangdong Gun Crime Up 32% per Year
22 November 2011
China Radio International / Xinhua
Police in south China's Guangdong province have dismantled two gun-making dens in the city of Shanwei, local authorities said Tuesday.
Officials with the Guangdong Public Security Department said the raid led to the arrests of six people as well as seizures of seven guns, 107 bullets, a batch of gun parts and gun-making equipment.
Gun-related crime has surged in Guangdong this year, as 1,909 suspects in gun-related crimes were arrested during the first 10 months of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: China Radio International / Xinhua
35565
Philippines
Shootings Spur Mindanao Mayor to Step Up Police Gun Ban Checkpoints
22 November 2011
Philippine Star
MANILA, Philippines - Alarmed by the recent shooting incidents in Zamboanga City, Mayor Celso Lobregat ordered the police to intensify the implementation of gun ban in the city.
"We have instructed Col. De Ocampo (Zamboanga City police chief Senior Superintendent Edwin de Ocampo) to especially beef up the (Oplan) 'Kapkap' and to make sure that the police are very serious in the implementation of the gun ban," Mayor Lobregat said, adding that the same will help curb... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Philippine Star
35564
Philippines
Gun Ban Lifted in Samar, Philippines: Police Unable to Seize Firearms
22 November 2011
Sun Star (Philippines)
PALO, Leyte -- A top police official defended the lifting of gun ban in Samar, which is gearing for possible recall elections, saying peace and order situation in the province has "improved".
The lifting of the gun ban all over Samar province was earlier declared by Regional Police Director Arnold Revilla on November 13, almost seven months after it was imposed.
Senior Superintendent Elizar Egloso, police regional information officer, said the lifting of the gun ban... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sun Star (Philippines)
35563
India
India Police Unearth Illegal Factory of Country-Made Guns
21 November 2011
Times of India
HAZARIBAG - Barhi Police arrested a former activist of the Jharkhand Prasstuti Committee (JPC), who had opened an illegal factory to manufacture country-made revolvers and firearms, from his hideout at Kariyatpur on Monday.
Sagarjee alias Samunder Bhuiyan had started manufacturing arms to collect money from various development schemes in the district, said SP Pankaj Kamboj.
Bhuiyan, who originally belonged to Bendi village in Katkumsandi of Hazaribag, was an activist... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Times of India
35562
Pakistan
Guns Used in 80% of Violence Against Pakistani Women, Claims NGO Survey
18 November 2011
International News (Karachi)
Raising serious questions regarding the free availability of small arms in the country, a survey conducted by a local civil society organisation says that in almost 80% cases of violence against women the perpetrators use small arms to torture or kill the victims.
The findings were shared by a representative of a national NGO Awaz Foundation at a two-day multilateral consultative workshop titled 'Towards Pakistan's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Report 2012,'... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: International News (Karachi)
35558
India
Bihar, India Police to Melt 60,000 Illegal Guns, Convert to Farm Tools
18 November 2011
New Delhi Television (India)
MUZAFFARPUR - Blacksmith Sunil Thakur had never felt as important in his life as he did on Nov. 4, when the district police chief, an executive magistrate and a posse of junior officials visited his makeshift roadside furnace.
They handed him six country-made pistols, known as kattas, and asked him to transform them into farm and gardening tools. As a crowd assembled, the blacksmith heated the guns, and then hammered the red-hot metal for nearly an hour, shaping them... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New Delhi Television (India)
35557
China
Thousands of Illegal Guns and Replicas Seized, 84 Arrested in China
17 November 2011
Shanghai Daily (China)
Police in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province, have smashed an illegal firearms production and trafficking ring, detaining 84 people and seizing 6,990 guns.
In late March, the discovery of three imitation guns during a routine check at a train station in Kunming put police on the trail of the gun-trading network.
Within four months they had confiscated 1,612 guns capable of firing live ammunition and 5,378 replicas.
On April 21, police found a man... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Shanghai Daily (China)
35549
Germany,China,United States,India
Increasing Availability and Seizures of Illicit Guns in Pune, India
17 November 2011
Express India
PUNE - Failure in identifying and cracking down on criminals involved in manufacturing and selling of illegal firearms is the major reason behind unchecked illegal trade of firearms in the city, police said. And investigation of some of the cases revealed that the quality of illegal firearms has improved, availability has increased while cost has gone down, police said.
According to the figures obtained by The Indian Express under the Right to Information Act (RTI)... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Express India
35548
India
In Dholpur, Indian Families Regard a Licensed Gun as Essential Dowry
15 November 2011
Times of India
JAIPUR, ALWAR - Those living in the ravines of Dholpur love two things the most - their moustaches and arms. Grown up amidst the fear of bandits, people residing in this region say that keeping various arms at home was a 'compulsion' earlier but gradually it has become a 'status symbol' for them. Moving ahead, some of them have no hesitation in gifting arms varying from rifles to pistols to their would be sons-in-law. And that too with a valid licence.
Though the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Times of India
35606
North Africa,China,Ukraine,Chad,Mali,Niger,France,Europe,United States,Libya
Hundreds of Thousands of Libyan Assault Rifles Looking for New Owners?
15 November 2011
Time (USA)
More than three weeks after Libya's rebels killed Muammar Gaddafi, arms experts say the task of finding and securing the mountain of weaponry abandoned by Gaddafi's forces in their final rout has been complicated by a lack of international funding and coordination, as well as conflicting priorities among Western and African governments about which weapons pose the biggest threat.
While U.S. and European officials have sounded the alarm about the threat posted to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Time (USA)
35547
Zimbabwe,China
China Delivers 20,000 Assault Rifles to Zimbabwe Ahead of Election
14 November 2011
Defence Web (South Africa)
Zimbabwe has taken delivery of 20 000 AK-47 assault rifles from China as the country re-equips its army ahead of upcoming elections.
The Southern Africa Report, which focuses on political and economic intelligence issues in Africa, reports that the Zimbabwe Defence Force (ZDF) has taken delivery of "the first of several consignments of Chinese small arms and equipment," including AK-47 assault rifles, uniforms, a dozen trucks and 21 000 pairs of handcuffs.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Defence Web (South Africa)
35560
Algeria,France,Mauritania,Mali,Israel,Egypt,United States,West Africa,Niger,North Africa,Libya
Smuggled Libyan Arms Threaten to Destabilise Swath of African Continent
12 November 2011
Wall Street Journal
Weapons smuggled from Libya after the collapse of Moammar Gadhafi's government are flowing through the surrounding region, the president of the west African nation of Niger said Friday, a development that threatens to destabilize a swath of the continent already struggling against ethnic unrest and a regional branch of al Qaeda.
"Arms were stolen in Libya and are being disseminated all over the region," President Mahamadou Issoufou told reporters following a meeting... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Wall Street Journal
35536
India
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)
Read More: BBC News
35520
Pakistan
Government Builds Industrial Estate for Illegal Gun Makers in Pakistan
7 November 2011
Central Asia Online (USA)
PESHAWAR – An industrial park will be established in Dara Adamkhel to help transform the illicit arms-manufacturing businesses of tribesmen into legal entities capable of earning export revenue.
The Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) Development Authority recently approved Rs. 196m (US $2.3m) for setting up the industrial business park, Zarar Imtenan of the Pakistan Hunting & Sporting Arms Development Company (PHSADC) said.
"The PHSADC in a meeting with... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Central Asia Online (USA)
35515
Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,United States
Tough to Prosecute Gun Dealers Without Laws: Oxfam, Human Rights First
4 November 2011
San Francisco Chronicle, Opinion
In a trial that played out with far less fanfare than the "Lord of War" movie based on Viktor Bout's life, the public got a rare glimpse into the shadowy world of international arms brokering. Bout was convicted by a federal jury in New York this week on four counts of conspiracy, including conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. Not among the counts against him, ironically, was his alleged involvement in nearly 20 years of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: San Francisco Chronicle
35507
North Africa,West Asia,South America,Africa,Thailand,Colombia,United States
Global Gun Runner, 'Merchant of Death' Viktor Bout Swiftly Convicted
2 November 2011
BBC News
A former Soviet military officer has been found guilty in a New York court of attempting to sell heavy weapons to a Colombian rebel group.
Prosecutors said Viktor Bout, 44, who has been dubbed the merchant of death, stood to make millions from supplying weapons to the group.
The defence argued Bout had only wanted to sell two cargo planes.
He was arrested in Bangkok in 2008 after a sting operation in which US informants posed as Colombian rebels.
He remained in... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BBC News
35497
India,Afghanistan,Iraq,Sierra Leone,South Africa,Saudi Arabia,United States,United Kingdom,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
'The Shadow World', an Incisive Exposé of the ArmsTrade - Book Review
1 November 2011
Telegraph (UK), Book review
If there is one book unlikely to appear on the Christmas reading lists of the former defence secretary Liam Fox and his self-professed adviser Adam Werritty, one suspects that this is it. The sorry case of Dr Fox and the mystery chum-cum-lobbyist amplifies what critics of the defence procurement industry – Feinstein prefers the racier "global arms trade" – have long argued. To put it mildly, and in a nutshell, it is not known for its transparency. Nor, for that... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Telegraph (UK)
35511
Mexico,Congo (DRC),Sudan,Central African Republic,Sri Lanka,Colombia,Jamaica,Iraq,El Salvador,Central Africa,Caribbean,Central America,South America
Study Finds Again That Crime, Not War is Main Source of Gun Violence
29 October 2011
Associated Press
GENEVA — More people are killed by armed violence resulting from crime than are killed in war, with Latin America and a swath of countries through the middle of Africa among the hardest hit, an international study claimed Thursday.
About 526,000 people die violently every year — or more than 1,400 people every day — according to the 2011 Global Burden of Armed Violence report.
Only about 55,000 of those killed die in warfare, while an estimated 396,000 people... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Associated Press
35488
Nepal
Industry, Transfer, Sales of Small Arms Banned in Nepal
27 October 2011
Review Nepal, Media release
KATHMANDU - The Home Ministry has approved the work plan on small arms control.
As per the work plan, the production, transportation and sales and distribution of the small arms will be banned.
The Home Ministry added that all small arms will be brought under the government control and the crimes triggered with small arms curbed.
Joint Spokesperson of the Home Ministry, Ekmani Nepal said the security bodies have been directed to implement the government's October 14,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Review Nepal
35477
Sudan,China
South Sudan Rebels Have New Chinese Assault Rifles, Says Swiss Group
26 October 2011
Sudan Tribune (France)
KHARTOUM – Relatively new Chinese weapons have been seized from rebel groups in South Sudan, according to the Small Arms Survey research organisation.
Arms captured from rebel fighters loyal to both Peter Gadet and George Athor included Chinese Type-56-1 assault rifles. South Sudan has repeatedly accused Khartoum of backing southern rebels in an attempt to destabilise the oil-rich nation, which became independent in July.
Khartoum denies that it arms rebels in South... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sudan Tribune (France)
35468
Philippines
New Philippine Bill Listing 8 Professions Allowed to Carry Guns Outside Home
25 October 2011
Philippine Daily Inquirer
MANILA, Philippines – Even priests, bank tellers, nurses, accredited media practitioners and businessmen whose lives are in danger will be allowed to carry firearms outside of residence once a proposed legislation on this in the Senate is passed into law.
Senate Bill 2933, which seeks a comprehensive law on firearms, light weapons and ammunitions filed by Senator Panfilo Lacson, listed at least eight professions and occupations that should be given permit by... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Philippine Daily Inquirer
35466
United States,Taiwan
Taiwan Gun Group Joins Global Fight to Keep and Bear Arms
25 October 2011
Taipei Times
The Taiwan Defensive Firearms Association (TDFA) earlier this month became a member of the International Association for the Protection of Civilian Arms Rights (IAPCAR), a global gun rights association working to protect and expand the ability to keep and bear arms around the globe.
In a press release, IAPCAR said the TDFA was joining 16 other groups from nine countries on five continents that represent millions of firearm owners and citizens concerned about civilian... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Taipei Times
35451
India,Spain,United Kingdom,Italy,Germany,France,Czech Republic,Bulgaria,Belgium,Austria,Yemen,Syria,Libya,Egypt,Bahrain,West Asia,North Africa,Europe,Russia,United States
Major Arms Exporters Accused of Mideast Gun Sales Before Human Rights
24 October 2011
al Jazeera
According to an Amnesty International report, the US, Russia and a number of European countries supplied large quantities of weapons to repressive governments in the Middle East and North Africa before this year's uprisings.
The report says that these arms deals were signed despite evidence of a substantial risk that they could be used to commit serious human rights violations.
The human rights group reports that in the five years preceding the Arab spring $2.4bn... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: al Jazeera
35448
Afghanistan,Iraq,Canada
Canadian Groups Want Some Guns Banned Before Registry Is Scrapped
23 October 2011
Vancouver Sun (British Columbia)
After finishing a rotation through Afghanistan with the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, 22-year-old Dan Styles is back in Canada, safe and sound with his young family.
When he's not caring for his one-year-old baby daughter, Styles now spends a lot of his personal time at the shooting range near his home at CFB Petawawa, in eastern Ontario. There, he hones the skills he relied on in the field.
"It's practice, practice, practice," he says. "The better you get at it,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Vancouver Sun (British Columbia)
35447
Syria,Iran,Lebanon,Canada
Quebec Woman Charged with Trying to Export Assault Rifle Parts to Lebanon
21 October 2011
National Post (Toronto)
MONTREAL — Young and striking in her black hijab, Mouna Diab was once active in a Quebec youth group that fought discrimination against Muslims by challenging the stereotypes that too often associate them with violence and terror.
But the outspoken 26-year-old activist had little to say this week after appearing in a Montreal courtroom to face a charge alleging she had violated a United Nations Security Council arms embargo that prohibits the export of weapons to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: National Post (Toronto)
35444
China,Canada
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)
Read More: CBC News (Canada)
35441
Myanmar,China
China Arrests Myanmar Gun-Runners to Tibetan Regions
19 October 2011
Reuters
BEIJING - Chinese police have arrested 17 people for running guns into ethnically Tibetan parts of the country from northern Myanmar, and have seized a small number of guns and bullets, state media said on Wednesday.
China has long expressed concern that instability in Myanmar could spill over into its border provinces and regions. While the two countries have close economic and political ties, relations have been strained of late after Myanmar suspended the building... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Reuters
35438
European Union,China,Germany,South Korea,Switzerland,Serbia,France,United Kingdom,Syria,Yemen,Bulgaria,Belgium,Libya,Italy,Bahrain,Egypt,United States,Russia,West Asia,North Africa,Finland,Austria,Sudan,North Korea,Spain
Tracing the Middle East Weapons Flow
19 October 2011
al Jazeera
Earlier this year, as mass popular uprisings spread through the Middle East and audiences across the world sat transfixed by images of unarmed citizens confronting iron-fisted security forces in the streets of Arab capitals, powerful governments from Russia to the United States were forced to begin accounting for the weapons they had for decades sold to the very rulers they now found themselves abandoning.
In Egypt and Bahrain, protesters held up tear gas canisters... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: al Jazeera
35436
Pakistan
Spread of Armed Violence in Pakistan Truly Alarming: 'Too Many Guns'
18 October 2011
Tribune (Pakistan), Editorial
The rate at which violence is spreading in our society is truly alarming. On the afternoon of October 17, hundreds witnessed an incident on Lahore's busy Jail Road, on the pedestrian bridge located outside the city's prestigious Kinnaird College, where a young man pumped five bullets into a second year student from the institute and then shot himself dead. The killer, Shams Alam, was 23; the victim, Samar Wasti was 19. Two young lives have ended tragically, leaving many... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Tribune (Pakistan)
35439
Germany,France,Czech Republic,Bulgaria,United Kingdom,Belgium,Austria,Yemen,Syria,Libya,Egypt,Bahrain,North America,West Asia,North Africa,Europe,United States,Russia,Italy,Spain
Arab Spring Abuses Show Need for Arms Trade Curb - Amnesty
18 October 2011
Reuters (Africa)
LONDON - Russia, the United States and European countries ignored fears over human rights abuses and sold large numbers of weapons to governments in the Middle East and North Africa in recent years, Amnesty International said in a report on Wednesday.
Rights group Amnesty said the failings showed the need for a meaningful international arms trade treaty to choke off the supply of weapons to countries seen at risk of turning them on their own people.
"The Arab Spring... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Reuters (Africa)
35431
Iran,Yemen,Turkey,Libya,Iraq,Lebanon,Syria
Syria's Alawites Go on Arms Shopping Spree
16 October 2011
Jerusalem Post (Israel)
Small arms are increasingly in demand inside volatile Syria, particularly among the country's Alawite minority, who fear they may face retaliation over the revolt against their co-religionist, President Bashar Assad.
Most of the weapons are being smuggled in from Lebanon, once an end user of small arms during the country's 15-year civil war that ended in 1990. Today, Lebanon is overflowing with automatic weapons, grenades and hunting rifles, all of which are in demand... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Jerusalem Post (Israel)
35420
Afghanistan,Australia
Australia Govt Approves $8 Million for Thales to Design New Army Rifle
14 October 2011
Canberra Times (Australia)
The Government has approved $8million for Thales to develop a prototype for a better rifle for the Army.
Defence Materiel Minister Jason Clare said the work would be carried out at Lithgow's Soldier Systems Centre - once known as the Lithgow Small Arms Factory.
The prototype would have better balance, weigh less and include an integrated grenade launcher.
It would retain the Austeyr's most controversial characteristic, its 5.56mm (.223 inch) calibre. The smaller... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Canberra Times (Australia)
35419
Philippines
Permits to Carry Guns Are Non-Transferable, Say Philippine Police
14 October 2011
Philippine Star
MANILA, Philippines - Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Nicanor Bartolome has revoked the firearms permit of Presidential Political Adviser Ronald Llamas, who surrendered his AK-47 rifle to the police yesterday.
Bartolome ordered the revocation of Llamas' permit to carry firearms outside residence (PTCFOR), effectively preventing the official from further possession of the rifle.
Llamas, for his part, personally turned over the rifle to Quezon... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Philippine Star
35405
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka President to Disarm Private Guards of Politicians
13 October 2011
Lanka Business Online (Pita Kotte)
Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa said firearms kept by private 'guards' of politicians will be recovered in a special operation starting Thursday, in the wake of a deadly clash among rival factions of his party.
"A special operation aimed at disarming them has been launched from today by the police and the special task force assisted by the military," President Rajapaksa told a meeting of media chiefs.
Analysts said politicians of various colours had got into... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Lanka Business Online (Pita Kotte)
35404
Philippines
Philippines Police Chief Warns Civilians Against Tucking Guns in Waist
13 October 2011
Journal (Philippines)
MAMANG PULIS - Philippine National Police chief, Director General Nicanor A. Bartolome, yesterday warned anew law enforcement agents and civilians issued a Permit-to-Carry-Firearm-Outside-of-Residence or PTCFOR that the PNP policy against the tucking of guns in waist stays and violators will be accosted and charged to teach them a lesson.
Bartolome maintained that a policeman displaying a firearm by tucking or inserting it at the waist while in civilian attire violates... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Journal (Philippines)
35400
Philippines
Only 2 Guns Should be Allowed, Says Former Chief of Philippines Army
11 October 2011
Philippine Daily Inquirer
MANILA, Philippines — Muntinlupa Rep. Rodolfo Biazon called on Tuesday for stricter gun control law after authorities learned that Presidential Political Adviser Ronald Llamas acquired five high-powered firearms to protect himself from death threats.
Biazon, a former chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, said that an individual should only be allowed one short and one long firearm at the most to defend his life.
"You have only two hands anyway so why the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Philippine Daily Inquirer
35399
Japan,United States,Philippines
Philippines Needs Stricter Gun Control Laws - Opinion
11 October 2011
Philippine Daily Inquirer, Opinion
Joke only: A Llama is a handgun.
But a Llamas is an AK-47.
* * *
Because of the AK-47 found in the vehicle of Presidential Political Adviser Ronald Llamas when it figured in an accident on Edsa (Llamas was away in Switzerland), the talk at the Kapihan sa Manila at the Diamond Hotel last Monday centered on guns in the hands of civilians.
And the guests were all well qualified to talk about guns: brand-new PNP chief, Director General Nicanor Bartolome,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Philippine Daily Inquirer
35398
India
After Accidental Handgun Shooting, India Police Need Training on Gun Use
6 October 2011
Daily News & Analysis (India)
The accidental firing from the service pistol of a traffic constable at the police commissionerate has brought to the fore the rather "amateurish" manner in which a section of the police force handles firearms.
On Tuesday afternoon, constable Vijay Bhusare (27) attached to the Pune police traffic branch was injured when a bullet hit him when his colleague, Amol Sarde, was displaying his pistol and explaining its functioning.
"Sarde initially loaded the pistol with... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Daily News & Analysis (India)
35378
Southern Africa,Central Africa,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Africa,South America,Central America,Caribbean
Men Most Affected by Homicide, 40-60% Involve Guns, Says UN [Francais]
5 October 2011
Le Parisien (France) / AFP
[Translated summary: According to a new report on homicide from UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime), most of the 468,000 homicides in 2010 took place in Africa and in Latin America. Firearms were involved in 42%. In Central America and the Caribbean, firearms were involved in three quarters of the homicides.]
La plupart des 468.000 homicides commis dans le monde en 2010 ont eu lieu en Afrique et en Amérique latine et concernent surtout des hommes, a... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Le Parisien (France) / AFP
35377
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)
Read More: First Post (Mumbai)
35375
Philippines
Stricter Gun Control in Philippines: 'This Administration Is Not For It'
4 October 2011
Manila Standard Today
An anti-gun group on Monday called for a gun ban for civilians even during off-election period.
The Gunless Society, represented by its secretary general Norma Cabrera, raised the need to enforce a gun control amid the spate of crimes.
Cabrera blamed gun ownership of private individuals for the proliferation of crimes.
"We believe that to be able to control crimes, we have to control the criminals, and to control criminals, we have to control guns," he said.
Despite... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Manila Standard Today
35363
Qatar,Libya
Libyans Launch Grassroots Efforts to Stop Deadly Proliferation of Guns
1 October 2011
Miami Herald
TRIPOLI, Libya -- Alarmed at the deadly arsenals piling up in ordinary Libyan neighborhoods, self-appointed community leaders in Tripoli have begun issuing their own gun licenses and, in some cases, conducting raids to retrieve land mines and rockets stored in private homes.
Qatar and other nations flooded Libya with arms during revolutionary forces' six-month struggle to overthrow longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi. And when the NATO-backed former rebels finally toppled... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Miami Herald
35348
Philippines
Police Call for Tougher Gun Laws After 2 Men Shot Dead in Philippines
30 September 2011
Journal (Manila)
Philippine National Police chief Director General Nicanor A. Bartolome yesterday called for tougher gun control laws and stepped-up police security checks in the streets in the wake of the killings of a national shooter and a Korean businessman in Metro Manila.
Last Sunday, three men armed with an Uzi machine pistol and semi-automatic pistols shot dead Michael Lontoc, a 30-year-old Philippine practical shooting team member outside a firing range in Malabon City. Lontoc... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Journal (Manila)
35349
Pakistan
Guns Easily Available and Increasingly Used Against Women in Pakistan
30 September 2011
Inter Press Service News Agency
PESHAWAR - Guns available in new abundance in the troubled north of Pakistan are increasingly being used on women in 'honour' killings and domestic disputes, according to local reports.
"About 65 percent of the women killed fall prey to gunfire in honour-related cases and issues relating to domestic violence," local security analyst Brigadier (retired) Muhammad Saad told IPS.
Citing a study by the local Awaz Foundation, he said the problem has been caused by easy... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Inter Press Service News Agency
35342
Singapore
Constable Accidentally Shoots Himself in Singapore
28 September 2011
Asia One (Singapore)
KAJANG - A police constable is fighting for his life after accidentally shooting himself at the district police headquarters here yesterday.
Constable Syaiful Nizam Zamaluddin, 24, was about to surrender his duty gun, a revolver .38, after finishing his shift, when the gun accidentally went off in the incident at 7.50pm.
District police chief Assistant Commissioner Ab Rashid Ab Wahab said the victim who had been admitted at the Intensive Care unit of the Kajang... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Asia One (Singapore)
35336
India
Illegal Mining, Gun Ownership Hit Simultaneous High in Indian Province
26 September 2011
Indian Express
BANGALORE - In the iron ore mining district of Bellary, guns have grown alongside illegal mining. The district authorities issued the maximum number of gun licences in the year that illegal mining hit an all-time high.
A number of the licences were to members of what has now been described as an organised illegal mining syndicate from Bellary with its pivotal figure being former district-in-charge minister G Janardhan Reddy, arrested by the CBI as part of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Indian Express
35324
India
Shootings Highlight Disturbing Trend: Easy Availability of Guns in India
25 September 2011
India Today, Editorial
The wanton murder of Umeshkant Pandey, an attendant at the Gurgaon toll plaza, on Thursday has once again highlighted the rising gun culture in the national capital. Pandey, 22, was shot by a man for merely asking for the Rs 27 toll fee.
His killing is akin to that of Delhi University student Radhika Tanwar - who was shot dead in March this year by a man who claimed to have been a jilted lover, but was probably a mere stalker.
These cases highlight certain disturbing... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: India Today
35323
Philippines,United States,Asia,Japan
Stricter Gun Laws Needed to Stop the Massacre in Philippines
22 September 2011
Philippine Daily Inquirer, Opinion
The shooting by a 13-year-old of his 17-year-old boyfriend in an SM mall in Pampanga is just another proof that we have very liberal gun laws and that we should have stricter gun laws to curb crime, as the Gunless Society keeps insisting. How can such a young boy have access to a handgun, carry it past the security guards of the mall and then shoot his boyfriend if we had adequate gun laws?
The same with the abandoned wife who shot her estranged husband in another SM... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Philippine Daily Inquirer
35319
India
85% of India's 40 Million Private Guns are Illegal - Small Arms Survey
21 September 2011
Indian Express
NEW DELHI - India has seen a drastic reduction in deaths due to firearms crimes but Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh remain the most dangerous states and account for more than 60 per cent of all deaths recorded that were related to small arms, a new survey has suggested.
A report by the Small Arms Survey, a research group based out of Geneva, has recorded crime statistics in India over a 10-year period from 1999 and says that the number of suicides, murders and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Indian Express
35313
India
Easy Availability of Illegal Guns in India, Guns Behind 12% of Murders
21 September 2011
Tribune (India)
NEW DELHI - The easy availability of illegal firearms made Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand witness to two-thirds of all murders committed using firearms in 2008, the latest year for which the related data is available.
India, as a whole, witnessed 4,101 gunshot murders during the period. These accounted for 12.2 per cent of the 33,727 murders reported during the year. Overall, the country lost 6,219 persons to gunshots - 66 pc of them were murdered, 26.3 pc killed... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Tribune (India)
35311
Lebanon
Family Killings, Fear of Violence Prompt Lebanon to Tighten Gun Control
21 September 2011
Press TV (Beirut)
Lebanon has witnessed years of civil war and internal fighting. Lately, Lebanon is facing a phenomenon that surpasses any political agreement or even disagreement.
The ownership of personal guns has become something that many take for granted.
Three incidents in the last month led to the killing of several people in one family as a result of feuds, and others in mysterious circumstances. In one of those incidents a pump-action shot gun was used to kill a mother and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Press TV (Beirut)
35309
Philippines
13-yr Old Boy Shoots 16-yr Old Friend, Then Himself in Philippines Mall
21 September 2011
Associated Press
MANILA, Philippines — A 13-year-old boy who shot his 16-year-old friend inside a busy Philippines mall then turned the weapon on himself died Wednesday and left the other boy brain dead, raising questions about gun control in a country awash in firearms.
Authorities were investigating how the 13-year-old obtained the .22-caliber pistol and smuggled it into the mall in Pampanga province's Mexico township, area police chief Wilson Santos said. He said the shooting... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Associated Press
35308
India,Nepal,South Africa
Nepal: Impact of Small Arms on Gender
20 September 2011
Telegraph (Nepal), Opinion
1. Facts:
Small arms:
Small Arms mean the weapons that a single and individual can carry and operate. For example revolvers, self loading pistols, rifles, carbines, assault rifles, sub machineguns, light machineguns and associated ammunitions.[1]
Light weapons means that can be operate two or three people. They may include heavy machine gun, hand–held under barrel and mounted grenade launcher, portable anti-aircraft and missile launcher, explosives, anti personal... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Telegraph (Nepal)
35304
India
India: Cartridge Shortage in Open Market for Handgun Licence Holders
20 September 2011
Times of India
VARANASI - For arms licence holders, their revolvers and pistols are proving to be mere show pieces as there is a crisis of cartridges in the open market.
The craze for small firearms like revolvers and pistols has increased in a decade or two. According to the arms section of district magistrate office, there are 14,851 arms licence holders in the district while around 3,300 people are in queue for fresh arms licences. Among the total arms licence holders, about 30%... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Times of India
35298
Pakistan
Computerisation of Firearm Licences in Pakistan: a Right Initiative
18 September 2011
Associated Press of Pakistan
ISLAMABAD - Proliferation of small arms are known to have played a pivotal role in fueling insurgency, terrorism as well as formation of urban gangs and at the same time undermined development initiatives or other moves to bring about peace in the country.Successive regimes kept adopting numerous measures to stop the relentless spread of firearms in society and also launched campaigns in their tenures, but all this went in vain.Today as the already fragile law and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Associated Press of Pakistan
35291
Nigeria,Bahrain,Saudi Arabia,United Kingdom
UN Estimate: 1 to 3 Million Automatic Guns in Civilian Hands in Nigeria
17 September 2011
Next (Nigeria), Opinion
Arms manufacturers and dealers are delighted when a new conflict breaks out.
Desert Storm was a fantastic business opportunity for arms manufacturers. Every round shot through the barrel of a gun was another "ching-ching" in the cash register.
They are not the only ones that benefit through conflict. The likes of Halliburton rejoice with every airstrike and artillery shell that destroys a building or some part of national infrastructure in a foreign country. Every bit... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Next (Nigeria)
35300
Nepal,India
Small Arms Trafficking on Nepal-India Border Poses Security Threat
15 September 2011
Himalayan Times (Kathmandu)
DHANGADHI - Illegal transaction in small weapons has been on the rise on the Nepal-India border in the far west region for some time.
Police seized four small weapons in a month. A police patrol seized two American made automatic pistols and a revolver from Chaukidanda area Malakheti-3 on September 11.
According to police, the pistols were seized from six youths who were on two motorcycles, but they failed to nab the youths who fled. SP Bashanta Panta, District... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Himalayan Times (Kathmandu)
35285
India,Nepal
Police Launch Crackdown on Gun Smuggling from India to Nepal
12 September 2011
República (Kathmandu)
NEPALGUNJ - Banke police have launched a crackdown on smuggling of weapons into Nepal from India.
A day after seizing two revolvers and two home-made pistols, Banke police on Friday seized two more home-made pistols. Police have seized 12 weapons of various types in the last two months alone.
"As Dashain festival approaches, criminals are smuggling small arms from India to extort businessmen," said SP Dinesh Amatya of Banke police. "Therefore, we have launched a... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: República (Kathmandu)
35261
Iraq,Caribbean,Jamaica,Trinidad & Tobago
Trinidad Now Rivals Jamaica As the Most Violent Country in Caribbean
10 September 2011
Trinidad and Tobago Express
Trinidad and Tobago now rivals Jamaica as the most violent country in the Caribbean, with the number of annual murders rising sharply from 98 to 550 over the last decade, with some areas in the Port of Spain police division being listed among the most dangerous in the world.
This is the finding of a new United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) draft report on Human Development and Citizen Security in the Caribbean, which noted, among other things, that the murder... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Trinidad and Tobago Express
35260
Lebanon
Basketball Match in Stressed Lebanese Village Ends in Group Gunfight
5 September 2011
Daily Star (Beirut)
BEIRUT - Residents of Deir al-Qamar urged security forces and judicial authorities Sunday to impose the strictest punishment on those who attacked locals, following a dispute that broke out during a basketball game over the weekend.
The dispute between supporters of the Talaeh team of Deir al-Ahmar and Tawhid team of Jahiliyeh over the game's results escalated into gun fire when supporters of Tawhid, armed with knives, sticks and guns, attacked local residents. The... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Daily Star (Beirut)
35238
India
Indian Man Mortgages Land for Gun Licence, Extra Pay as Security Guard
3 September 2011
Hindustan Times (Delhi)
To get hired as a security guard, an arms licence is a necessary qualification. In fact, it is such a prized item that security guard Vishram Singh, 23, had mortgaged his ancestral land in Uttar Pradesh to get his hands on one before setting out for Delhi in 2008, his family said.
"Though our clients come from varied backgrounds, a very large number of them are those who want employment as security guards," said a senior police officer from the licensing branch of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Hindustan Times (Delhi)
35236
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