Gun Policy News
Firearm violence, gun control and small arms
Spain,England & Wales
Spanish Cops Bust UK Drug Gang with Guns
13 May 2013
Local (Spain)
Spanish and British police have nabbed a hashish-smuggling ring that hid hundreds of kilos of drugs in electrical transformers before shipping them off to the UK.
Britain's Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) and Spain's national police have arrested nine people and seized 322 kilos of hashish from an international organization that smuggled drugs inside industrial electrical transformers.
The joint investigation found that the drugs were purchased in Spain then... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Local (Spain)
37439
Turkey
Police Report Shows 80 Percent of Guns Unregistered in Turkey
11 May 2013
World Bulletin (Istanbul)
A report recently drafted by the National Police Department's Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crime Department shows that almost 80 percent of guns that police seized from individuals in incidents threatening public security from 2010-2012 were unregistered.
According to the report, the types of firearms confiscated in police operations over the course of past five years were manufactured guns (51 percent), handmade guns (33 percent), blank guns turned into real guns (16... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: World Bulletin (Istanbul)
37431
European Union,Turkey
Gun Licensing Law Changes Considered in Turkey
10 May 2013
Today's Zaman (Istanbul)
A bill recently submitted to Parliament could give former gun license holders who forgot to renew their licenses another chance.
The current Law on Firearms, Knives and other Weapons states that gun carrying and keeping licenses shall be valid for five years following the date of confirmation and shall be renewed once every five years on condition of payment of the renewal charge. The license holder is also required to inform the public institution that has issued the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Today's Zaman (Istanbul)
37454
Turkey
Turkey Plans Ban on Guns at Bars and Cafes, Safety Training for Owners
9 May 2013
Today's Zaman (Istanbul)
According to a new regulation, people carrying guns will not be allowed as a security measure to enter entertainment venues such as bars, cafés, night clubs and places where wedding ceremonies are held, Interior Minister Muammer Güler announced on Wednesday.
Under the regulation, Güler told reporters, people who want to buy guns will receive training on how to use them safely. Moreover, those carrying weapons will be denied entrance to entertainment venues such as... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Today's Zaman (Istanbul)
37435
Spain,United States
US, Spanish Gun Lovers Download 3D Gun Plans 50,000 Times First Day
7 May 2013
New York Daily News
The first downloadable gun has gone viral.
The plastic firearm that can be churned out on a 3-D printer and easily assembled was downloaded at least 50,000 times Monday, according to the self-described anarchist who made it available for free online.
Cody Wilson of Defense Distributed, a collective of gun advocates, said the most downloads were done in Spain followed by the United States.
The prospect of terrorists getting hold of the guns by clicking a computer... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New York Daily News
37416
Turkey
Turkey Launches Locally Made Rifles, Aims for $100M in Exports
6 May 2013
Today's Zaman (Istanbul)
ISTANBUL - Sarsılmaz Firearms Industry, the leading private producer of guns and rifles in Turkey, introduced on Monday the country's first domestically produced infantry rifles as well as new generation pistols, firearms with which the company is targeting to reach the $100 million export mark in the next three years.
The 133-year-old company invested TL 14 million in its new products and plans to increase its investment to TL 27 million in line with an expected... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Today's Zaman (Istanbul)
37413
Switzerland,Kosovo
Drunk Kosovo Man Shoots, Kills Wife After Divorce Request
1 May 2013
Croatian Times
A Kosovan man who shot his Swiss wife dead at the bus stop when she refused to consider changing her mind about divorcing him - and then went for a beer at a local pub - has claimed her death was her own fault.
Afrim Mujaj, 45, then sat calmly watching as ambulances sped by in a bid to try and save the life of his 35-year-old wife Mirvete in Riniken, Switzerland. And as emergency services tried in vain to keep her alive - the court heard he bought rounds of drinks for... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Croatian Times
37399
Italy
Gunshots Fired As Italian Government Sworn In, Three Injured
28 April 2013
al Jazeera
Two Italian paramilitary police officers have been shot and wounded outside the Rome office of new premier Enrico Letta as he was being sworn in nearby presidential palace.
The gunman and a female passerby were also injured in Sunday's incident outside Palazzo Chigi, the building the hosts the premier's office, Italy's ANSA news agency said.
A police official said that one of the wounded police officers had been shot in the neck and was in a serious condition after... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: al Jazeera
37384
Turkey
Turkish People Spent TL 117 Million on Guns in 2012
22 April 2013
Today's Zaman (Istanbul)
Turkish people spent TL 117,922,000 on guns and bullets last year, with gun sales increasing by 54 percent, according to data from the state-owned Turkish Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation (MKE).
While a total of 19,575 handguns were sold in Turkey in 2011, the number of handguns sold last year rose to 30,207. The price of handguns ranges between TL 570 and TL 12,000. Of the 30,207 handguns, 21,464 were made in Turkey. A total of TL 57.8 million of revenue... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Today's Zaman (Istanbul)
37360
Finland,Turkey
Guns of 15,000 Abusive Men Seized in Turkey
14 April 2013
Today's Zaman (Istanbul)
Family and Social Policy Minister Fatma Şahin has announced that the weapons of 15,000 men found to have been involved in violence against women have been confiscated as a protective measure since the Law on the Prevention of Violence against Women came into effect 13 months ago.
Speaking to the Akşam daily during her visit to Helsinki, Şahin provided some details about the implementation of Law No. 6284 on the Prevention of Violence against Women and the Protection... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Today's Zaman (Istanbul)
37324
Portugal,Libya,United States,Guinea-Bissau,Colombia
Alleged FARC Scheme Swapped Cocaine for West African Arms
12 April 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
An international police operation has dismantled a network in which Colombian rebel group the FARC allegedly attempted to exchange cocaine for weapons from the West African nation of Guinea-Bissau.
The investigation, involving US, Colombian, Portuguese, and Guinea-Bissau authorities, lasted over a year, reported EFE. Colombian police arrested two men in Bogota who are accused of serving as as the FARC's intermediaries for the West Africa-based weapons suppliers.
On... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogota)
37314
Serbia
Licensed Gun Owner Used Legal Gun to Kill 14 in Serbian Mass Shooting
11 April 2013
Guardian (UK)
The Serbian veteran suspected of killing 13 people in a shooting rampage and then turning the gun on himself and his wife died on Thursday, hospital officials have said.
Belgrade Emergency hospital said Ljubisa Bogdanovic, 60, died from head wounds. His wife Javorka Bogdanovic, also 60, was recovering from surgery and in a stable condition.
Bogdanovic went on a pre-dawn house-to-house rampage on Tuesday, police said, killing his mother, his son and a two-year-old... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Guardian (UK)
37310
Serbia
Serbia Considers New Gun Law After Mass Shooting
10 April 2013
Balkan Insight (Sarajevo)
BELGRADE - Milorad Veljovic, head of Serbian Police, said police were working on a draft Law on Weapons and Ammunition that would provide greater control over people who possess guns. "The draft will be passed to the government in the coming days," Veljovic said.
The move comes after a 60-year-old man, named only as Ljubisa B., went on the rampage on Tuesday morning, killing six men, six women and a boy aged two in Velika Ivanca, 60 kilometres south of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Balkan Insight (Sarajevo)
37327
Serbia,United States,England & Wales
Motives Unclear in Serbian Gunman's Rampage, Law Change Demanded
10 April 2013
Montreal Gazette (Québec) / Associated Press
Serbia held a national day of mourning Wednesday as police searched for possible motives in the Balkan nation's worst peacetime shooting massacre, which left 13 villagers dead and triggered demands for tighter gun-control laws.
Police say a 60-year-old veteran went on a pre-dawn, house-to-house rampage Tuesday in a village near Belgrade, including killing his mother, his son and a two-year-old cousin before shooting himself and his wife. The two are in critical... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Montreal Gazette (Québec) / Associated Press
37303
Yemen,England & Wales,United States,Macedonia,Croatia,Slovenia,Kosovo,Bosnia & Herzegovina,Montenegro,Serbia
Citizens in Former Yugoslavia 'Traumatised and Heavily Armed'
10 April 2013
Washington Post
SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina — The wars from 1991 to 1999 as Yugoslavia broke up took up to 200,000 lives, turned millions into refugees and left much of the region's people traumatized and heavily armed. It was the bloodiest conflict in Europe since World War II.
The millions of weapons that remained in possession of civilians after the fighting have caused fatalities every week, as traumatized former soldiers either shoot family members or commit suicide or... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Washington Post
37301
Serbia
War-Affected Serbian Man Kills 13, Injures Self and Wife in Mass Shooting
9 April 2013
CTV News (Toronto) / Associated Press
He went from house to house in the village at dawn, cold-bloodedly gunning down his mother, his son, a 2-year-old cousin and 10 other neighbours. Terrified residents said if a police patrol car hadn't shown up, they all would have been dead.
Police said they knew of no motive yet in the carnage Tuesday that left six men, six women and a child dead in Velika Ivanca, a Serbian village 50 kilometres (30 miles) southeast of Belgrade.
After the rampage, police said suspect... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: CTV News (Toronto) / Associated Press
37299
Bosnia & Herzegovina,Croatia,Montenegro,Slovenia,Serbia,Macedonia,Romania,Albania,Bulgaria
South East Europe Workshop Confirms Surplus Firearms a Regional Threat
8 April 2013
SEESAC (Belgrade)
On 3-5 April, the 6th Workshop of the Regional Approach to Stockpile Reduction (RASR) of Conventional Weapons and Munitions Initiative took place in Bled, Slovenia. The focus of the 6th RASR workshop were national legal frameworks regulating import, export and transit of weapons, ammunition and dual-use goods, particularly as they relate to the surplus weapons and munitions.
RASR is a regional initiative which aims to coordinate and support countries of South East... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: SEESAC (Belgrade)
37295
Croatia,Bosnia & Herzegovina
Bosnia Plans Firearms Collection, Destruction Campaign
29 March 2013
SEESAC (Belgrade)
On 26 and 27 March, at Vlašić, UNDP Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) hosted a meeting of the representatives of the Ministry of Interior (MoI) of Republika Srpska, MoI of Sarajevo Canton, MoI of the Central Bosnia Canton, MoI of the Zenica-Doboj Canton, MoI of the Bosnian Podrinje Canton, MoI of the Canton 10, MoI of the County of West Herzegovina, Police of Brčko District, MoI of the Hercegovacko-Neretvanski Canton, and the representatives of the international... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: SEESAC (Belgrade)
37280
Turkey,Syria,Russia,France
Turkish Authorities Seize Guns Bound for Syria
29 March 2013
RTÉ (Dublin)
Turkish authorities say they have seized thousands of guns in a warehouse by the Syrian border.
A local news agency said the weapons had been destined for Turkey's war-torn neighbour.
The firearms, including more than 5,000 shotguns and rifles, starting pistols, gunstocks and 10,000 cartridges, were discovered during a raid in a village on the edge of the Turkish town of Akcakale.
The Dogan News Agency said the weapons were being stored on the edge of the border... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: RTÉ (Dublin)
37257
Spain
Police in Spain Seize 59 Illegal Guns, Parts in Sting Operation [Español]
25 March 2013
Vanguardia (Colombia)
[Translated summary - The Spanish Civil Guard has dismantled a criminal organisation making illegal firearms in Barcelona, some of which were linked to a double homicide. Five people were arrested and 59 weapons were seized, as well as parts and tools for gun manufacture.]
MADRID - La Guardia Civil ha desarticulado una organización criminal dedicada presuntamente al tráfico de armas por toda España, con el arresto de cinco personas, según ha informado el Ministerio... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Vanguardia (Colombia)
37268
South America,Eastern Europe,Thailand,Italy,Canada,United States,Philippines
The Gunmakers of the Philippines
20 March 2013
BBC News
CEBU, Philippines - A shot rings out from a factory on the outskirts of the Philippines' second-biggest city, Cebu.
But this isn't an all-too-frequent drive-by killing or an argument that has become violent.
The sound is from a testing range at Shooters Arms, the country's second-largest gun factory.
Shooters Arms produces about 20,000 pistols and shotguns every year, 85% of which are sold abroad - mainly to the US, Canada, Italy and Thailand.
Operations manager... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BBC News
37208
Africa,Americas,Asia,Europe,Oceania,United States,Russia,Italy,Germany,Brazil,Switzerland,Israel,Austria,South Korea,Belgium,Spain,Turkey,Norway,Canada,United Kingdom,Australia,France,Pakistan,Yemen,Honduras,El Salvador,Jamaica
Fact and Figures: Global Trade in Small Arms
18 March 2013
al Jazeera
Diplomats from around the world have gathered at the UN for talks on an international arms trade treaty, in an effort to stop the sale of illegal conventional arms.
Similar talks held last July failed, mainly due to the objections of the US and Russia, the world's two largest arms exporters.
Al Jazeera has compiled a list of facts related to the global production and trading of small arms.
1. Authorised international transfers of small arms, light weapons, their... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: al Jazeera
37196
Sweden,Uruguay,Finland,Iraq,Saudi Arabia,Cyprus,Switzerland,Yemen,Serbia,United States
10 Nations with Highest Gun Ownership
12 March 2013
SiliconIndia
Bangalore: "Force and mind are opposites; morality ends where a gun begins," said novelist Ayn Rand. In an era where the misuse of guns and ammunitions are leading to massacres, it is no more a place of nonviolence. Arms and ammunitions leave bitter memories and scar the human race for ages to come. Here are the 10 countries with highest gun ownership, as listed by yahoo.com.
USA:
USA tops the list of countries with highest gun ownership and this no surprise! The... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: SiliconIndia
37179
Spain
Rising Rate of Gun Ownership in Spanish Region [Español]
4 March 2013
Laverdad (Spain)
[Translated summary: There are 12 guns per 100 citizens in the Spanish region of Castilla-La Mancha. The number of guns has increased since 2011, to 266,189 in total.]
Castilla-La Mancha acumulaba en 2012 un total de 266.189 armas, que son 1.275 más que en 2011, lo que representa un incremento de medio punto porcentual que, a su vez, es la subida que se ha experimentado en la concesión de licencias de armas.
Según estos datos facilitados por la Delegación del... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Laverdad (Spain)
37141
Europe,Italy,England & Wales,United States
Arms Manufacturers Losing Money But Still Making Billions
18 February 2013
Yahoo (America) / Associated Press
STOCKHOLM — The world's largest arms vendors are expanding in the cybersecurity sector as austerity measures weigh on sales of traditional weapons, a Swedish peace research institute said Monday.
Sales by the 100 largest arms producing companies, excluding Chinese companies, fell by 5 percent to $410 billion in 2011, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said in its annual review of the industry.
The drop was mainly due to austerity measures and the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Yahoo (America) / Associated Press
37079
Turkey,Serbia
Firearms Ownership Raises Safety Issues in Serbia, Turkey
7 February 2013
Southeast European Times
With data showing that the number of individually owned firearms in Serbia and Turkey has increased, security institutions, civil society and citizens are calling for implementation of laws and a tightened legal framework to keep safety at the forefront.
According to the Belgrade police department, 365 criminal charges for illegal weapon possession were filed in 2011. In the first half of 2012, a total of 151 criminal charges were filed for the same... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Southeast European Times
37040
Chile,Brazil,Germany,Libya,Turkey,Denmark,Sweden,Canada
Critics Say German Report on Weapons Exports Reveals Little
30 January 2013
Deutsche Welle
Critics says the government's report on arms exports lacks transparency: exporting companies are not named, and government sales are merely summarized. Yet the government claims it's in-depth and detailed.
How is it that time and again military equipment "made in Germany" shows up in war zones, despite German government claims that it handles its weapon exports "restrictively" and that it maintains a broad ban on exports to countries with questionable track records for... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Deutsche Welle
37017
United Kingdom,Italy,Netherlands,Germany
British Queen's Soldiers Jailed After Attempting to Smuggle Guns
25 January 2013
Telegraph (UK)
The Queen's Royal Hussars soldiers, based in Sennelager, Germany, attempted to smuggle five guns worth £18,000 on the black market and cocaine worth £72,000 into the UK by car via the Channel Tunnel, Woolwich Crown Court heard.
Lemar Loveless 26, of Brydon Walk, Kings Cross, was arrested with former colleague Trave Dyce, 22, in Folkstone as they left a Euroshuttle from Calais in two BMWs on January 25 last year.
Officers, who had received intelligence about the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Telegraph (UK)
36992
Asia,Europe,Germany,South America,United States,Austria,Italy,Croatia,Belgium
European Arms, Money Fuel US Gun Addiction say Experts
23 January 2013
Deutsche Welle
After each massacre in the US, Europe laments America's gun culture and violence. At the same time, European companies have no problem selling arms to Americans and supporting the NRA's fight against tougher gun laws.
It is not widely reported, but European firearms for a long time have played a pernicious role in US mass shootings and Europe's gun makers are among the strongest backers of the National Rifle Association (NRA).
Handguns by Austrian arms manufacturer... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Deutsche Welle
36975
United States,Turkey
Turkey's Gun Regulation Remains Lax, Mental Health Checks a 'Formality'
6 January 2013
Today's Zaman (Istanbul)
"Things just aren't what they used to be," may seem like a knee-jerk truism in Turkey, but few seem to say it with more conviction than Fatih Demirok, a counter clerk at a gun store in İstanbul's old banking and warehouse district of Karaköy.
"Things have changed quite a bit in the gun industry. You can't just walk in and buy a gun these days," the 25 year old says from behind a counter of neatly arrayed shotguns and hunting rifles. "There's a detailed process with... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Today's Zaman (Istanbul)
36909
United States,Turkey
Turkey NGO says Potential for Mass Shootings Due to Lack of Gun Control
23 December 2012
Today's Zaman (Istanbul)
As long as Turkey does not take action to put in place gun control measures, the country is likely to face mass shootings like the one that shook the United States in mid-December, killing 26 people, observers have said.
A 20-year-old man, Adam Peter Lanza, on Dec. 14 shot and killed his mother, Nancy Lanza, at their Newtown home before fatally shooting 20 children and six adult staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. He then took his own... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Today's Zaman (Istanbul)
36866
Yemen,Norway,Switzerland,Canada,Germany,Spain,Finland,United States,United Kingdom,Australia
Homicides Down after Tougher Gun Laws Adopted Abroad
19 December 2012
Los Angeles Times
Twelve days after the worst mass murder in Australian history, when 35 people were shot to death at Tasmania state's Port Arthur tourist mecca in 1996, the government issued sweeping reforms of the country's gun laws. There hasn't been a mass shooting since, and suicides, deaths by firearms and robberies at gunpoint have plummeted.
The results of toughened gun rules in Britain after the massacre in the Scottish town of Dunblane that same year weren't so immediate or... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Los Angeles Times
36841
Canada,Japan,Switzerland,Germany,Spain,United Kingdom,Netherlands,Denmark,European Union,France
Firearms Worldwide: Really Different Laws Across Countries [Francais]
18 December 2012
JOL Press (Paris)
[Translated summary: France: follows European policies - Denmark and Netherlands: total ban - United Kingdom: almost all firearms are prohibited - Switzerland: a more liberal legislation - the Japanese model: no firearm at all - Canada: the stormy debate on the right to carry firearms]
La récente tuerie de Newton a relancé une fois de plus le débat sur le port d'armes aux États-Unis. Mais quelle est la réglementation dans d'autres pays du monde ? Petit tour... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: JOL Press (Paris)
36844
Israel,India,Czech Republic,Switzerland,United States,Italy
Indian Factory to Make 1 Million Rifles for Army Upgrade
16 December 2012
Sunday Standard / New Indian Express (Chennai)
NEW DELHI - The Indian Army has half a million rifles and carbines it doesn't want, and now plans to junk them all over the next five years. The dark lining is that these infantry weapons were developed and manufactured in India to equip four lakh soldiers at an expenditure of Rs 25,000 crore over two decades. So far, so bad. Now add another Rs 50,000 crore that will have to be spent over the next decade to re-equip our soldiers with the four kinds of weapons that are... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sunday Standard / New Indian Express (Chennai)
36913
Greece
Greek MP Wants Firearms Crackdown, MPs Requesting More Gun Permits
14 December 2012
Guardian (UK)
An independent MP has called for a crackdown on firearms in Greece amid allegations that a growing number of politicians are carrying weapons.
Reports of pistol-carrying deputies entering parliament have added to the febrile mood in a 300-member chamber in which hardcore Marxists sit with fascists, eurocommunists, rightwing populists, conservatives, socialists and an array of independent dissidents.
The MP, Nikos Nikolopoulos, told the Guardian he was "deeply worried"... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Guardian (UK)
36824
Spain,Portugal
Ballistics Info Sharing Catches Major Crime Gang in Spain, Portugal
5 November 2012
PR Web (America), Media release
MONTREAL, Canada - A violent transnational gang, operating between Spain and Portugal, has been stopped thanks to diligent police work, rigorous cross border protocols, and an innovative new-technology-based program called the INTERPOL Ballistic Information Network (IBIN). IBIN proved its value when it counted most, on the streets of Portugal and Spain, where police using IBIS® (Integrated Ballistics Identification System) technology were able to share and leverage... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: PR Web (America)
36726
Italy
Claims Italian Gun Law to Blame for Hunting Deaths, Injuries [Italiano]
4 November 2012
GeaPress (Italy), Editorial
[Translated summary: 16 people have died and 50 have been injured in Italy's 2012 hunting season, angering victim support groups who blame the law for failing to ensure hunters take adequate safety precautions.]
16 morti e 50 feriti, di cui ben 18 vittime tra la gente comune. Ovvero 14 feriti e 4 morti non cacciatori. Continua così il triste conteggio dei dati sugli incidenti di caccia relativi alla sola ultima stagione venatoria, ancora in corso, diffusi... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: GeaPress (Italy)
36725
Kosovo,Switzerland
Kosovar Man Admits Shooting Brother-in-Law, Authorities Seize Gun
1 November 2012
Local (Switzerland)
Cooperation between Vaud and Neuchâtel cantonal police forces led to the arrest on Thursday of a Kosovar man suspected of murdering his brother-in-law in a Lausanne suburb earlier this week.
The 27-year-old-man was arrested in La Chaux-de-Fonds at 1.30am following an investigation by the two forces, Vaud police said.
The dead body of a 29-year-old Swiss man of Kosovar origin was found on Monday with bullet wounds in a garage in Chavannes-près-Renens, west of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Local (Switzerland)
36706
Serbia
Record Gun Exports by Serbian Manufacturer in 2012
26 October 2012
B92 (Serbia) / Tanjug (Serbia)
KRAGUJEVAC - Serbian weapons manufacturer Zastava Arms (Zastava Oružje) will end the year with a record export performance in the last two decades.
This is according to the joint stock company's director, Rade Gromović.
Over the first nine months of this year, Zastava Arms has exported USD 20 million worth of products, Gromović said at a ceremony marking 159 years since the establishment of the factory in the central Serbian city of Kragujevac.
Under contracts... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: B92 (Serbia) / Tanjug (Serbia)
36698
United States,Turkey
Turkey Shows Off Weapons Industry at US Arms Fair
25 October 2012
Hurriyet Daily News (Turkey)
Turkish defense companies received great interest at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, which ended yesterday.
Five companies under the umbrella of Turkey's Undersecretariat of Defense (SSSM) and Roketsan, a missile maker, showcased their up-to-date products at the fair, including military equipment, weapons, missiles, and defense technology software.
Turkish Ambassador to Washington Namık Tan, who visited... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Hurriyet Daily News (Turkey)
36684
Italy
13 People Die, 33 Injured in Italian Hunting Season, Calls for Law Reform
22 October 2012
Guardian (UK)
Italian hunters have killed 13 people and wounded 33 in shooting accidents since the season began in September, raising pressure to reform antiquated hunting laws. The death toll rose at the weekend when a 16-year-old was killed by a friend while hunting, a pensioner was shot and wounded in his garden and a cyclist was taken to hospital after being shot.
Hunting groups and environmentalists agree that the law – which allows hunters to roam on private land and fire... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Guardian (UK)
36668
Europe,European Union,Croatia
30,000 Guns Destroyed in Croatia in Battle Against Illegal Trafficking
19 October 2012
SEESAC (Belgrade)
On 19 October 2012, less than two years after the Croatian President Ivo Josipovic symbolically destroyed the first rifle marked for destruction, the last of 30,000 small arms and light weapons were disposed of, as a part of the EU supported SEESAC Arms Control Activities in the Western Balkans. The final, public destruction took place in Varazdin and was attended by Evelin Tonkovic - Deputy Minister of Interior (MoI) of the Republic of Croatia, Louisa Vinton - the UN... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: SEESAC (Belgrade)
36664
Turkey,Djibouti,United Arab Emirates
Men Cleared of Trafficking Arms from Turkey to UAE
26 September 2012
National (Abu Dhabi)
The State Security Court has cleared four men of smuggling firearms and bullets into the UAE.
Customs detected the "large amount" of guns and ammunition as they passed through Jebel Ali Port on their way to Djibouti from Turkey. Accompanying documents said it contained soap.
The lawyer for the four men said they had no knowledge of the contents. He said they worked for a company in Dubai that specialises in shipments that transit through the UAE.
The company is said... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: National (Abu Dhabi)
36592
Turkey,Djibouti,Spain
Spanish Authorities Seize 22,272 Pistols Being Smuggled to Djibouti
4 September 2012
Fox News Latino (USA) / EFE News Agency
Authorities in this southern Spanish port seized 22,272 pistols that were being smuggled in a container declared to be transporting textiles from Turkey to the East African nation of Djibouti.
The weapons, which could have fetched more than 2 million euros ($2.5 million) on the international arms market, were seized on Aug. 28 in what is considered to be the largest illegal arms shipment intercepted by Spanish customs authorities in recent years, the Civil Guard and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Fox News Latino (USA) / EFE News Agency
36529
Greece
Greeks Buy Weapons to Fight Crime During Economic Austerity
16 August 2012
BBC News
Greece's faltering economy has put many people out of work and cut support for illegal immigrants. Now Greeks are facing a rise in crime their police seem unable to stop.
It probably never occurred to Niki Yanakopoulou that she might be in danger as she let herself into her central Athens apartment building in the middle of the day.
The 75-year-old had just been to the bank and police say the man who followed her home most likely chose her at random, hoping she would... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BBC News
36468
Bosnia & Herzegovina,Croatia,Eastern Europe,Romania,Greece,Bulgaria,Moldova,Macedonia,Serbia
Balkan Countries Loaded With Illegal Firearms
8 August 2012
Southeast European Times
Southeast Europe's are heavily armed – according to the South Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, people in the region legally own 3 million firearms and another 4 million illegal weapons.
Serbia leads the region in weapons, according to Ivan Cvijovic, police inspector at the public order sector of the Belgrade police department. The rate of registered firearms per 100 people is 15.81.
Montenegro has 14.36... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Southeast European Times
36453
Turkey,Bulgaria
Bulgaria-Turkey Border Guards Seize 40,000 Rounds of Ammunition
5 August 2012
Sofia News Agency
Customs officers at the Kapakule border crossing point between Bulgaria and Turkey have intercepted an attempt to smuggle large amounts of ammunition into Turkey.
The X-ray inspection of a car driven by a Turkish national detected a suspicious load.
The car had entered Kapakule from the Kapitan Andreevo border crossing.
A follow-up inspection with a detection dog found 21 000 pistol bullets and an equal amount of bullets for sniper rifles, machine pistols, shotguns,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sofia News Agency
36438
Spain
Spanish Gun Store Manager Accused of Hiding Unregistered Weapons
29 July 2012
El Correo (Spain)
[Translated summary: A Spanish gun store manager is accused of concealing and not registering 14 guns and 10,481 rounds of ammunition after a Spanish Civil Guard inspection. He is facing three years in prison.]
La Fiscalía de Gipuzkoa pide tres años de cárcel para un responsable de una armería de Eibar al que acusa de no registrar y mantener ocultas en la empresa «catorce armas, un cañón de escopeta y 10.481 cartuchos metálicos», 196 de los cuales tenían... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: El Correo (Spain)
36451
European Union,Croatia,Serbia
Serbian Expert Calls for Gun Amnesty, Destruction by Authorities
27 July 2012
RTS (Belgrade) /, SEESAC (Belgrade)
The recent raid in Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia, during which authorities found and seized a significant amount of weapons in the house of a man suspected of producing and selling weapons and explosive materials, provides yet another opportunity to reflect on the widespread presence of illegal weapons in Serbia.
In a recent interview for Radio Television Serbia (RTS), Mr. Ivan Cvijovic from the Belgrade Police Department pointed out that in 2011 alone, the Belgrade Police... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: RTS (Belgrade) /, SEESAC (Belgrade)
36412
Italy,Germany,Austria,Europe,United States,Brazil
Europe's Role in US Mass Murders: EU Nations Often Provide the Guns
24 July 2012
Washington Post, Opinion
Americans mourn the victims in Aurora, Colo. In Europe, too, there is grief — mingled with incomprehension. The media chorus: How many more massacres before the United States adopts European-style gun control?
Christoph Prantner of Austria's Der Standard bemoans American insistence on Second Amendment rights, "even when this freedom occasionally has a very high price and, in a bloody perversion, fatally impairs the freedom of others."
I can't disagree. I just wish... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Washington Post
36378
Southern Europe,North Africa,West Asia,France
After Shootings, France Vows to Tighten Gun Control, Tackle Trafficking
9 July 2012
France 24
The subject of gun crime is back on the agenda in France after two separate shootings outside nightclubs within a matter of days. The government has vowed to take action while fearful nightclub owners are demanding police support.
A second nightclub shooting on consecutive weekends in France forced authorities on Monday to promise swift action against the growing issue of gun crime.
Ten people were injured in the early hours of Sunday morning when a man armed with a... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: France 24
36321
Italy,United States,Greece
Greek Police Charge Alleged Smugglers Running Guns from US to Crete
30 June 2012
Athens News (Greece)
An arms-smuggling ring bringing weapons from the United States to Greece, with Crete as their main destination, was caught in a joint operation set up by the Attica police Organised Crime department and the U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement service.
The three men arrested during the operation in Greece were led before a Zakynthos first-instance court prosecutor on Saturday to face criminal charges.
The three suspects were arrested on Friday during coordinated... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Athens News (Greece)
36292
Italy
Over 2 Million Lawfully Held Guns in Italy but a Very Soft Law [Italian]
29 June 2012
La Stampa (Italy)
[Translated summary: Yesterday in Giugliano, Naples, a three-year-old child found a gun in his house and accidentally shot himself to death. An analogous fact took place in Catania on June 18 and caused the death of a fifteen-year-old. But how many weapons are in circulation in Italian homes? The exact number has never been released by the Interior Ministry, but it is estimated that there are over 2 million lawfully held guns.]
ROMA - Ieri a Giugliano (Napoli) un... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: La Stampa (Italy)
36290
Spain
Spanish Police Dismantled an Internet Gun Trafficking Ring [Espanol]
21 June 2012
Lavanguardia (Spain) / EFE
[Translated summary: Spanish Guardia Civil dismantled a group dedicated to trafficking of firearms and other prohibited arms on the Internet.]
MADRID - La Guardia Civil ha desmantelado en las provincias de Guipúzcoa, Lleida y Tarragona un grupo dedicado al tráfico de armas de fuego y otras armas prohibidas a través de internet, en una operación en la que ha detenido a tres personas y se ha incautado de un importante arsenal.
En la operación "Easo", los agentes... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Lavanguardia (Spain) / EFE
36272
Sierra Leone,Yemen,Syria,Algeria,Iran,Somalia,China,Belarus,Italy,Germany,Bulgaria,Austria,Russia,Tunisia,United Kingdom,United States,Qatar,Sudan,Africa,Libya,Egypt,France
An Arms Buyback for Libya? – Analysis
9 June 2012
Eurasia Review (EU/Asia)
The Libyan civil war of early 2011 was one of the bloodiest conflicts in recent history, with an estimated 30,000 killed and 50,000 injured. While Muammar Gaddafi's death marked a watershed moment in Libyan history, the months of frenzied violence that preceded it saw a massive buildup of arms and munitions in the country. In the months leading up to and after his fall, Gaddafi's arms warehouses all across the country became unsecured; such was the level of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Eurasia Review (EU/Asia)
36228
Germany,Serbia,France
Serbians Smuggling Automatic Guns Arrested in Paris [Francais]
5 June 2012
20 Minutes (France)
[Translated summary: France Police arrested two Serbians in Paris who were about to deliver weapons of war, automatic pistols and ammunition.]
Les enquêteurs de la brigade de répression du banditisme (BRB) ont acquis la certitude que les malfaiteurs n'en étaient pas à leur première livraison. Selon nos informations, deux Serbes ont été arrêtés vendredi dernier dans Paris intra-muros alors qu'ils s'apprêtaient à livrer des armes de guerre. « Lors de la... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: 20 Minutes (France)
36213
Hong Kong,Italy,Germany,Israel,Austria,Bulgaria,Russia,India
Over 29,000 Russian AK-47s Imported by Indian Paramilitary Forces
20 May 2012
Times of India
NEW DELHI - AK-47s continue to be the preferred assault weapon for the country's paramilitary forces deployed to neutralise terrorists and Maoists at the frontiers and in the hinterland.
Over 29,000 pieces of this Russian-origin rifle were imported by forces like CRPF, BSF and NSG over the last three years, leaving behind, by a large margin, other sophisticated assault weapons procured from the US and Israel.
The inventory of the assault weapons procured for security... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Times of India
36147
Turkey
In Turkey, Debating a Woman's Right to Have a Gun in Domestic Violence
19 May 2012
National Public Radio (USA)
In Turkey, hundreds of women die each year at the hands of a husband or family member, in a society that critics say too often ignores violence against women. After years of frustration, one organization has shaken up the debate with a controversial proposal: arming women and training them to defend themselves.
Looking back, Yagmur Askin thinks perhaps she should have paid more attention on her wedding day, when her husband's family welcomed her by saying, "You enter... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: National Public Radio (USA)
36144
Brazil,Turkey,China,Pakistan,Central Asia,Russia,Afghanistan
Where Do 20 Million Illegal Guns Come From? Afghanistan, Says Pakistan
17 May 2012
Express Tribune (Pakistan)
KARACHI - There are an estimated 20 million illegal arms in circulation in Pakistan.
This includes serious firepower: law enforcement authorities are increasingly coming under attack from criminals and terrorists armed with heavy weapons such as grenades (including rocket-propelled ones), long-range sniper rifles and machine guns. The volatile situation in Lyari was a case in point, where despite the fact that police were equipped with tank-like armoured personnel... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Express Tribune (Pakistan)
36145
South America,Asia,Turkey,United Kingdom,Mexico,United States
Proposal to Relax Export Restrictions on Firearms in U.S. Unpopular
2 May 2012
Wall Street Journal
U.S. homeland-security and law-enforcement agencies have objected to
Obama administration proposals to relax export restrictions on
high-powered firearms, threatening a centerpiece of the president's
trade and national-security agenda.
The agencies, in internal memos viewed by The Wall Street Journal,
warn the changes could help arm drug cartels and terrorists and make
it harder for the U.S. to crack down on gun-trafficking.
The arms proposal is part of a broader... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Wall Street Journal
36097
Spain
Easy Access to Guns for Minors in Castellón Province, Spain [Espanol]
20 April 2012
El Periódico Mediterráneo (Spain)
[Translated Summary: More than 400 minors have the permission from the province of Castellón to use arms. The accident involving King Felipe's grandson Juan Froilán, in which he accidentally shot himself in the foot with a hunting rifle, has brought the use of firearms by minors back into the spotlight.]
Más de 400 menores tienen permiso de Castellón para usar armas. El accidente del nieto del rey Felipe Juan Froilán, que se disparó accidentalmente en un pie con... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: El Periódico Mediterráneo (Spain)
36053
Netherlands,Germany,Austria,Hungary,Serbia,Eastern Europe,Belgium
Belgian Authorities Disband International Gun Trafficking Ring [Français]
17 April 2012
RTL (Belgium)
[Translated summary: Brussels Police and the Federal Prosecutor have dismantled an international gun trafficking network in cooperation with Serbian, Austrian, Hungarian and German authorities.]
La police judiciaire fédérale de Bruxelles et le parquet fédéral ont démantelé un réseau international de trafic d'armes. Huit personnes ont été arrêtées en Belgique et des armes à feu ont été saisies, des kalachnikovs et des explosifs destinés à... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: RTL (Belgium)
36047
Spain
Scandal as 13yr-old Underage Spanish Royal Shoots Himself in Foot
10 April 2012
Daily News (Durban) / SAPA-AFP
MADRID - Spanish King Juan Carlos' 13-year-old grandson has shot himself in the foot, the royal family said Tuesday, sparking a scandal because he is below the legal age for using a firearm.
The boy, Felipe Marichalar Borbon, shot himself while learning to use a shotgun on the family's estate in Soria, north-central Spain, on Monday, the royal household said in a statement.
"While on the patio of the house with his father, he shot himself with a small .36 calibre... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Daily News (Durban) / SAPA-AFP
36008
Oceania,Asia,Americas,Africa,United Kingdom,United States,Europe,Spain
New Forensic Technique Tags Firearm Type with Gunshot Residue
9 April 2012
United Press International
ALBANY, N.Y. -- A new forensic technique using lasers may allow investigators to match gunshot residue to a specific caliber of firearm, U.S. and European researchers say.
The new technique could lead to a stronger link between a suspect and a firearm, they said.
Researchers in Spain used spectroscopy to analyze six kinds of ammunition, assessing propellant from unfired cartridges then compared these spectra to the signature in residue from fired guns, ScienceNews.org... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: United Press International
36018
Nepal,Myanmar,Sri Lanka,Bangladesh,Mauritius,Libya,Morocco,Saudi Arabia,Iran,Turkey,Thailand,Indonesia,Malaysia,France,China,United States,Pakistan
Pakistan Has Achieved Self Sufficiency in Small Arms and Ammunition
5 March 2012
Indian Defence Review
After partition, Pakistan did not inherit any military production facilities. In 1951, the Pakistan Ordnance Factory was established at Wah cantonment to produce small arms, ammunition and explosives. After 1965, Pakistan, apart from shifting its overwhelming arms supplies reliance from the US to China and other western countries like France; also began to concentrate on expanding its defence production facilities. In this, it received effusive assistance from... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Indian Defence Review
35895
Greece
Redundant Man Turns Hunting Rifle on His Former Employer in Greece
5 March 2012
Gulf News (Dubai) / Reuters
KOMOTINI - After more than 30 years as a factory worker, Dimitris Manikas was dreaming of retirement and planned to get married for the third time when a redundancy notice blew his hopes away.
Laid off from his job at a trash can factory in this northern Greek town, the 52-year-old father of two called off his wedding. Without any income, he feared his house would be next to go.
Driven to despair, Manikas on Thursday barged into the factory whose name he had tattooed... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Gulf News (Dubai) / Reuters
35879
Portugal
Gun Licence Applications Up 20%, More Gun Dealers Open in Portugal
25 February 2012
Portugal News
Licensing requests for guns have increased by 20 percent in Portugal in the past year, with the number of establishments selling firearms also increasing by 10 percent.
This in turn has led to the number of registered firearms having increased in Portugal, which currently has around 1.4 million licensed guns, 19,000 of which were licensed in the past year.
According to the President of the Security, Organised Crime and Terrorism Observatory (OSCOT) José Manuel Anes,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Portugal News
35860
Spain
Spanish Family Arrested for Running Gun 'Supermarket' at Home [Espanol]
21 February 2012
Europa Press (Spain)
[Translated summary: Spanish National Police arrested a married couple and their son for allegedly running a "supermarket" of firearms in their house and in a storage room in San Vicente dels Horts (Barcelona), selling craft guns to criminals and drug traffickers who used them for settling accounts and threatening rival gangs. It is, according to the Chief of Police, "one of the largest arsenals of Catalonia".]
BARCELONA - La Policía Nacional ha detenido a un... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Europa Press (Spain)
35856
Italy,Philippines,United States,Russia,Germany,Czech Republic,China,Botswana,Oceania,Americas,Africa,Asia,Europe,Central Africa,Caribbean,South America,Central America,Zimbabwe,Namibia,Mozambique,Congo (DRC),Angola,Swaziland,South Africa,Southern Africa
High Gun Death Risk for Young African Men, Women at Home - UN Study
19 February 2012
Southern Times (Southern Africa)
WINDHOEK - Young men in Southern Africa are at the greatest risk of cold-blooded murder, while women in the region are more likely than others from around the world to be killed in domestic violence, a UN agency says.
The statistics from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) come as the region battles to contain the proliferation of gun-related crimes.
Experts have said gun-related crime is a major problem in South Africa and Swaziland, and is on the rise in... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Southern Times (Southern Africa)
35844
Italy
Police Seize 'Mafia Arsenal' of Machine Guns, Handguns in Calabria
15 February 2012
Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno (Italy)
CROTONE - Italian police on Wednesday found a big 'Ndrangheta mafia weapons cache outside this Calabrian city. "It was a full-blown arsenal, comprising 15 handguns, at least a dozen rifles and machine guns including several Kalashnikovs, and thousands of bullets of various calibres," police said. Investigators said they were "fairly sure" the "well-oiled" weapons were in regular use by local... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno (Italy)
35848
Uganda,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,Turkey,Scotland,United Kingdom,Oceania
Dunblane Father Urges End to Global Gun Trade Killing 1500 a Day
12 February 2012
Daily Record (Scotland)
A global campaign to control the trade in deadly weapons will be stepped up at Glasgow University tomorrow when anti-gun campaigner Dr Mick North - whose daughter Sophie was killed in Dunblane tragedy in 1996 - leads a new push by Oxfam and Amnesty towards a United Nations arms treaty.
Here, he explains why the issue means the difference between life and death.
_________
Next month marks the 16th anniversary of my daughter's death.
Sophie was just five when a gunman... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Daily Record (Scotland)
35822
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
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
Spain
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)
Read More: ABC News (Spain)
35752
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
Kosovo,Bulgaria,Albania,Hungary,Croatia,Bosnia & Herzegovina
A 5th of Bosnia & Herzegovina Population Own 750,000 Unregistered Arms
12 January 2012
Southeast European Times
An estimated fifth of Bosnia and Herzegovina's (BiH) population own 750,000 unregistered weapons, according to officials who cite widespread availability and easy access on the black market as a major source of concern.
"After traffic accidents, illegal arms are the most common cause of death in BiH. About 90% of illegal acts are done with the use of illegal weapons," Denis Hadzovic of the Centre for Security Studies in BiH told SETimes.
Most illegal weapons are guns... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Southeast European Times
35736
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
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
Italy
African Street Sellers Shot Dead in Florence by 'Racist Right Wing Extremist'
13 December 2011
Reuters
FLORENCE, Italy - An Italian man killed two African street sellers and wounded three others in an apparent racist shooting rampage in the heart of Florence on Tuesday before committing suicide, police said.
Gianluca Casseri, 50, who Italian officials said was a right-wing extremist, parked his car in the crowded Dalmazia square at lunch time, got out and started shooting with a large pistol, witnesses said.
Two Senegalese men were killed and one seriously... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Reuters
35664
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
Italy,Slovenia
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)
Read More: Associated Press
35619
Austria,Spain,Belgium,Eastern Europe,France
In 2010, French Police Seized 79% More Guns Than in 2009 [Francais]
2 December 2011
Le Figaro (France)
[Translated Summary: French Police seized 3,355 firearms since January 2011, 2,710 in 2010 or 79% more than in 2009; out of 3.14 million firearms lawfully possessed, 30,000 are unlawfully possessed in 2010; a report from 2009 says that theft of firearms increased by 38.6%.]
La Direction centrale de la police judiciaire a recensé 2710 saisies d'armes à feu en 2010, soit une explosion de 79% par rapport à 2009.
Les saisies de pistolets, révolvers, fusils à pompes... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Le Figaro (France)
35624
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
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
Italy
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)
Read More: Corriere Adriatico (Ancona)
35545
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
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
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
Serbia
1.2 Millions Weapons Registered in Serbia - Study
3 October 2011
Albeu (Albania)
According to a study by the Center for the control of small arms and light weapons in Eastern Europe (Weapons), in Serbia have registered over 1.2 million weapons. The country is regarded as the most armed in the region compared with other countries in the region, but also in the world.
According to the Ministry of Interior of Serbia, 45 thousand guns of different calibers were recorded in 3300 owned by legal persons, while 96% of other weapons are owned by about 600... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Albeu (Albania)
35370
Russia,Peru,Colombia,Greece
Russian Accused of Gun-Running Beats Extradition and Leaves Greece
1 October 2011
RIA Novosti (Russia)
ATHENS - Vladimir Gavrilov, a Russian accused of gun-running to Colombia's FARC rebels in the 1990's has been released from custody in Greece, where he had been detained for a month on an extradition request from Peru, his lawyer Georgy Gurovanidis told RIA Novosti.
Gavrilov returned to Moscow on Saturday morning after his release.
Vladimir Gavrilov had spent a month in detention in Salonika, Greece, after being detained at the end of August on an international arrest... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: RIA Novosti (Russia)
35347
Montenegro,Bosnia & Herzegovina,European Union,Serbia,Eastern Europe,Southern Europe,Croatia,Kosovo,Albania
Balkan Countries Work To Round Up Privately Held Guns, Ammunition
5 September 2011
Southeast European Times (Pristina)
The statistics about gun ownership regionwide are surprising and the results can be deadly. In Albania alone, for example, analyst Jonuz Kola estimated this summer that 6% to 9% of the population has a weapon in the home. Scores of accidental shootings occur, including that of a 9-year-old in Shkodra, who died at the hands of his 11-year-old brother on July 18th.
Xhavit Shala, an expert within the Albanian Interior Ministry notes that in 1997, a considerable amount of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Southeast European Times (Pristina)
35244
Macedonia,Puerto Rico,United States,Libya
How Dangerous is Celebratory Gunfire? Many Innocents Are Struck, Killed
24 August 2011
Guardian (UK)
Without doubt, war correspondents are wise to wear helmets and flak jackets while sending dispatches from shell-pounded streets crackling with gunfire.
But when Sky News reporter Alex Crawford rode into Tripoli this week on a rebel pickup truck, she was more worried about celebratory gunfire – because of the danger posed by bullets landing on her head.
While some early studies conjectured that bullets shot upwards simply vanished into space, the threat from falling... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Guardian (UK)
35217
Serbia,Macedonia,Kuwait,Iraq,Philippines,Jordan,Turkey,United States,Libya
Celebratory Shooting Injuries: How Dangerous is Firing a Gun Into the Air?
22 August 2011
BBC News
Libyan rebels have celebrated their advance into Tripoli by firing guns in the air. How hazardous is this?
It is, unarguably, an emphatic way to display one's jubilation.
Shooting an automatic weapon into the sky to signal an occasion one welcomes is a popular practice in much of the world, as the footage of Libyan anti-Gaddafi forces seizing the main square of the capital city has demonstrated.
But it is a potentially fatal activity, which regularly results in the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BBC News
35213
Turkey
NGO Criticizes Proposed Gun Law in Turkey, Offers Alternatives
11 August 2011
Hürriyet Daily News (Istanbul)
The Hope Foundation has criticized the draft law on guns that is set to be discussed in Parliament during the coming term by sending deputies a letter detailing new suggestions to regulate the sale and use of arms in the country.
"Some 4,500 people on average lose their lives due to gun fire in our country every year. If you include the victims' families, the lives of at least 25,000 people are negatively affected every year because of personal arms," said Nazire... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Hürriyet Daily News (Istanbul)
35182
United States,Italy
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)
Read More: Security Management News (USA)
35156
Sri Lanka,Sudan,Malawi,Zambia,Mozambique,Macedonia,Liberia,Sierra Leone,West Africa,Africa,South Africa
Africa: Analysis: How Best to Remove Guns from Post-conflict Zones?
28 July 2011
IRIN (UN News)
JOHANNESBURG - Cash for guns or buy-back programmes in post-conflict states have fallen out of favour as a method of ridding a society of weapons, and have been replaced by often elaborate schemes designed to remove money from the equation, but the debate continues as to the best way forward.
The disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) community has grappled for years with buy-back practices and acknowledges they can have a profound effect on the nature of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: IRIN (UN News)
35133
France,Qatar,United Kingdom,Libya,Russia,Italy
Small Arms Seized by Italy Gone Missing, Libya Likely Destination
20 July 2011
Scotsman (Edinburgh)
A shipment of weapons seized by the Italian navy following a tip-off from British secret agents has gone missing - most likely ending up in the hands of Libya's rebels.
The haul, which was described by one military expert as "enough to start and win a small war", included 400 anti-tank missiles and 50 launchers for them; 30,000 AK47s; 5,000 Katusha rockets; 11,000 anti-tank rockets and 32 million rounds of small arms ammunition.
All of the Russian-made weapons were... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Scotsman (Edinburgh)
35083
European Union,Bulgaria,Russia,West Africa,Pakistan,France,Australia,United Kingdom,Canada,Germany,Italy,United States,Haiti,Côte d'Ivoire,Madagascar
Study Finds Small Arms Have Serious Impact on Fragile States
6 July 2011
Voice of America
A new study finds the global authorized trade in small arms, light weapons, and their ammunition is worth nearly $7.1 billion a year. In its annual report, the independent think tank, the Geneva Forum, also examines the serious impact small arms proliferation is having upon three so-called fragile states-Madagascar, Ivory Coast and Haiti.
Arms exporters
The survey finds in 2008, the United States, Italy and Germany topped the list of 14 top exporters of small arms... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Voice of America
35022
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