Gun Policy News
Firearm violence, gun control and small arms
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,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
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
Germany,China,Nepal,Italy,India,United States
High Incidence of Small Arms Violence in Nepal: India Border, Armed Women
16 June 2011
MSN News / Indo-Asian News Service
KATHMANDU -- As over 70 countries in the world Thursday begin observing the Global Week of Action Against Gun Violence, peace activists rue that even five years after the end of an armed insurrection, Nepal is still wracked by gunfire, thanks to the 1,800-km open border with India.
'There have been 1,013 incidents of violence caused by small arms in the last 17 months,' says Subodh Pyakurel, chief of Informal Sector Service Center (Insec), Nepal's largest NGO that... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: MSN News / Indo-Asian News Service
34975
South America,South Asia,Central Asia,Eastern Europe,Africa,Egypt,France,Italy,Libya
Libya's Rebels: Where Are the Weapons From?
15 June 2011
The Interpreter - Lowy Institute for International Policy (Australia)
Libya's rebels appear to be armed in a fairly predictable way. The basis of their armoury seems to come from weapons taken from state stockpiles in battle and from defecting Libyan officers. The literature refers to these as 'battle-captures', or euphemistically, 'leakage'. In Libya's case, it's clearly a flood.
Libya was one of the largest purchasers of conventional military equipment in the developing world in the 1970s and 80s. While the USSR was its main supplier,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: The Interpreter - Lowy Institute for International Policy (Australia)
34956
Italy,European Union,United States,Austria
Strict Gun Laws at Home, But Austrian Exports Fuel Gun Violence Abroad
10 June 2011
Vienna Review (Austria), Opinion
When you think of Austrian exports, what are the first things that pop into your mind? Sausages? Beer? Those little round chocolates with Mozart's portrait on the foil cover? All of these are valid answers.
But if you didn't think of the Glock 9mm semi-automatic pistol with short recoil, locked breech and a tilting barrel, possessing an effective range of slightly over 50 meters and the possibility of inserting up to a 33 shot clip, you are seriously missing out. It's... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Vienna Review (Austria)
34940
West Asia,United Arab Emirates,Egypt,Yemen,Turkey
Turkey Probes 'Unauthorised' Shipment of 16,000 Handguns to Yemen
25 March 2011
Associated Press
ANKARA, Turkey - Turkey says it is investigating a shipment of thousands of Turkish-made small arms bound for Yemen that were seized by Dubai police.
A statement from Turkey's Foreign Ministry on Friday insisted that no such shipment had been authorized by Turkish officials.
Dubai's police found 16,000 pistols concealed in a cargo shipping container. It says the shipment originated in Turkey and passed through an Egyptian port before reaching the Gulf Emirate.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Associated Press
34593
Italy
Human Shooting Deaths Raise Calls for More Hunting Regulations in Italy
15 February 2011
Los Angeles Times
ROME — They came from opposite directions, two avid hunters tracking the same wild boar.
Neither knew the other was there. So when one noticed a flash of movement in a nearby bush, he fired two quick rounds — adding the other man's name to the grim roll of those killed in pursuit of a deadly pastime.
As Italy weighs up the tons of birds, hares and other game bagged over its official five-month hunting season, the country is facing the uncomfortable fact that... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Los Angeles Times
34430
Germany,United Kingdom,Portugal,China,United States,Europe
Gun Runner Turns on Licensed Dealers in UK/US/Europe Trafficking Case
10 February 2011
Associated Press
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - A sudden plea agreement in a federal prosecution of a trio of international weapons dealers has heightened momentum in a case that could shed light on the illicit global arms trade, including irregularities in U.S.-backed shipments of assault rifles to Iraq.
Gun dealer Karl Kleber, a German national who had been living in Portugal, pleaded guilty Wednesday in a U.S. district courtroom, admitting to violating federal arms laws in a scheme to import... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Associated Press
34372
Italy
Hunters Under Fire: 109 Italians Shot, 35 Killed by Careless Sport Shooters
1 February 2011
Guardian (UK)
It is not just birds, rabbits and wild boar who meet a sticky end in the Italian hunting season.
According to statistics published today, 35 people have also been killed in the past four months, and another 74 injured. Italy's anti-hunting league, the LAC, said all but one were hunters killed accidentally by their shooting companions.
But the 35th victim was a mushroom collector shot dead near Arezzo in Tuscany. Of the injured, 13 were also non-hunters, mostly people... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Guardian (UK)
34305
United States,Vatican
Catholic Church Firmly, Quietly, Globally Opposes Firearms for Civilians
14 January 2011
Catholic News Service (Washington DC)
VATICAN CITY - The Catholic Church's position on gun control is not easy to find; there are dozens of speeches and talks and a few documents that call for much tighter regulation of the global arms trade, but what about private gun ownership?
The answer is resoundingly clear: Firearms in the hands of civilians should be strictly limited and eventually completely eliminated.
But you won't find that statement in a headline or a document subheading. It's almost hidden in... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Catholic News Service (Washington DC)
34132
Iraq,Indonesia,Serbia,Jordan,Afghanistan
Serbian Weapon Maker Foresees 30% Rise in Sniper Rifle Exports
12 January 2011
Bloomberg (USA)
Zastava Oruzje, a Serbian weapons maker, made $17 million of sales abroad in 2010 and expects the figure to rise 30 percent this year as a result of contracts to sell sniper rifles to Jordan and Indonesia, Blic reported, citing General Manager Rade Gromovic.
The maker of handguns, military and hunting rifles also plans to continue supplying the Iraqi and Afghan armies until at least 2014, the newspaper... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Bloomberg (USA)
34075
Italy
Italian Man Shot in Head on New Year's Eve Sneezes Out Bullet and Lives
11 January 2011
BBC News
An Italian man has astonished doctors by sneezing a bullet out through his nose after being shot in the head.
Darco Sangermano, 28, had been taken to hospital in Naples for emergency treatment after being hit by a stray bullet during New Year's Eve celebrations.
The bullet passed behind his right eye and lodged in his nostril, but miraculously did no serious damage.
He is expected to make a full recovery, doctors say.
Mr Sangermano had spent New Year's Eve with his... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BBC News
34015
United Kingdom,Switzerland,Russia,Norway,Mexico,Japan,Italy,Germany,Austria,Czech Republic,India,China,Canada,Brazil,Australia,United States
How Gun Control Laws Vary in 16 Countries Around the World
10 January 2011
Guardian (UK)
Australia
Ownership is strictly prohibited unless there are "genuine reasons" such as licensed sport, animal control or employment requirements.
Brazil
If you are over 25 and have registered a weapon, you are free to keep it indoors. The country has the second-highest gun-related death rate after the US.
Canada
Significantly stricter than the neighbouring US. To acquire a licence, applicants must undertake a safety course, pass a criminal records check and be... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Guardian (UK)
34020
Italy
Gun Owner Shoots, Kills 2 Brothers, His Wife, Himself Over Infidelity in Italy
9 January 2011
Associated Press
ROME — A 74-year-old Italian retiree shot dead two neighbors and then his wife Sunday before turning the gun on himself, police said. Jealousy appeared to be behind the rampage in the northern city of Genoa.
Carlo Trabona, a retired bricklayer, first went to a coffee bar where he shot one of his neighbors. As the other one ran away, Trabona followed him, shot him and then went back home where he killed his wife, according to a police reconstruction reported by... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Associated Press
33992
United States,China,Albania,Afghanistan
US Gun Dealer Gets 4yrs for $300 Million Pentagon Afghan Ammo Fraud
3 January 2011
Associated Press
MIAMI - A youthful arms dealer whose company once boasted a $300 million Pentagon munitions contract was sentenced Monday to four years in federal prison for trying to ship millions of rounds of prohibited Chinese-made ammunition to Afghan forces fighting alongside U.S. troops.
U.S. District Judge Joan Lenard imposed the sentence on 25-year-old Efraim Diveroli, who faced a maximum of five years behind bars after pleading guilty in 2009 to a fraud conspiracy charge.... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Associated Press
33951
Spain
Distressed Gun Owner Kills 4 with Shotgun in Spanish Gun Rampage
15 December 2010
Press Association (UK)
A man facing foreclosure on his apartment has shot dead his former employers and two bank workers in a small Spanish town.
Police said the 57-year-old walked into a bar in Olot, near Girona, and killed two men with a shotgun. Minutes later he went to a bank and killed the two staff.
The victims in the bar were a building company owner and his son, and the man had worked for their firm.
Police sources said he had a mortgage at the bank for an apartment that was going... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Press Association (UK)
33844
Spain
Financially Distressed Gun Owner Shoots 4 People Dead in Spanish Town
15 December 2010
Associated Press
MADRID — Police arrested a man suspected of shooting dead four people in a town in northeastern Spain on Wednesday.
In a statement, police said a man walked into a bar in the town of Olot on Wednesday morning and shot two men dead with a shotgun. Minutes later, he went to a bank and killed two staff members.
La Vanguardia newspaper and other media outlets said the two men who died in the bar were a construction company owner and his son, and that the suspect had... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Associated Press
33843
Spain
Gunman Shoots, Kills Four in Spanish Bar and Bank Near Barcelona
15 December 2010
BBC News
A man armed with a rifle has killed four people in a rampage in Girona province, north-east Spain, police say.
The gunman walked into a bar in the town of Olot, 120km (70 miles) north of Barcelona, and shot two men - reportedly a father and son who were both construction workers.
Minutes later, he went to a bank and killed two staff, police said.
A 57-year-old Spaniard was later arrested over the killings. Police have not commented on possible motives.
But Olot... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BBC News
33839
Turkey
Draft Law to Ease Regulations on Gun Ownership Draws Ire in Turkey
14 December 2010
Today's Zaman (Istanbul)
Possible amendments to gun laws that are intended to ease restrictions on owning and carrying small arms have faced much criticism in Turkey.
The bill, currently in subcommittee at Parliament, ensures easier access to guns, allowing people to own as many as five weapons and the right to carry two of them at one time. Some civil society organizations underline that such regulations will lead to more crime and will threaten lives, especially those of women and children,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Today's Zaman (Istanbul)
33813
Greece
Greek Police Seize Machine Guns, Assault Weapons, Explosive Cache
5 December 2010
Bloomberg (USA)
Greek police confiscated explosives and weapons including hand grenades and sub-machine guns in overnight raids on houses in Athens.
Operations by counter-terrorist police yielded four hand- grenades, 50 kilos of industrial-grade ANFO, an explosive mixture of ammonium nitrate and fuel oil, 200 grams of TNT, seven handguns, three Kalashnikov assault rifles, three sub- machine guns and ammunition, the police said by text message.
Police spokesman Athanasios Kokkalakis... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Bloomberg (USA)
33751
Greece
Greek Gun Hideouts 'Probed For Extremist Links' as Machine Guns Seized
4 December 2010
Agence France Presse
ATHENS — Nine people have been arrested in Greece after police found a large haul of guns and explosives in hideouts in the capital and sought to determine links to extremist activity, officials said on Sunday.
Most of the suspects were arrested on Saturday after officers caught two armed men outside a garage in the Athens suburb of Nea Smyrni and subsequently found the arms and explosives cache inside, the police said.
As anti-terrorist police fanned out across the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Agence France Presse
33764
Serbia
Serb Court Postpones Illegal Gun Case Against Wife of Fugitive Mladic
3 December 2010
Associated Press
BELGRADE, Yugoslavia - A Serbian court postponed a case for possession of illegal weapons against the wife of Europe's most wanted fugitive Ratko Mladic on Friday, amid renewed pledges by government officials that they will find and arrest her husband.
Bosiljka Mladic could face prison if convicted over the three guns, a rifle and ammunition found in a police search of the family home in Belgrade in 2008.
"This whole case is a form of pressure, designed to show that... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Associated Press
33760
Turkey,Italy,Portugal,Netherlands,Europe
Italian Gas Guns Illegally Converted in Portugal to Arm European Criminals
19 November 2010
NRC Handelsblad (Rotterdam)
As the EU cracks down on firearms, illegal trafficking in altered alarm guns is booming on the Continent. They're cheap, easy to alter, impossible to trace – so they're becoming the criminal's weapon of choice.
At the age of 10, Massimo Tanfoglio was already packaging pistols in his father's factory. Now, age 57, he manages the Fratelli Tanfoglio firearms factory in Gardone Val Trompia, in northern Italy. Strolling down the streets of this small town, you'll see... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: NRC Handelsblad (Rotterdam)
33714
Europe,United States,Southern Europe,Eastern Europe
Terrorists 'Can Get Weapons Anytime' in Balkans, Attack Europe, America
11 November 2010
SEESAC Media Monitoring / Politika (Belgrade)
Experts for terrorism warn that the extremists, who have been threatening to attack specific targets in Europe and America, could get there across the Balkans, where they could without much difficulty find the weapons and explosives they need.
"After recent threats, both America and Europe have reinforced controls over the entry of weapons, as well as over the activities of the extreme Islamic and criminal groups that sell weapons. But there is one gap, and this is the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: SEESAC Media Monitoring / Politika (Belgrade)
33632
Europe,Kosovo,Bosnia & Herzegovina,Serbia,United States,Southern Europe
Balkan Gun Smuggling Seen as Prime Terrorist Threat to America, Europe
9 November 2010
Reuters
BELGRADE/SARAJEVO - Security experts concerned that the next militant attack in Europe could be a Mumbai-style commando raid are looking at the Balkans as a likely place for them to find weapons quietly and efficiently.
Western governments and intelligence sources have stepped up warnings recently of preparations for attacks in Europe and the United States, and said the attackers might emulate the 2008 assault on Mumbai's financial district in which 166 were... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Reuters
33611
Southern Europe,Eastern Europe,Albania,United States
Southeast Europe, United States Worry as Stolen Military Guns Proliferate
12 October 2010
Associated Press
TIRANA, Albania - Defence Ministers from southeast Europe meeting in Albania have expressed concern about the proliferation of small arms from former Communist military arsenals and Balkan wars.
They pledged Tuesday to work more closely to prevent the spread of looted and unrecovered weaponry. Albania's military stores were looted during a revolt in 1997.
Officials from Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Macedonia, Italy, Romania, Slovenia, Turkey, Ukraine, Serbia,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Associated Press
33472
Turkey
Turkey Moves to Loosen Gun Laws, Lower Age for Firearm Ownership
8 October 2010
Hürriyet Daily News (Istanbul)
Noting that the 'only purpose of a gun is to kill,' Nazire Dedeman, head of the Umut Foundation, an NGO working for individual disarmament, says she cannot understand how Turkish parliamentarians are planning to liberalize the country's gun laws. Laws allowing people as young as 18 to own up to five guns is entirely irresponsible, Dedeman says.
A prospective Turkish bill that would lower the minimum age for firearms possession to 18 and make owning a gun easier is... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Hürriyet Daily News (Istanbul)
33453
Serbia
Thief Targets Hunting Gun Show in Serbia, Gets Away with 32 Handguns
1 October 2010
SEESAC (Belgrade)
An unknown perpetrator has stolen an undisclosed amount of weapons exhibited at Novi Sad's Hunting and Fishing Fair.
A local police spokeswoman confirmed this, and said the weapons were stolen at around 05:00 CET on Friday.
Unofficially, some 40 pistols and other arms were missing, mostly from the stands of Zastava Arms and the Belgrade-based Sniper company.
Zastava Director Rade Gromović did not wish to comment on the robbery before Serbian police (MUP) made their... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: SEESAC (Belgrade)
33427
Serbia
Unintentional Shootings in Serbia Blamed on Lax Gun Storage, Policing
31 August 2010
Politika (Belgrade)
Citizens hold their weapons under the pillow or mattress, in the chimney, in the oven or in the country house, on the hat stand or in the summer house.
Weapons availability coupled with children's curiosity has led to the family tragedy in Apatin. Playing with his father's gun, 14-year old boy shot himself in the temple, in the presence of his 9-year old sister. The 7.65 mm pistol CZ M-70 was kept in the cupboard, and the boy's father had inherited it from his... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Politika (Belgrade)
33283
Turkey
Groom Kills 3 Family with AK-47 in Turkish Wedding Celebratory Shooting
9 August 2010
Agence France Presse
A Turkish groom accidentally killed his father and two aunts at his wedding when he fired into the air with an assault rifle in celebration.
Eight other people were wounded in the incident at the village of Akcagoze in the south-eastern province of Gaziantep on Sunday, the Anatolia news agency said.
The groom unleashed a volley of rapid aerial shots with an AK-47 rifle to celebrate his nuptials, but lost control of the weapon and accidentally raked the guests with... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Agence France Presse
33126
Turkey
Celebrating Turkish Wedding, Groom Kills 3 Family Members with AK-47
9 August 2010
CNN
Three family members at a wedding in Turkey have been accidentally shot dead by the groom firing an AK-47 rifle in celebration.
The groom, Tevfik Altin, lost control of his rifle, spraying the guests with bullets and killing his father and two aunts and injuring six others, according to CNN Turk.
It reported that Altin had been arrested after the incident in the village of Akcagoze in southeastern Turkey. Guns are often fired into the air in celebration in some parts... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: CNN
33120
Bosnia & Herzegovina,Panama,Chad,Israel,United States,Somalia
Israeli Gun Dealer Indicted in US, Smuggling Bosnian AK-47s to Somalia
29 June 2010
Ha'aretz (Tel Aviv)
Foreign Ministry and Defense Ministry sources adamantly denied yesterday that they were in any way involved in arms shipments to Somalia.
Spokesmen for both ministries were responding to news of the arrest in the U.S. of Hanoch Miller, an Israeli arms merchant, for allegedly illegal arms sales to Somalia, forging documents, money laundering and violating the UN arms embargo on Somalia.
A Defense Ministry spokesman said there is a ban on arms sales to Somalia and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Ha'aretz (Tel Aviv)
32903
Israel,Bosnia & Herzegovina,Somalia,United States
Feds Nab Israeli, US Gun Runners Smuggling AK-47s, Bosnia to Somalia
28 June 2010
Politico (Washington DC)
A retired U.S. Air Force colonel charged in the 1980s in an Iran-Contra related weapons smuggling case has been indicted in a U.S. federal court in Miami with conspiring with an Israeli aeronautics engineer to illegally export 2,000 AK-47s to Somalia.
The June 17 indictment against Joseph O'Toole, 79, now based in Claremont, California, was unsealed today. POLITICO earlier Monday reported on the indictment of his Israeli co-defendant, Chanoch Miller. Miller, an Israeli... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Politico (Washington DC)
32902
Serbia
New Law Will Regulate 50,000 Serbian Civilians, Guards Who Carry Guns
19 June 2010
Vecernje Novosti (Belgrade)
More than 50,000 people in Serbia, apart from the army and the police, carry arms every day. The third armed force in the country is made up of employees of hundreds of private companies that provide security services. Although this sector has been growing for years, it may only be expected to be regulated by a separate law in autumn.
Owners of security companies are united in claiming that there are many problems - from agencies that operate on the black market... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Vecernje Novosti (Belgrade)
32939
Portugal
Gun Possession Rife in Portugal, Hunting Most Popular Reason
29 May 2010
Portugal News
These startling figures were released by the Centre for Social Studies (CES) of Coimbra University, who carried out a study regarding weapons in Portugal, which also pointed to hunting weapons as the preferred choice among Portuguese.
An analysis of the internal firearms trafficking and import figures showed that part of the illegal weapons being used in Portugal originated from the legal market: "between 2004 and 2007, 5,913 firearms were stolen or lost, an average of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Portugal News
32758
Bosnia & Herzegovina,United States
US Pays Bosnians to Destroy 67,000 Guns, 20,000 Tonnes of Ammo
22 May 2010
Voice of America, Editorial
On May 13, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs Thomas Masiello and Bosnia and Herzegovina's Minister of Defense Selmo Cikotic, signed a Joint Statement in which both countries pledge to destroy 67 thousand excess small arms and 20 thousand tons of surplus conventional ammunition and explosive ordnance. The process is expected to take several years.
Bosnia and Herzegovina has made some progress on reforms in the past year, particularly in... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Voice of America
32722
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Stringent Gun Control Due for December Re-write in Bosnia & Herzegovina
17 May 2010
SEESAC / Vecernje Novosti (Belgrade)
BANJALUKA – In Republika Srpska, every person aged 21 and over, who undergoes the procedures laid down by the Law on weapons and ammunition of RS can buy and possess a weapon for around 1,000 km. This price includes both the acquisition of a weapon and all the formalities and training for the use of weapons. For the acquisition of hunting and sports weapons one must be 18 and pay around 2,000 km.
The law requires that pistols and rifles may be acquired by the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: SEESAC / Vecernje Novosti (Belgrade)
33163
Kosovo,Albania,Montenegro,Serbia,Macedonia
Macedonia, Albania Discuss Kosovo Gun Trafficking, More Border Seizures
14 May 2010
SEESAC (Belgrade) / RTA
After two confrontations with renegades, the Police cracked down on Tetovo Novo Selo again, arrested four persons and seized a number of weapons, ammunition and explosives. The situation in Macedonia is stable, KFOR reinforced its fast intervention units in the region of Sar Planina.
A minimum three persons were arrested in the night action of Macedonian special units in Novo Selo, near Tetovo, a town on the west of the country, only two days after the most serious... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: SEESAC (Belgrade) / RTA
32704
Russia,Italy
Italian Gun Maker Beretta Rescues Russian Weapon Plant in Joint Venture
7 May 2010
RIA Novosti (Russia)
MOSCOW - State Technology Corporation Rostekhnologii plans to embark on a joint small arms production venture with Italian firearms company Beretta, Kommersant business daily reported on Friday.
Director General of Rostehnologii Sergei Chemezov told Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Thursday the state corporation is negotiating with the Italian company on the production of "hunting and sporting arms, and handguns for the special services and police."
A source... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: RIA Novosti (Russia)
32644
Kosovo,Macedonia
Kosovo Police Find Another Gun, Ammo Cache Near Macedonia Border
30 April 2010
Balkan Insight (Sarajevo)
Seven people have been arrested on suspicion of weapons smuggling near Kosovo's border with Macedonia. Kosovo Police said that it discovered a stash of weapons in a car on Thursday in the village of Begrac, near Kacanik, southern Kosovo.
A search of nearby homes and businesses then uncovered more weapons, military uniforms, six boxes of fuses, an automatic rifle, six grenades and detonation wires.
The incident came after another stash of weapons were found near Blace... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Balkan Insight (Sarajevo)
32665
Macedonia,Kosovo
Macedonian Police Discover Large Gun, Ammo Cache at Kosovo Border
30 April 2010
Balkan Insight (Sarajevo)
Macedonian police on Thursday seized a large stash of personal firearms and explosives hidden in several bunkers in the mountainous terrain near the border with Kosovo. On Friday, the police reported that they had found an additional large cache of weapons, including sniper rifles, mortars, and missiles, in the same area, as their search continues.
Unofficially local media reported that several armed and uniformed men who were guarding the weapons on Thursday opened... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Balkan Insight (Sarajevo)
32664
Italy,United Kingdom
Italian 'Starter Pistol' Found Firing Real Bullets in London: UK to Ban
16 April 2010
BBC News
A starter pistol which can be converted to fire live ammunition is to become illegal from 4 June.
Olympic .380 BBM revolvers that were adapted to fire real bullets accounted for 18.5% of firearms seized by the Metropolitan Police last year.
Imports of the Italian-made pistol were halted last month because of the ease with which the gun can be converted.
Police have urged owners to hand in their pistols during an amnesty before the ban begins.
After 4 June the weapon... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BBC News
32530
Turkey
Turkish Gun Shops Go From Back Alley to Mall, 80% of Shooters are Men
11 April 2010
Hürriyet Daily News (Turkey)
A glitzy gun shop visible from the mall food court would have been a rare sight in Turkey until recently, as guns were mostly sold at small establishments tucked away in back alleys or industrial neighborhoods.
The vast Silah Dünyası (Gun World) stores, however, are designed to attract attention.
The first chain store in Turkey to specialize in guns, security devices and hunting and hobby equipment, Gun World was founded in 2003. It currently has two locations in... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Hürriyet Daily News (Turkey)
32488
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Bosnia & Herzegovina Civilians Among 'Most Armed in the World'
14 February 2010
SEESAC / Politika (Belgrade)
SARAJEVO, Bosnia & Herzegovina – According to the official information, at present 19% of BiH citizens are legally "armed", and 15% civilians are illegally armed. A survey conducted by UNDP in the past confirmed that there is around half a million of weapons in illegal civilian possession and that they are often used in incidents many of which have a fatal outcome, which is proved by the fact that "from the end of the war to 2003 in BiH around 8,000 citizens were... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: SEESAC / Politika (Belgrade)
32153
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Licensed Gun Owners Number 300,000 in Bosnia, Many More Guns Illegal
11 February 2010
SEESAC / BalkanInsight.com (Belgrade)
According to official data, almost 300,000 Bosnian citizens hold firearms licenses, and many more possess weapons that are not registered.
This number was given to media by Ivo Miro Jovic, a member of the state parliament's commission on security and defence.
Jovic said that 164,000 citizens of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina hold a license for some kind of firearm, while in Republika Srpska the number reaches 116,000.
Daily Nezavisne Novine reported that during... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: SEESAC / BalkanInsight.com (Belgrade)
32111
Serbia
Assault Weapons, Machine Guns Leak from Unattended Military Barracks in Serbia
23 January 2010
SEESAC / RTS (Belgrade), Transcript
Unknown persons stole around 30 automatic rifles and two machine guns from the barracks "Tanasko Rajić" in Čačak, which has not accommodated soldiers for years.
The RTS confirmed that the unknown persons had stolen around 30 automatic rifles and two machine guns from the barracks "Tanasko Rajić" in Čačak, which had not been occupied by the military for years.
According to the yet unofficial information, 30 automatic rifles and two machine guns were taken... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: SEESAC / RTS (Belgrade)
31978
Serbia
Serbia 'Largest' Military Arms Exporter in SE Europe
4 January 2010
Balkans.com (Belgrade)
Serbia has become the largest exporter of arms and military equipment in southeastern Europe, Defense Minister Dragan Sutanovac said.
"In 2009, the Serbian military industry exported arms and equipment worth 300 million euros. I hope at the end of 2010 we can say that we earned a billion euros just by exporting military equipment," Sutanovac told International Radio Serbia in a recent interview.
"Besides the fact that we export arms and military equipment, the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Balkans.com (Belgrade)
31839
North Korea,Kazakhstan,Serbia,Russia,Thailand,Ukraine,Belarus
Ex-Soviet Pilots, Aircraft Ship Weapons for Global Gun Running Networks
17 December 2009
Time (USA)
KIEV -- It was no ordinary smuggling bust. On Dec. 11, an old Russian plane landed in Thailand to refuel after taking off hours earlier from Pyongyang, North Korea. In its hull, police found 35 tons of explosives, rocket-propelled grenades and components for surface-to-air missiles, all being transported from North Korea in breach of U.N. sanctions. The captain and his crew were promptly arrested and charged with illegally transporting arms. But according to experts,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Time (USA)
31690
Serbia,North Korea,Russia,Thailand
North Korean Arms Plane Cargo Linked to East European Gun Traffickers
15 December 2009
Times (UK)
The weapons laden plane seized in Bangkok en route from North Korea at the weekend has been linked to two renowned East European arms traffickers by a respected Swedish think-tank in the latest twist in the mysterious saga.
The Ilyushin-76 aircraft, which was found to be carrying 35 tons of weapons including rockets and grenades, was most recently registered under a company called Beibars, linked to Serbian arms dealer Tomislav Dmanjanovic. It had previously been... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Times (UK)
31658
Serbia
Police Destroy 17,000 Confiscated, Surplus Firearms in Belgrade
3 October 2009
B92 Radio (Belgrade)
BELGRADE — Serbian police (MUP) today destroyed 17,000 light weapons and small caliber arms in the Recycling Center in the Belgrade suburb of Železnik.
"Most of these arms are illegal and were seized in police raids, while a part was made obsolete at the MUP," Interior Minister Ivica Dacic told reporters today.
The weapons collected and destroyed include pistols, revolvers, carbines, hunting rifles, air weapons, and other small arms.
Dacic reminded that MUP... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: B92 Radio (Belgrade)
31140
Taiwan,Philippines,France,Italy,Germany,Israel,United States
181 Smuggled US, European Guns in Taiwan Seizure of Philippine Cargo
27 September 2009
Central News Agency (Taiwan)
Six suspects, including the ring's mastermind surnamed Ting, were arrested in what may be the largest arms smuggling bust ever in Taiwan, the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said yesterday.
CIB officials displayed their haul of 181 guns and 22,685 rounds of ammunition in the lobby of its crime-fighting center in southern Taiwan's Kaohsiung City.
Powerful submachine guns, rifles, and expanding "dum dum" bullets were shown in the center, which took on the look of an... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Central News Agency (Taiwan)
31078
Turkey,United States,Iraq
Turkey Traces Gun Crime to Flood of Glock Pistols Supplied by US to Iraq
24 August 2009
Today's Zaman (Istanbul)
ANKARA — A recent report by the Security General Directorate's anti-smuggling and organized crime unit has revealed that 514 of 522 Glock pistols used in crimes in Turkey were originally ordered by the US for its troops in Iraq and that the weapons were used in 25 separate murders, including the 2006 Council of State shooting.
The Security General Directorate's anti-smuggling and organized crime unit has prepared a report on the kind of crimes Glock weapons smuggled... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Today's Zaman (Istanbul)
30803
Philippines,Israel,Turkey
50 Israeli Assault Weapons on Ship from Turkey Seized in Philippines
21 August 2009
Deutsche Presse-Agentur
MANILA — Philippine authorities have seized a foreign cargo ship after crates of automatic rifles and other military equipment were found in its shipment, officials said Friday. The captain and 13 crew members of the Panama-registered M/V Captain Ufuk were also detained at the port of Mariveles town in Bataan province, 45 kilometres west of Manila.
The ship docked Thursday at the port without prior notice, raising suspicion among customs and coast guard officials... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Deutsche Presse-Agentur
30790
Turkey
Draft Law Would Tighten Gun Control, Limit Hidden Handguns in Turkey
23 July 2009
Hurriyet Daily News (Istanbul), Opinion
I think it won't be easy to deny our national inclination toward violence and arms. As the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK's, military activity escalates, we understand that by "laying down arms," this means solely disarming the PKK while an impressive number of Turks would continue to possess, often illegally, light arms. Information given on individual arms provided by the Umut Foundation that struggles to raise awareness on this social cancer as well as on... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Hurriyet Daily News (Istanbul)
33146
Turkey
Gun Ownership, Gun Carrying, Gun Violence All On the Rise in Turkey
23 July 2009
Today's Zaman (Istanbul)
The slaughter of six people in an Elazig village on Tuesday has sparked renewed debate over the rights of individuals to bear arms in Turkey.
A father and his three sons reportedly traveled to the village of Karaali, and after announcing that they had come from a neighboring village, the father and at least one of his sons opened fire on a group of farmers. Six people were killed and seven injured in the incident.
According to a report from Turkish gun control... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Today's Zaman (Istanbul)
30611
Kosovo
350,000 Illicit Guns 'Loose' in Kosovo, Still a Serious Problem - Report
21 July 2009
Saferworld / Balkan Insight (Sarajevo), Media release
Civilian possession of illicit weapons remains a serious problem in Kosovo and the region, Saferworld said in a press conference in Pristina on Tuesday.
According to a new Saferworld report, around 350,000 illicit small arms and light weapons remain in private possession in households across the country. Kosovo is currently estimated to have a population of around 2 million people.
Saferworld Director Henry Smith told the press that the report, which is the fifth in a... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Saferworld / Balkan Insight (Sarajevo)
30609
Zimbabwe,South Africa,Congo (ROC),Montenegro,United States
US, Congo, Zimbabwe, Montenegro All Involved in Gun Running - Report
12 July 2009
Sunday Independent (South Africa)
Zimbabwe is not only stockpiling modern weapons, but is circumventing sanctions by exporting arms to the US via Eastern Europe, according to a report to be released this week.
According to the International Peace Information Service (IPIS), a Belgian research hub, the situation in Zimbabwe is a good example of why the UN-proposed Arms Trade Treaty needs to be as comprehensive as possible.
Throughout last year, when the political climate was at its most volatile, the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sunday Independent (South Africa)
30515
United States,Austria,Croatia,United Nations
US Demand for Handguns Drives 28 Percent Jump in World Gun Trade
8 July 2009
Associated Press
GENEVA — American demand for handguns has fueled a 28 percent jump this decade in world exports of pistols, rifles, shotguns and other small arms, a global report said Thursday.
The 2009 Small Arms Survey reported that the Untied States alone was responsible for about half of the worldwide increase in legal international gun sales between 2000 and 2006. The U.S. now accounts for over half of the world's imports of pistols and revolvers and 45 percent of shotguns, it... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Associated Press
30493
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