Top of PageGun Policy News
Firearm transactions, sales, regulation and policy
3 Swedish Journalists Guilty of Weapons Crimes
18 May 2012
Local (Sweden)
The editor-in-chief of Swedish tabloid Expressen and two other journalists with the paper have been convicted of weapons crimes related to a report about how easy it is to buy guns in Malmö in southern Sweden.
Expressen's editor Thomas Mattson was convicted of instigating a weapons crime, while former news editor Andreas Johansson was found guilty of being an accessory to a weapons crime.
Journalist Diamant Salihu, who actually purchased the gun, was convicted of a... (GunPolicy.org)
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)
Gun Violence in South Africa, a National Public Health Priority - Analysis
17 May 2012
Institute for Security Studies (Tshwane/Pretoria)
ANALYSIS
South Africa faces numerous challenges in preventing and reducing the levels of violence and crime. The burden of mortality and morbidity arising from violence and injury affects the lives of millions of individuals annually and continues to undermine social harmony and socio-economic development.
This is, now more than ever, a national public health priority - one that needs to be monitored and controlled so as to limit the number of injuries and non-natural... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Institute for Security Studies (Tshwane/Pretoria)
Black Market Handguns Advertised Openly in Remote Regions of China
17 May 2012
South China Morning Post (Hong Kong)
Black market explosives and pistols are advertised openly in the remote, mountainous Yunnan county where a mysterious suicide bomber killed three people and injured 16 last week, the South China Morning Post can reveal.
Most advertisers claim they can arrange delivery by car within an hour in central Kunming , the provincial capital, with guns handed over outside supermarkets and post offices.
Some advertisers also said they had delivery networks in remote counties.... (GunPolicy.org)
In Response to 'Shadow' Gun Registry Allegations, Alberta Says No
16 May 2012
Edmonton Journal (Alberta)
EDMONTON - Solicitor General Jonathan Denis says Alberta "does not and will not" have a provincial gun registry, though questions remain about the type of data collected by gun shops in the province.
Denis was responding Wednesday to allegations the provincial government has allowed the creation of a "shadow" registry that will effectively replace the controversial federal long gun registry.
"Alberta does not have a gun registry, Alberta will not have a gun registry,"... (GunPolicy.org)
Man Who Began Smuggling 1,000 Guns to Egypt Arrested in Florida
16 May 2012
Orlando Sentinel (Florida)
Federal authorities arrested a man in Orlando this week who allegedly told an undercover agent that he wanted to smuggle up to 1,000 firearms to Egypt.
Gamel Saad was arrested following a sting Monday. According to a criminal complaint, Saad bought three handguns from an undercover agent, wrapped them in towels, and put them inside a shipment of car parts he was sending to Egypt.
Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives began investigating... (GunPolicy.org)
Large Cache of Automatic AK-47, Handguns, Ammo Seized in Pakistan
15 May 2012
Pakistan Today
RAWALPINDI - Police and law enforcement agencies Tuesday have ceased costly weapons, which were being smuggled from lawless area to Punjab and arrested two outlaws.
Police received a tip off that heavy amount of weapons are being smuggled in a van registration number (LES-9070). However police stopped the van near Khamida check post for checking and found 10 Repeater guns, 10 automatic Kalashinkov, 50 pistols, five Revolver and 3500 bullets and arrested two persons.... (GunPolicy.org)
US Marines Stole, Sold Nearly $2 Million in Guns to Gangs, China, Russia
15 May 2012
International Business Times (US)
U.S. Marines at Camp Lejeune, N.C., stole and sold approximately $2 million in guns and combat equipment to streets gangs and to China and Russia, military officials confirmed. The stolen guns and combat gear included assault rifles, night-vision goggles and flashlights.
More than 60 people have been implicated in the incident, the Daily News in Jacksonville, N.C., reported. 47 service members and 21 civilians have been charged so far. Several of them have already... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Dealers Bypass US Feds, Sell Guns to Foreign Buyers at Airport
8 May 2012
Gun Reports (USA)
According to a recent open letter from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to Federal firearms licensees (FFLs), "It has recently come to the attention of [the agency] that some Federal firearms licensees (FFL) are arranging for the exportation of firearms and ammunition through an in-person disposition to foreign purchasers at the airline ticket counter of local international airports. Industry members are advised that this manner of disposing... (GunPolicy.org)
Burundi,Tanzania,Rwanda,East Africa,Uganda,Kenya
Lack of Arms Trade Treaty Puts East Africa at Centre of Gun Trafficking
8 May 2012
New Vision (Kampala)
A total of 300,000 small arms and light weapons have been smuggled into Uganda and other East African community countries for the last 10 years.
This is as revealed by the executive secretary East Africa Action Network on small arms (EAANSA), Richard Mugisha has revealed.
Mugisha said the importation of illegal small arms was high in East Africa due to the existing arms embargoes which are too easy to break or ignore by different countries.
"How can the sale of... (GunPolicy.org)
Warn of Increase in Guns in Papua New Guinea Ahead of Elections
4 May 2012
Pacific Islands News Association (Fiji)
At least three current Members of Parliament from the Enga Province and their people have been amassing guns in preparation for the general elections, the head of the Gutnius Lutheran Church said yesterday.
The Gutnius Lutheran Church is based in the Enga Province. "I know them," he said. Bishop David Piso said supporters of the three MPs are saying they are gathering guns to use against their political opponents.
"This is very frightening and I am now thinking very... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,France,China,Pakistan,Afghanistan,Sweden
Pakistan a 'Very Gun-friendly Society,' 9 in 10 Owners Unlicensed
30 April 2012
Dawn (Karachi)
On January 25 this year, 32-year-old Waqas, a garment factory employee was hit by a bullet in New Karachi and he died. The bullet was not fired from the gun of a target killer, but by friends of a bridegroom amidst late-night wedding celebrations.
Two children aged 10 and 12, died in Sialkot in a similar incident on February 20, when the jubilant brother of a bridegroom unleashed a burst of bullets.
Such accidents, almost an every-day affair in Pakistan, never make it... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Lobby Lawyer Protests 'Back Door' Firearm Registration in Ontario
30 April 2012
CNews (Canada)
OTTAWA – Ontario is telling sellers of shotguns and rifles to keep paper records of all the people who buy long guns at their stores — a move one firearms advocate is calling a "back-door" long-gun registry.
The province's chief firearms officer has gun sellers writing down buyers' names, numbers and addresses.
"The long-gun registry was used to target gun owners and confiscate their firearms. That was one of the reasons for scrapping it in the first place,"said... (GunPolicy.org)
Ghanaian Police to Crackdown on Illegal Possession of Firearms
25 April 2012
Ghanaian Chronicle (Ghana)
The Head of Small Arms Division at the Police Headquarters in Accra, Chief Superintendent Aboagye Yeboah, has hinted The Chronicle that his outfit would soon embark on an exercise to randomly search all individuals suspected of owning small firearms in the country. The decision, according to him, is to control the proliferation of small arms in the country.
Aboagye Yeboah further told The Chronicle that in collaboration with the Small Arms Commission they (police) had... (GunPolicy.org)
Ghanaian Police Urged to Educate Public: There's No Need to Carry Guns
23 April 2012
Joy Online (Ghana)
A Lecturer at the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Cape Coast, Mr Takyi Akonnor, has charged security institutions in the country to 'step up their game' to convince the citizenry of their safety. Doing so, he said, will assure people that there is no need for them to acquire small arms to protect themselves.
Mr Akonnor was speaking in an interview with Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah on Joy FM's Super Morning Show Monday. He was commenting on reports suggesting... (GunPolicy.org)
Increase in Number of Illegal Arms Circulating in Ghana
23 April 2012
Joy Online (Ghana)
One hundred and twenty-five thousand illicit guns are in circulation in the country without any form of data or record indicating where and who owns them, according to a baseline study in 2004.
According to the report, about 400,000 small arms are in circulation in the country. A little over half of the number 220,000 is in civilian hands. Only 95,000, representing 43.2 per cent, are registered, leaving a significant 56.8 per cent or 125,000 unaccounted for.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
East African Community Passes Bill to Reduce Small Arms Trafficking
21 April 2012
Daily Nation (Nairobi)
A trade bill passed by the East African Community (EAC) Parliament to reduce the proliferation of small arms, narcotic drugs and other illegal goods could result in an improved economic climate for the region.
The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) last Thursday passed the East African Community Customs Management (Amendment) Bill, 2012, a modification of the East African Community Customs Management Act 2004.
The Bill anchors into law the need for regulatory... (GunPolicy.org)
Senegal,Tunisia,Latvia,France,Romania,Mali,Guinea,Ghana,Europe,Africa,Côte d'Ivoire,Belarus
Belarus FM Denies Reports of Illegal Arms Transfers to Côte d'Ivoire
20 April 2012
Telegraf (Belarus)
Spokesman for the Belarusian Foreign Ministry Andrei Savinykh denied reports of arms shipments to Côte d'Ivoire in violation of the UN sanctions. "It's not even an accusation; it's a clumsy attempt of individual journalists to muddy the waters, as the proverb says," he said.
"The Belarusian side has been always cooperating openly with experts from the UN Security Council Committee on Côte d'Ivoire, whose reports these pseudo-journalists referred to. If they really... (GunPolicy.org)
States 'Should Unite' to Combat Spread of Illegal Guns - S. Australian AG
19 April 2012
Australian (Sydney)
States should adopt a nationally consistent approach to deal with criminal organisations to combat the spread of illegal firearms, South Australian Attorney-General John Rau said yesterday.
Mr Rau's call came as NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione warned that gangs were moving towards an American criminal culture of resolving disputes "at the end of a handgun".
Gun-related violence has risen to national prominence after the Tuesday night shooting of a Hell's Angel... (GunPolicy.org)
Indian Dip in Gun Licence Applications Due to Improved Law and Order?
18 April 2012
Telegraph (India)
Firearms are losing their spark in Patna or so it seems from the decline in the number of people seeking arms licences over the past five years.
Till a few years ago, public display of firearms was common on the roads of the state capital. This trend, however, has taken a beating since 2007 (see chart).
A source in the arms magistrate office said: "From 1990 to 2005, the annual number of applications for arms licences was almost 2,000 on an average but after 2006, the... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico Seizes 268,000 Rounds of Ammunition from US Truck at Border
18 April 2012
Washington Post / AP
CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico — Mexican customs inspectors seized 268,000 rounds of assault rifle ammunition found in a U.S. truck at a border crossing in Ciudad Juarez, authorities reported Wednesday.
Angel Torres, a spokesman for federal prosecutors in northern Chihuahua state, said a 37-year-old man from Dallas, Texas, was detained for trying to drive the truck across the border from El Paso, Texas.
Torres said the driver, who is being held pending investigation on... (GunPolicy.org)
100,000 Imported Handguns a 'Major Public Concern' for Australia
18 April 2012
Sydney Morning Herald, Opinion
April is an eerie time of year. Sixteen years ago this month, Martin Bryant opened fire at historic Port Arthur in Tasmania, killing 35 people and wounding 18 others. This month also marks the anniversaries of the Columbine massacre of April 20, 1999 in the US, where 13 people were killed and at least 21 injured, the Virginia Tech massacre of April 16, 2007, where 32 people died and 25 were injured, and now Oakland's Oikos University massacre, which happened two weeks... (GunPolicy.org)
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)
Police Under Fire for Renting Guns to Criminals in Trinidad & Tobago
17 April 2012
Guardian (Trinidad and Tobago)
Law enforcement officers will be placed under greater scrutiny as Government moves to clamp down on those who sell or rent state-issued weapons to criminals. Minister of National Security John Sandy made the announcement at the Police Academy, St James, yesterday while delivering the feature address at the opening of a sub-regional inter-training course on combating the illicit trafficking in firearms and explosives for the Caribbean states. "Let me state categorically... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Customs Should Be Embedded with Police to Tackle Gun Crisis
17 April 2012
Australian (Sydney) / AAP
Customs agents should be embedded within the NSW Police Force to tackle Sydney's escalating gun crisis, says Federal Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare.
In a five hour shooting spree last night, two tattoo parlours and three homes were sprayed with bullets.
Over four days there have been eight shootings across Sydney and 19 so far this month.
Mr Clare said a new firearms intelligence unit was needed to collect the intelligence gathered by Customs, and federal and... (GunPolicy.org)
America's Deadly Devotion to Guns: A British Columnist Meets the NRA
16 April 2012
Guardian (UK)
There are around 90 guns for every 100 Americans yet, despite 85 fatal shootings a day, the mighty US gun lobby is as powerful as ever. In the wake of Trayvon Martin's killing, Gary Younge reports on the country's deadly attachment to firearms
At an organising breakfast for National Rifle Association (NRA) grassroots activists, Samuel Richardson, a man with whom I have not exchanged a word, passes me a note. "Please read the book Injustice by Adams," it reads. "He was... (GunPolicy.org)
90% of Guns Seized in Mexico Traced Back to US - ATF 2009 Report
16 April 2012
Latin American Herald Tribune (Venezuela)
MEXICO CITY – An exhibit of photographs and art at a Mexico City museum seeks to draw attention to the impact of arms smuggled into Mexico from the United States and gather signatures for a campaign demanding that Washington put an end to arms trafficking.
"Adios a las armas. Contrabando en las fronteras" (Goodbye Firearms. Contraband at the Borders), which opened on Nov. 30 at Mexico City's Museum of Memory and Tolerance, has been seen by about 30,000 visitors,... (GunPolicy.org)
NRA Gunfest Focuses US Fight Over 'Shoot First' Hidden Handgun Laws
14 April 2012
CBS News (USA)
ST. LOUIS - Avid hunter Rob West drove from Chillicothe, Ohio, to St. Louis this week to join some 70,000 fellow National Rifle Association members at the organization's annual convention, where seven acres of guns and gear were on display and where politics was never far from anyone's mind.
For the NRA, which opposes any restrictions on gun ownership and President Barack Obama's re-election, the Second Amendment right to bear arms is sacrosanct.
"We don't want... (GunPolicy.org)
Is Gun Control Dead in America? Adam Winkler in the Washington Post
13 April 2012
Washington Post, Opinion
Monday marks five years since the massacre at Virginia Tech, where a mentally ill student, Seung Hui Cho, used two handguns he had bought legally to kill 32 people and wound 25 others. Other than a relatively minor law to improve the national database used for background checks, no significant gun-control legislation followed that tragedy.
Since then, there have been several mass shootings, including additional school rampages and the attempted assassination last year... (GunPolicy.org)
Most Americans Back Gun Lobby, Right to Use Deadly Force, Shoot to Kill
13 April 2012
Reuters
WASHINGTON - Most Americans support the right to use deadly force to protect themselves - even in public places - and have a favorable view of the National Rifle Association, the main gun-lobby group, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed.
The online survey showed that 68 percent, or two out of three respondents, had a favorable opinion of the NRA, which starts its annual convention in St. Louis, Missouri, on Friday.
Eighty-two percent of Republicans saw the gun lobbying group... (GunPolicy.org)
Licensed Gun Dealers Faking Gun Licences 'Security Threat' to India
12 April 2012
Nagaland Post (India)
GUWAHATI - Several armed private security guards and criminals of Assam possess firearms bought using fraudulent arms licences procured from Kangpokpi in Manipur and Dimapur in Nagaland.
Sources in the criminal investigation department (CID) of police, which is investigating the matter, said the arms and ammunition procured by using these licences, many of which were fake, had become a threat to public safety and a major concern for security forces.
"If anybody... (GunPolicy.org)
Ethiopia,South Africa,Burkina Faso,Sierra Leone,West Africa,Ukraine,Côte d'Ivoire,Eastern Europe,Russia,Central African Republic,Iraq,Afghanistan,United States,Colombia,Angola,Liberia,North Africa,West Asia,Africa
Shadowy 'Merchants of Death' Behind Africa's Illegal Gun-Running
11 April 2012
Think Africa Press (London)
Arms dealer Viktor Bout was sentenced to 25 years by a US federal court last week.
Widely known as the 'merchant of death', the 45-year-old Russian has delivered weapons and arms to a wide range of presidents, insurgents and rebels in Africa and the Middle East including the likes of Charles Taylor in Liberia and Jonas Savimbi in Angola. He was caught in a US sting in which his services were solicited for the supply of weapons to Colombia's FARC rebels.
His companies... (GunPolicy.org)
Qatar,East Africa,Russia,North Korea,China,West Asia,North Africa,Syria,Mali,Libya,Belgium,West Africa
Small Arms Manufactured in Belgium Proliferate in Libya, Mali [Francais]
11 April 2012
L'Express (France) / AFP
[Translated summary: Notwithstanding risks of proliferation, small arms manufactured in Belgium circulate in Libya, Mali, and maybe tomorrow in Syria? Belgium is the biggest european exporter of small arms: in 2010, 32% of european exports of small arms to Middle East and North Africa came from this country.]
Malgré les mises en garde à Bruxelles sur les risques de prolifération, les armes légères fabriquées en Belgique circulent de la Libye au Mali. Et demain,... (GunPolicy.org)
Uganda Soldiers, Officers Found Selling Guns to Be Subject to Firing Squad
11 April 2012
New Vision (Kampala)
Any UPDF soldier or officer found selling firearms or ammunitions to criminals will be subjected to firing squad in full public view, a General in the army warned on Tuesday.
Speaking at a pipping ceremony of recently propmoted officers, a visibly riled Brig. Hussein Adda, the camp commandant Bombo said the firing squad which is provided for under the UPDF Act is better as compared to incarcerating the culprits in Luzira "because imprisoning will not solve the... (GunPolicy.org)
What a Nerve: Mexican President Suggests a US Role in Gun Running
10 April 2012
The Hill (Washington DC)
The nerve of President Calderon of Mexico. How dare he come to the United States and utter two words Americans are no longer allowed to speak? I heard them myself in the Rose Garden last week: gun control.
Calderon's comments came in response to a reporter's question about the ongoing drug wars in Mexico, in which 11,000 people were killed in 2010 alone. What are you doing about the guns?
He began by noting that the level of gun violence in Mexico began to escalate in... (GunPolicy.org)
Lebanese Dealer Describes Flourishing Business of Gun Smuggling into Syria
8 April 2012
Ya Libnan (Lebanon)
Wearing dark glasses as he sat in a fashionable Beirut cafe, Abu Abode, a Lebanese arms dealer, did not mince his words as he described the flourishing business of smuggling weapons into neighbouring Syria.
"Small arms and automatic rifles are in high demand by the Syrian rebels," Abu Abode, not his real name, told dpa.
Peaceful pro-democracy protests, which started in Syria in March 2011, have turned into an armed conflict between the government of President Bashar... (GunPolicy.org)
Uganda Government Asked to Expedite the Process of Small Arms Collection
8 April 2012
Uganda Pulse
Gulu Resident District Commissioner Chrissy Owori Odoi has called on government to expedite the process of collecting small arms which are still in circulation among people in Uganda.
Owori says small arms still pose a big threat to this country and may retard development if it is look at carefully.
Owori says the current peace which the northern region has achieved still stands in threat if small arms are in abundance on the wrong hands.
Speaking during a... (GunPolicy.org)
11,000 Licensed Guns 'Missing' in South Australia
7 April 2012
Advertiser (Adelaide)
Almost 11,000 licensed firearms have reportedly gone "missing" in South Australia over the past decade.
Among the 10,879 weapons are semi-automatic rifles, pump-action shotguns, pistols and antique guns, SA Police figures reveal.
Firearms classified as missing include those that are lost, unaccounted for from deceased estates, where the licence holder can't be located, firearms destroyed by the owner, or destroyed by other means such as flood and fire.
The figures -... (GunPolicy.org)
Kenya, Ethiopia Turn to Trade to Curb Cross Border Gun Running
7 April 2012
East African (Nairobi)
Kenya and Ethiopia are opening up their volatile border to more trade as they seek to improve community relations, ease inter-ethnic tensions to reduce demand for small arms and disrupt one of the main routes of illicit small arms coming into East Africa.
Illicit small arms trade in the Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes region has been one of the main drivers of crime across East Africa and has sustained organised criminal networks like cattle rustlers and urban... (GunPolicy.org)
Ugandan Army Soldiers Sell AK-47 Bullets to Gangsters in Local Pubs
7 April 2012
Daily Monitor (Kampala)
'In Summary
'Mine was an easy purchase'
It was a Sunday when I called on an old friend at Makindye. We settled at a pub on Salama Road. Here, we found a lively group of five men chatting over bottles of beer. They conducted their conversation in Luganda and Swahili, and owing to the kind of calls they consistently made, it was clear there was something cooking.
We took up seats close to their table and could clearly eavesdrop on their conversation. One of the men... (GunPolicy.org)
West Asia,North Africa,South America,Africa,United States,Russia
Russian Arms Dealer Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison by US Judge
5 April 2012
New York Times / Reuters
NEW YORK - Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer caught in an undercover sting by U.S. agents posing as Colombian guerrillas seeking weapons, was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Thursday by a U.S. judge in New York.
Bout, who was the subject of a book titled "Merchant of Death," asserted his innocence during the sentencing, telling the judge through a Russian interpreter, "I never intended to kill anyone. I never intended to sell arms to anyone. God knows this... (GunPolicy.org)
The Law of the Gun in Florida - Editorial
5 April 2012
New York Times, Editorial
Florida leads the pack in passing bills written by the gun lobby that block any sensible attempt to control the purchase and use of firearms. The dangerous folly of these laws was on display in the Trayvon Martin shooting, and will again be on display when Republicans gather for their presidential convention in Tampa this August.
The City Council is sensibly preparing tight security precautions for the downtown area by temporarily banning clubs, hatchets,... (GunPolicy.org)
9-yr Old Boy Accidentally Shot Dead by 13-yr Old in France [Francais]
5 April 2012
Europe 1 (France)
[Translated summary: It is in his father's arms collection that a 13 years old teenager has found the rifle used in the unintentional shooting that killed a 9 years old this week in France. Europe 1 parses French regulations on possession of firearms: categories, storage, conditions for lawful possession and latest amendments.]
C'est dans la collection d'armes à feu de son père que l'adolescent de 13 ans aurait trouvé le fusil qui a tué un enfant de 9 ans mercredi... (GunPolicy.org)
Europe,East Africa,Ireland,Palestine,Africa,West Asia,North Africa,Syria,Libya,Belgium
Special Report on Belgian Arms Exports in Middle East and North Africa - Blog
5 April 2012
New York Times, Blog
The uprisings in Libya and Syria have cast the Belgian small arms industry as a case study of the difficult balances within a Western arms-manufacturing community that seeks exports to preserve revenue and local jobs, but risks compromising European policies and human rights values.
Belgium is one of Europe's busiest exporters of small arms and light weapons. As late as 2010, the last year for which publicly released data is available, 32 percent of the small-arms... (GunPolicy.org)
Art and Photo Show Focuses on Trade in Firearms, Deadly Effects in Mexico
5 April 2012
Huffington Post (USA) / AP
MEXICO CITY — An art and photo show focusing on the trade in firearms and their deadly effects in Mexico may soon be going to the United States, the same place where many of the weapons come from.
The show, "A Farewell to Arms. Contraband on the Border," uses photos and artwork to illustrate how the illegal weapons trade has affected Mexico, where more than 47,000 people have died in drug-related violence since late 2006.
The non-governmental groups Global Exchange... (GunPolicy.org)
US: We Need To Talk About Guns - Blog by Andrew Rosenthal
5 April 2012
New York Times, Blog
How many students have to be shot to death in their schools before this country has a serious discussion about guns? Are the 10 who have been gunned down just since Feb. 27 enough?
The question of the constitutional right to own guns is irrelevant here—even if you believe that the Constitution gives every last American the right to own a firearm (which The Times editorial board does not, but many other reasonable people do).
There is simply no defending the many... (GunPolicy.org)
Man Pleads Guilty in Botched 'Fast and Furious' US Gun-running Sting
5 April 2012
Reuters
PHOENIX - A man pleaded guilty on Thursday to two felony counts of purchasing and running high-powered rifles to Mexico from Arizona under the botched "Fast and Furious" federal sting operation tied to the murder of a U.S. federal agent.
Jaime Avila Jr. was among a ring of 20 defendants charged with buying high-powered firearms including Kalashnikov type assault rifles and Barrett sniper rifles to run to the Mexican cartels.
The purchases were made in the Phoenix area... (GunPolicy.org)
Number of Gun-related Crimes Is Dropping Rapidly in China - Police
5 April 2012
China Daily
The number of gun-related crimes is dropping rapidly nationwide, despite a recent spate of armed robberies, police say.
In 2000, police dealt with about 5,000 gun-related crimes across the country. The number dropped to about 500 in 2011, down 46 percent from 2010, according to the latest figures from the Ministry of Public Security.
The decrease is mainly due to China's strict policy on gun control and tougher policing measures, said Yan Zhengbin, deputy director of... (GunPolicy.org)
Europe,Asia,South East Asia,China,United States
Gun Runners 'Using Internet and Express Delivery' in China – Police
5 April 2012
China Daily
Police success at border checkpoints forces arms traffickers to change
Gun smugglers are using the Internet and express delivery networks for trafficking arms into China, a police officer said.
Police broke up 69 gun-smuggling rings nationally last year, and smashed 20 gangs, Yan Zhengbin, deputy director at the public security management bureau under the Ministry of Public Security, told China Daily.
Nineteen cases involved fully assembled guns, while the remainder... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Owners in Canada Alarmed by Ammunition Rules, Storage Requirements
4 April 2012
Calgary Herald (Alberta)
Hunters and shooters are up in arms about the federal government's proposed new explosives regulations, which they say will interfere with everything from big-game hunting and ammunition storage, to re-enacting historic battles.
The changes require - for the first time in Canada - gun owners to lock away all ammunition. At present, guns must be locked, but not ammunition. The proposed rules will require all gun owners to install a locking box or safe in their... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada Votes to Kill Long Gun Registry, Delete Data on Gun Owners
4 April 2012
Montreal Gazette (Québec)
OTTAWA — The Conservative government vowed during the 2011 election to eliminate the long-gun registry. On Wednesday night, the bill to officially end the registry had its final vote in the Senate — leaving only a signature from the Governor General needed to officially kill the registry.
That signature signing Bill C-19 into law should come Thursday morning.
By a vote of 50-27, senators approved the bill, marking the last political hurdle needed to kill the... (GunPolicy.org)
Quebec Seeks Injunction to Stop Canada Deleting Gun Registry Records
4 April 2012
Montreal Gazette (Québec)
After months of threatening legal action against the federal government to preserve records on the 1,560,359 long guns registered in Quebec, Justice Minister Jean-Marc Fournier announced Tuesday that he will challenge in Quebec Superior Court the constitutionality of Bill C-19, empowering Ottawa to destroy the records.
Quebec has asked repeatedly that records on Quebec residents be transferred so the province can create its own registry. As well, the National Assembly... (GunPolicy.org)
US University Mass Killer Bought His Gun Easily, Legally - Police
3 April 2012
Mercury (San Jose)
OAKLAND -- An extensive search probed the depths of a local waterway Tuesday as authorities worked to find the gun used in a shooting spree that killed seven and wounded three at a private college in East Oakland.
Oakland police cordoned off a stretch of the Oakland Estuary in the 7200 block of Doolittle Drive for most of the day as they deployed a police boat and a robot borrowed from San Francisco police that can conduct underwater searches. A police helicopter... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Mexico,Central America,Honduras,Guatemala,El Salvador
El Salvador Soldiers Accused of Selling Guns to Guatemala, Honduras Gangs
2 April 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Prosecutors in El Salvador ordered the arrest of eight soldiers and one civilian linked to an arms trafficking network that may have supplied thousands of weapons to drug gangs in Guatemala and Honduras.
On March 30, the office of El Salvador's Attorney General (FGR) ordered the arrest of the nine suspects, alleging that they had participated in a scheme which involved siphoning off weapons that were slated to be destroyed, and selling them to drug trafficking... (GunPolicy.org)
20 Licensed Dealers Struck Off, Supplying Crime Guns in Australia
1 April 2012
Age (Melbourne)
Gun dealers are hiring out shotguns and rifles indefinitely to shooters dodging registration requirements, with dozens of the guns disappearing, raising concerns they may be used for criminal purposes.
The guns are hired out at the full purchase price and are essentially de facto sales. The issue is of increasing concern given the recent spate of gang shootings in the northern and western suburbs.
By law, guns can be hired out only to licensed shooters, but the... (GunPolicy.org)
Jamaica Acquires Two Marking Machines to Help Stem Illegal Gun Trafficking
30 March 2012
Caribbean Press Releases
KINGSTON - The Government is to acquire two firearm marking machines to assist with efforts to stem the illegal trafficking in small arms.
The Dot Peen machines will allow the authorities to trace weapons by placing marks on them, which cannot be easily erased, should they fall into the possession of criminals.
They will be procured by the Ministry of National Security as part of a co-operation agreement with the Organization of American States (OAS), which was signed... (GunPolicy.org)
Vietnam,Thailand,Singapore,Philippines,Myanmar,Malaysia,Laos,Indonesia,Cambodia,Brunei
Southeast Asian Nations Meet in Cambodia to Strengthen Small Arms Control
29 March 2012
Xinhua
PHNOM PENH -- The ASEAN security officials gathered here on Wednesday to seek effective measures for cooperation to prevent disasters caused by illegal arms smuggling and trafficking, said Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sar Kheng.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the three-day ASEAN workshop on Small Arms, Light Weapons and Unexploded Ordnances Control, Sar Kheng said the meeting was very important to identify effective measures for... (GunPolicy.org)
Hidden Handgun Permit Holders Killed 391 US Civilians, Police in 5 Years
28 March 2012
New York Times, Column
The debate over the shooting death of Trayvon Martin seems to be devolving into an argument about the right to wear hoodies, but it really does not appear to be a promising development.
Congress, which never draws any serious conclusions from terrible tragedies involving gunplay, did have time on Wednesday to fight about whether Representative Bobby Rush of Chicago violated the House dress code when he took off his suit jacket, revealing a gray sweater he was wearing... (GunPolicy.org)
Bolivia Govt Seizes Shotguns, Handgun from US Vehicle
27 March 2012
Huffington Post (USA)
LA PAZ, Bolivia — Bolivia's interior minister says his government has seized three shotguns, a revolver and more than 2,300 rounds of ammunition from a vehicle owned by the U.S. Embassy.
The minister claims the weapons were being transported without authorization and posed a security threat.
But the U.S. Embassy says the weapons confiscated Tuesday were being transferred under an agreement with Bolivia's police. It said in a statement that Washington routinely... (GunPolicy.org)
Uganda Govt Marks Police, Army, Civilians Firearms to Reduce Crime
27 March 2012
Observer (Kampala)
As part of this year's mission to create a pro-people justice system, the Justice Law and Order Sector, based at the ministry of Internal Affairs, last week labeled guns before the general public at the Railway grounds.
Anthony Nahaima, legal officer for the National Focal Point on Arms and Light Weapons — the department that handles the gun labeling process — says to date, they have labeled 80 percent of police guns and 50 percent of the army's. The labeling... (GunPolicy.org)
Multiple Shootings Highlight Growing Illegal Gun Trade in France
27 March 2012
Christian Science Monitor
France's strict gun laws sharply limit legal ownership. But illegal trafficking is on the rise – at prices that people like Toulouse gunman Mohamed Merah can afford.
PARIS - As the prosecutor listed the weapons gunman Mohamed Merah amassed before going on a shooting rampage in Toulouse, French citizens received a stark reminder that gun trafficking doesn't only affect unstable countries. It's happening in France, too – a nation that is anything but gun-friendly.... (GunPolicy.org)
Israeli Police Say Gun Violence Continues to Climb in Arab Sector
27 March 2012
Jerusalem Post (Israel)
Despite police efforts to stamp out the use of firearms in the Arab sector, gun crime rose by 7 percent in the first three months of 2012 in comparison to the same period last year, police said Monday.
In 2011, in 557 cases a firearm was used during the commission of a crime, with 579 arrests made for firearms offenses, police said.
The police and the Public Security Ministry have been the subject of continued criticism from the Arab sector due to the mayhem caused by... (GunPolicy.org)
Africa,Americas,Asia,Europe,Oceania
Gun Abolitionists 'Salivate Like Dogs' as UN Arms Trade Treaty Nears - NRA
23 March 2012
National Rifle Association of America
Every year about this time, the warmer weather gives every manner of fast-growing weed the opportunity to appear out of nowhere and begin consuming people's lawns. Deny it an environment in which it can thrive, by spreading a grass fertilizer and weed killer mix from your home and garden store, and it somehow finds its way to your neighbor's grass.
The same is true about international activists and representatives of various countries' governments who periodically... (GunPolicy.org)
French Public Amazed at Toulouse Mass Killer's Arsenal of Illegal Guns
23 March 2012
Reuters
PARIS - As France asks itself whether it could have done more to prevent Islamist gunman Mohamed Merah shooting dead seven people in a killing spree that shook the nation, there is one question that refuses to go away: how did he obtain so many guns.
The size and nature of the arsenal amassed by Merah - who stockpiled at least eight guns including a Kalashnikov assault rifle and an Uzi machine pistol - has focused attention on the easy availability of illegal weapons... (GunPolicy.org)
Sierra Leone Spends $Millions on Assault Weapons in Election Run-up
23 March 2012
Reuters
UNITED NATIONS - Sierra Leone's government should explain why it bought millions of dollars worth of assault weapons to equip a recently enlarged paramilitary wing of its police as the country prepares for elections in November, the outgoing U.N. envoy said on Thursday.
Michael von der Schulenburg told the U.N. Security Council that according to a leaked shipping document the weapons bought by the West African state in January included heavy machine guns and grenade... (GunPolicy.org)
Panama,Liberia,Oman,Yemen,Egypt,Saudi Arabia,Mauritius,Seychelles,Mongolia,Djibouti,Madagascar,United Arab Emirates,United Kingdom,Somalia,Kenya
Anti-piracy Security Firms Keep Guns in Floating Armouries to Avoid Law
22 March 2012
Associated Press
NAIROBI, Kenya — Private security firms are storing their guns aboard floating armories in international waters so ships that want armed anti-piracy guards for East Africa's pirate-infested waters can cut costs and circumvent laws limiting the import and export of weapons, industry officials say.
Companies and legal experts say the operation of the armories is a "legal gray area" because few, if any, governments have laws governing the practice. Some security... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Makers' Share Values Rise on Strong Demand, Fear of Obama
22 March 2012
Reuters
Gun maker Sturm Ruger & Co Inc's (RGR.N) shares rose to a life-high on Thursday, after the company said demand was rising so fast that it was suspending new orders until May.
Sturm Ruger said on Wednesday that it has received orders for more than one million guns for the first quarter and it could not keep up with demand despite increased production.
The spike in demand comes in an election year when fears of gun control regulations resurface.
In 2009, gun sales had... (GunPolicy.org)
Suspected Belgian Killers Involved in Illegal Gun Trade in Uganda and Kenya
22 March 2012
New Vision (Kampala)
Four men including a police officer who allegedly murdered a Belgian tourist in Mount Elgon National Park in Kapchorwa district in 2008 were allegedly involved in an illegal firearms trade, a Police commissioner has told court.
Christopher Kwerit, a commissioner in charge of political education in the Police force produced charge and caution statements before the court martial on Tuesday in which the suspects allegedly confessed that they were involved in arms trade in... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico,Australia,Brazil,Nigeria,Canada
Canada Changed Its Arms Policy, Chose UN Delegate to Suit Gun Lobby
21 March 2012
CBC News (Canada)
The office of Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird ordered last-minute changes to Canada's position on an international arms treaty, as well as to its delegation to meetings at United Nations headquarters, CBC News has learned.
According to documents obtained under the Access to Information Act, the minister's office ignored advice from the department and ordered civil servants to invite Steve Torino, president of the Canadian Shooting Sports Association (CSSA), to... (GunPolicy.org)
'Desperate, Dangerous' US Gun Lobby Reaches New 'Levels of Craziness'
21 March 2012
New York Times, Column
There is nothing so dangerous as a lobbying organization that's running out of stuff to lobby about.
I am thinking in particular of the National Rifle Association. These people are really in desperate straits. The state legislatures are almost all in session, but some of them have already pushed the gun-owner-rights issue about as far as it can go. You can only legalize carrying a concealed weapon in church once.
This year, in search of new worlds to conquer — or... (GunPolicy.org)
African Countries Urge Gun Making Countries to Curb Sales to Govts
20 March 2012
Leadership (Abuja)
African countries have called on major arms-producing states to ensure that the supply of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) is limited only to governments.
The African Group made the call at the preparatory committee meeting for the second United Nations (UN) conference to review the progress made in the implementation of the programme of action to prevent, combat and eradicate indiscriminate circulation of SALW.
The UN Correspondent of News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)... (GunPolicy.org)
France 'Awash' with Illegal Firearms Imported Across Porous EU Borders
20 March 2012
Press Association (UK)
France is awash with illegal firearms transported into the country across porous European borders, it was claimed.
While gun laws are strict, it is not difficult for unauthorised members of the public to get their hands on weapons, according to the president of the Union Francaise des Amateurs d'Armes, a French gun society.
Jean-Jacques Buigne suggested the killer responsible for the attacks outside a school in Toulouse most likely did not have a licence for the heavy... (GunPolicy.org)
Sudan,Syria,Russia,China,Papua New Guinea,Fiji,Oceania
Pacific Nations Push for Global Arms Trade Treaty to Curb Gun Trade
19 March 2012
ABC News (Australia), Transcript
Every year illicit trade in small arms results in thousands of deaths. Most of them in developing countries, including the Pacific, where the impact of gun violence has been devastating.
Now the international community is to meet at the United Nations to finalise the first ever global arms trade treaty.
HELEN HAKENA, WOMEN'S RIGHTS CAMPAIGNER: I was seven months pregnant when gunmen came into our village terrorising the entire village community. My house was burnt to... (GunPolicy.org)
Toulouse Mass Shootings: What Is an 11.43mm (.45cal) Pistol? [Francais]
19 March 2012
Le Point (France) / AFP
[Translated summary: The handgun used in the Toulouse school shooting and in the shooting of military officers was an 11.43mm (.45cal) pistol, known to be a weapon for settling scores.]
Le pistolet utilisé pour la fusillade de Toulouse et les meurtres de militaires est connu comme étant l'arme des règlements de comptes.
Le pistolet de calibre 11,43 mm, utilisé pour tuer trois parachutistes à Toulouse et Montauban et employé dans la fusillade lundi devant une... (GunPolicy.org)
Vanuatu Lauded for UN Arms Trade Treaty Programmes
19 March 2012
Vanuatu Daily Post
PORT VILA, Vanuatu – Vanuatu was represented at the Pacific regional workshop on small arms and light weapons and the arms trade treaty.
This 3-day workshop, held in Australia at Brisbane's Novotel Hotel, was organized by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat in conjunction with AusAID and Oxfam.
It was intended to provide a forum for discussion by Pacific Region representatives on the implementation of the UN Program of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons... (GunPolicy.org)
Feds Caught Top Man in US-Mexico Drug Cartel Gun Running, Let Him Go
19 March 2012
Los Angeles Times
Federal agents stopped the main target of the ill-fated Operation Fast and Furious in May 2010. After they questioned him, he disappeared back into Mexico, and the program went on to spiral out of control.
WASHINGTON — Seven months after federal agents began the ill-fated Fast and Furious gun-tracking operation, they stumbled upon their main suspect in a remote Arizona outpost on the Mexican border, driving an old BMW with 74 rounds of ammunition and nine cellphones... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico, Awash in Illegal Firearms, Has Just One Legal Gun Store
19 March 2012
Kansas City Star (Missouri)
MEXICO CITY — Mexico has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the world. If any of the nation's 112 million citizens want to buy firearms, there's only one store where they can do it legally. It's on a sprawling military base and run by the army.
That, however, hasn't stopped Mexicans from acquiring firearms. The country is awash in illegal guns, many of them assault weapons in the hands of merciless criminal gangs. President Felipe Calderon says authorities have... (GunPolicy.org)
Asia,Laos,Thailand,China,India
Indian Militants Buy $Millions of Guns from China via Thai Broker - Claim
18 March 2012
Telegraph (India)
NEW DELHI - Northeast outfits are employing crafty financial methods to procure arms worth millions of dollars and make them look like legitimate legal buys.
A series of arrests by the National Investigation Agency of militants from various outfits has revealed formulae that take the best financial brains to come up with.
A number of such devices tumbled out of the militants' closets after the NIA arrested NSCN (I-M) leader Anthony Shimray and over 20 United National... (GunPolicy.org)
Public Stigma Drives Toronto Gun Hobbyists, Shooters Underground
18 March 2012
National Post (Toronto)
Ellen loads five bullets into her favourite pistol, a .22-caliber Browning Challenger, and demonstrates her favourite shooting stances. She begins with two hands holding the gun straight out in front of her, elbows slightly bent and feet hip-width apart for balance before changing poses, with her left hand behind her back, her palm facing outward, and the pistol in her right hand.
She is a Toronto grandmother of two in her mid-sixties and she is sharing her love of... (GunPolicy.org)
Caracas, Venezuela: Police Officers Murdered for Their Guns - Report
16 March 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Some 26 Caracas police officers have been murdered so far this year, and analysts warn that they may be being targeted by criminals who want to steal their weapons.
The assassination of Reinaldo Jose Mata Malave outside his home earlier this week brought the number of police officers murdered in greater Caracas in 2012 to 26. According to El Nacional, Mata was killed for his police-issued weapon, a Beretta pistol.
Criminologist Javier Gorriño told El Universal that... (GunPolicy.org)
Mass Shooting Survivor Slams 'Outrageous' Lack of US Gun Sale Checks
15 March 2012
CNN
A man who survived the April 2007 massacre at Virginia Tech says not enough is being done to keep guns out of the hands of people like the shooter even as a jury found the university failed to warn students earlier that a gunman was on campus.
"As someone who lost a teacher and many friends as a result of the Virginia Tech massacre, I am gratified by the verdict," said Colin Goddard, who was shot four times during the rampage by Seung-Hui Cho.
A jury Wednesday awarded... (GunPolicy.org)
Legal US Gun Sales Arm Drug Cartels - Mexican Soldiers Take Weapons
15 March 2012
Reuters
Recent focus on the relationship between U.S. guns and Mexican cartels has been limited to the ATF's "Fast and the Furious." That plan had agents selling assault rifles to Mexican gun runners so that they could track high-ranking cartel members.
Though the ATF's actions are a bit questionable, there's actually a completely legal -- and perhaps more harmful -- way the U.S. is arming Mexican cartels. It's called "direct commercial sales" and it's operated by the State... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Germany,Europe,Australia
In Wake of Glock Seizure, Australian Minister Defends Gun Control Efforts
15 March 2012
ABC News (Australia), Transcript
TONY EASTLEY: According to Tony Abbott Sydneysiders this morning not only face peak hour traffic but a reign of terror on the streets because of the illegal importation of hundreds of handguns from Europe and he puts it down to the Federal Government's lack of border control. The Opposition Leader says it can all be sheeted home to the Government.
On Tuesday police and other Federal and state authorities arrested alleged members of a gun smuggling syndicate who'd... (GunPolicy.org)
Post Office Owner Smuggled German Glocks to Sydney Gangs - Police
14 March 2012
Daily Telegraph (Sydney)
It began at a firearms manufacturing factory in Austria - and ended at a suburban Sydney post office.
Police yesterday cracked an elaborate gun-smuggling operation that spanned the globe, putting hundreds of illegal firearms into the hands of Sydney's underworld.
In the small township of Remscheid, Germany, up to 300 brand new Austrian-made Glock handguns were disassembled, packed in boxes with inconspicuous labels such as "plastic" and "metal", and shipped to... (GunPolicy.org)
European Union Adopts New Law on Export, Import & Transit of Guns
13 March 2012
GRIP.org
On 8 March 2012, the European Union Council has finally adopted a new European legislation that sets the rules and procedures to be followed by Member States on export, import and transit authorizations of firearms for civilian use (such as hunting weapons and sporting weapons), their parts and components, and ammunition, to and from the EU. These new rules therefore only address firearms transfers with non-EU countries. They complement the existing European legislation... (GunPolicy.org)
Venezuela Suspends Gun Imports for a Year
12 March 2012
Latin American Herald Tribune (Venezuela)
CARACAS – Venezuelan authorities have established a moratorium on importing guns for sale to the general public, while banning the marketing of munitions and all other armaments in an attempt to "put order" in that sector and exercise some control over the nation's widespread violence.
The technical secretary of the Presidential Commission for the Control of Arms, Munitions and Disarmament, Pablo Fernandez, said Friday in an interview on state channel VTV that since... (GunPolicy.org)
Curb Number of Guns Owned, Slow Gun Theft - West Australia Police Boss
12 March 2012
West Australian (Perth)
In the wake of the Port Arthur massacre in April 1996 the Federal government and all Australasian police ministers signed up to the National Firearms Agreement.
The intent of the agreement was to tighten gun control through the restriction of certain categories of firearms, through better screening of applicants and through a more rigorous assessment of genuine need.
The agreement included an amnesty and buyback scheme for firearms with the focus on reducing the... (GunPolicy.org)
Palestine,Israel,European Union,France
France and Arms Trade Control: an Opaque System - Opinion [Francais]
9 March 2012
Le Monde (France), Opinion
[Translated summary: Today, the French system on arms export control remains opaque: unlike neighboring countries such as United Kingdom and Netherlands. For example, it is impossible to know exactly what France sells, to whom, for what use or … if it refuses to sell to third countries. The last five years have not allowed significant advances. Instead, with the easing in spring 2011 of arms transfer controls inside and outside the European Union, or the refusal to... (GunPolicy.org)
Pakistan,Iran,Egypt,Russia,United States,Somalia,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
A 'Bulletproof' Arms Trade Treaty Could Slow the Global Flow of Guns
8 March 2012
MediaGlobal News (New York)
Every day, according to Amnesty International, thousands of people are killed, injured, raped, and forced to flee from their homes as a result of armed conflict, armed violence, and human rights violations and abuses perpetrated using conventional arms.
As violence continues unchecked around the world, a coalition of humanitarian and health organizations is rallying support for a "bulletproof" global Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), to be discussed in July, that would stymie... (GunPolicy.org)
Côte d'Ivoire,Mali,Togo,West Africa,Ghana,Kenya
Ghana National Security Receives Firearm Marking Machines
7 March 2012
Ghana News Agency
The Regional Centre for Small Arms and Light Weapons (RECSA) based in Kenya, on Wednesday presented two weapon marking machines to Ghana in efforts to eliminate the illicit trade and proliferation of small arms and weapons.
The donation was made during a three-day training programme for security personnel on weapons marking and record-keeping in Accra and organised in collaboration with the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons (NACSA) and Ministry of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Crusading Russian Woman Journalist Killed with Modified Air Pistol
6 March 2012
RIA Novosti (Russia)
MOSCOW - Russian investigators have identified a man who sold the gun used to kill campaigning journalist Anna Politkovskaya in 2006, Kommersant daily reported on Tuesday.
Businessman Vladimir Nabatov modified an air pistol to fire live bullets and then sold the gun to Dmitry Pavlyuchenkov, a former senior police officer on trial for organizing the contract killing.
It is not clear whether Nabatov is in police custody.
The suspected gunman, Rustam Makhmudov, was... (GunPolicy.org)
Timor-Leste,Thailand,Sri Lanka,Myanmar,Indonesia,South Asia,South East Asia,Israel,Iran,Cuba,United States,Japan,China,Brunei,Philippines,Pakistan,India,Asia
UN Urges Asian Nations to Help Curb Global Trade in Illegal Guns
6 March 2012
Jakarta Post
The United Nations is urging all nations in the Asia region to implement concrete solutions to stop illegal trading in small arms and light weapons.
"Over the past decades, trade has made this region grow so phenomenally. If you are a region where international trade is what makes you tick, you better also make sure that you are seen as doing trade in the right way," UN disarmament affairs official Daniel Prins told reporters on the sidelines of opening the Asian... (GunPolicy.org)
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)
Gun Smuggling into Egypt from Libya Increases, 576 Weapons Seized
5 March 2012
Associated Press
CAIRO — The number of weapons smuggled into Egypt across the Libyan border is on the increase, with thousands of weapons flooding into the country, security officials said on Monday.
They said residents of southern Egypt, where extended families often accumulate large arsenals to protect property and settle feuds, are the main buyers.
The officials said 576 weapons including modern sniper rifles were seized by police in the last three months in the Egyptian oasis of... (GunPolicy.org)
Ecuador,Paraguay,United States
Ecuadoran Smuggled 46 Boxes of Gun Parts, Minneapolis to Paraguay
5 March 2012
Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St Paul)
An Ecuadoran man who helped smuggle 46 boxes of gun parts from Minneapolis to Paraguay was sentenced Monday in St. Paul to two years in federal prison and faces almost certain deportation upon his release.
Fabian Lojano-Lojano, speaking through an interpreter, apologized for his actions and told U.S. District Judge Richard Kyle that he didn't know what he was doing when he shipped AK-47 gun parts to Paraguay without obtaining a proper license.
"I made the mistake and... (GunPolicy.org)
Texas Gun Sales Boom in Expectation of Obama Re-election
4 March 2012
ABC News (USA) / AP
FORT WORTH, Texas - Gun sales are booming across Texas, and some buyers say their growing belief that President Barack Obama will inevitably be re-elected is fueling their race to bear more arms.
And sales haven't just risen in Texas. There's been a rush nationwide, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported in Sunday's edition.
The Cheaper than Dirt gun store in Fort Worth set a sales record for February, said store owner DeWayne Irwin, who described the rush as similar... (GunPolicy.org)
East African Regional Cooperation Key to Fight Against Illicit Arms
3 March 2012
New Times (Rwanda)
Rwanda has made tremendous progress in the fight against the proliferation of small arms.
So far, over 32,000 illegal arms have been destroyed since 2008. Last year, 40 tonnes of ammunition was destroyed at the Gabiro military barracks; all small arms in the hands of the police, the armed forces and private security companies have been given serial numbers by the newly acquired firearms marking machine.
In 2007, Rwanda established the Central Firearms Registry to... (GunPolicy.org)
Venezuela Implements New, Strong Gun Control Measures [Espanol]
1 March 2012
Prensa Latina (Havana)
[Translated summary: Strong measures implemented in Venezuela for the control, use and trade of firearms and ammunition, as a government strategy to reduce levels of violence in the country. The government suspends the processing of applications for new permits to carry firearms for a period of one year, as well as for import and sale permits and respective ammunition.]
CARACAS - Contundentes medidas se aplican desde hoy en Venezuela para el control, uso y... (GunPolicy.org)
Belgium Government Puts an End to Unrestricted Sale of Firearms [Francais]
1 March 2012
Le Vif (Belgium)
[Translate summary: The sale of antique, folk and decorative firearms is now subject to prior authorisation in Belgium.]
Le gouvernement a décidé jeudi de soumettre dorénavant à autorisation préalable la vente d'armes à feu historiques, folkloriques et décorative, mettant ainsi fin aux dernières possibilités d'acquérir librement des armes à feu sur le marché belge.
"Il n'y aura plus d'armes à feu en vente libre en Belgique", a assuré jeudi la ministre... (GunPolicy.org)
Eastern Europe,Russia,United States,Belgium
Important Arms Cache Revealed by Belgium Police [Francais]
29 February 2012
RTL (Belgium)
[Translated summary: Explosives and weapons of war, including kalashnikovs, were seized by Belgium Police. This arms cache was Brussels' organised crime private supermarket.]
Kalachnikovs, grenades et dynamite, c'est l'étonnante découverte qu'a faite, mardi, la police d'Anderlecht dans un hangar, révèle une information de Sudpresse.
Selon le parquet de Bruxelles, ces explosifs et armes de guerre pourraient être revendus et destinés à des attaques à main... (GunPolicy.org)
