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
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
Russia,China,United States,United Kingdom,Congo (DRC),Myanmar,Iran
UK Minister Calls for International Support on Arms Trade Treaty
17 May 2012
Guardian (UK)
The international arms trade has become the greatest threat to development and has to be controlled by a tough treaty to regulate weapons and munitions sales, a government minister warns.
In a speech to the Institute for Strategic Studies thinktank, Alan Duncan, the minister for international development, will urge allies such as the US to set aside their concerns and sign up to the comprehensive arms trade treaty (ATT), which will be hammered out during a month-long... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Guardian (UK)
36143
Vietnam,China
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)
Read More: South China Morning Post (Hong Kong)
36133
Russia,China,United States
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)
Read More: International Business Times (US)
36134
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)
Read More: Dawn (Karachi)
36091
Macao,Hong Kong,China
700 Guns, 20,000 Replica Guns, 500,000 Bullets Seized in Guangdong
25 April 2012
Shenzhen Daily (China)
GuangdongG police seized more than 700 guns, 20,000 replica weapons, 500,000 bullets and 6,000 knives in a campaign which took place from March 1 to April 15 targeting gun-related crimes.
Police also confiscated more than 300 kilograms of explosives, 200 meters of fuse and 600 detonators during the campaign, according to Zhang Yongqiang, deputy director general of Guangdong Provincial Department of Public Security.
"Most of the guns and replica weapons that have been... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Shenzhen Daily (China)
36075
China,Sweden
Swedish Minister 'Ignorant' of UN Gun Export Embargo on China
23 April 2012
Local (Sweden)
Sweden's enterprise minster Annie Lööf has come in for heavy criticism following a blunder about Sweden's arms exports.
In an interview broadcast on Saturday on Sveriges Radio (SR), Lööf didn't rule out exporting arms to China – despite an arms embargo having been imposed on the country since 1989.
"If we don't export weapons to China, as far as pesticides or other equipment for instance, what consequences would that have," said Lööf on the air.
When asked... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Local (Sweden)
36070
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)
Read More: L'Express (France) / AFP
36014
United States,China
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)
Read More: China Daily
35983
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)
Read More: China Daily
35982
China
China Makes War on Illegal Guns, Gun Crime, Seeks 'Social Stability'
27 March 2012
China Daily / Xinhua
BEIJING - Police across China have been ordered to step up their war on crimes involving guns and explosives to safeguard social stability and public security.
Addressing a national conference on Monday, Huang Ming, deputy minister of public security, said police agencies at all levels must fully bear in mind the extreme importance of fighting gun and explosive-related crimes.
Huang urged coordinated efforts involving police in different sectors and regions to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: China Daily / Xinhua
35954
China,Sudan
Guns Used by South Sudanese Ethnic Militia Came from Army and Rebels
23 March 2012
Pretoria News (South Africa) / AFP
Guns and ammunition used by a South Sudanese ethnic militia that massacred a rival group earlier this year came from both the army and a rebel group, a report said on Thursday.
Beginning late December a marauding column of some 8 000 armed youths from the Lou Nuer people marched on the remote town of Pibor, home to the rival Murle, whom they blame for cattle raiding and have vowed to exterminate.
Analysis by the Small Arms Survey, a Swiss-based research group,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Pretoria News (South Africa) / AFP
35946
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)
Read More: Associated Press
35956
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)
Read More: ABC News (Australia)
35944
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)
Read More: Telegraph (India)
35948
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)
Read More: Jakarta Post
35886
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
Philippines,Trinidad & Tobago,Zimbabwe,Zambia,Uganda,Tanzania,Senegal,Congo (DRC),Pakistan,Nigeria,Niger,Namibia,Morocco,Mauritania,Malawi,Madagascar,Côte d'Ivoire,Burkina Faso,Botswana,Egypt,Angola,Algeria,South Africa,Ghana,China,United States,Austria,Russia,Israel,Bahrain,Asia,Africa,Brazil
Brazil Arms Exports: Country Preaches Peace, Sells Tons of Arms
28 February 2012
Huffington Post (USA)
A small, scratched metal can thrown on the ground created Brazil's first diplomatic embarrassment of 2012. The canister of tear gas had been collected by pro-democracy activists in Bahrain. Stamped across the can in blue was a Brazilian flag and the words 'MADE IN BRAZIL.'
One year had passed since Bahrain became the stage for pro-democracy protests by the majority Shiites against the Sunni monarchy commanded by king Hamad bin-Isa Khalifa. The protesters had been... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Huffington Post (USA)
35870
Algeria,India,Iran,North Korea,China,Syria,Russia
Russia Faces a Growing International Outcry over Its Arms Sales to Syria
21 February 2012
Reuters
MOSCOW/BEIRUT - Russia faces a growing international outcry over its arms sales to Syria but shows no sign of bowing to pressure and has even increased deliveries of arms that critics say are helping keep President Bashar al-Assad in power.
The biggest importer of arms to Syria, Russia sold Damascus nearly $1 billion worth of arms including missile systems last year, while shipments of hard-to-track Russian small weapons have risen since the uprising against Assad... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Reuters
35852
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
Egypt,Mexico,Iran,United States,Syria,Russia,China,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
Collapse of UN Arms Trade Treaty Talks Narrowly Averted - Reuters
17 February 2012
Reuters
UNITED NATIONS - Negotiators on Friday narrowly averted the collapse of talks on a world arms trade treaty to regulate the $55 billion global weapons market, agreeing on ground rules for negotiations after days of procedural wrangling.
Delegates and advocates for tougher oversight of global arms sales said the agreement set the stage for a monthlong conference in July to draft the treaty.
Arms control campaigners say one person every minute dies as a result of armed... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Reuters
35841
Sudan,China,Egypt,Bahrain,Libya,Germany,United Kingdom,Russia,United States,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
At Last, the World Acts to Control Global Arms Trade, UN Talks Begin this Week
12 February 2012
Independent (Dublin)
The global arms trade, which produces two bullets for every person on the planet every year and the weapons that kill 1,500 people each day, is facing the first worldwide effort to control it. An unprecedented treaty that would attempt to restrict arms sales is expected to be drawn up at talks in the United Nations this week.
A campaign for such an agreement, begun six years ago by Nobel laureates, faces attempts by the United States and Russia to water the treaty... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Independent (Dublin)
35825
China
Alarmed by Spate of Gun Crime, China Vows to Clamp Down on Firearms
10 February 2012
China Daily
BEIJING - The government is to crack down on the illegal possession of guns and explosives following a recent spate of armed robberies nationwide.
"We will concentrate on tackling crimes involving serious violence and other prominent criminal activities in order to strengthen security in cities and maintain social order and overall stability," said Huang Ming, deputy minister of public security, announcing the campaign against gun crime.
There has been a series of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: China Daily
35815
Sudan,China,Russia,Syria
Russia, China Provide Guns to Violate Human Rights in Darfur - Amnesty
9 February 2012
Reuters
LONDON - Russian and Chinese arms are being used to violate human rights in Darfur region in breach of an "ineffectual" United Nations embargo, Amnesty International said on Thursday.
Amnesty said Russia and China are supplying weapons to Sudan's government despite evidence they are being used against civilians in Darfur, where the U.N. estimates as many as 300,000 people have died since 2003 from violence, hunger or disease.
"China and Russia are selling arms to the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Reuters
35812
Germany,United Kingdom,China,Nigeria
British and German Arms Dealers Involved in Arms Shipment to Nigeria
8 February 2012
Daily Trust (Abuja)
British prosecutors recently vowed to pursue a legal case involving the shipment of large cache of weapons, allegedly from China and destined for Nigeria, after a London judge threw it out.
Those involved in the trade are said to be British and German arms dealers. Mr Gary Hyde, a 42-year old retired British volunteer police officer, is accused of conspiring with his German business partner Karl Kleber for the illegal shipment of 40,000 Ak47 assault rifles, 30,000... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Daily Trust (Abuja)
35808
China,United States,Ghana,Nigeria
Nigerian Civilians Hold 2 Million Guns, Security Forces 600,000
30 January 2012
Nation (Nigeria)
Members of the dreaded insurgent group, Boko Haram, armed robbers and hired assassins have done great havoc with guns acquired illegally. Where are they coming from? OLUKAYODE THOMAS and JOKE KUJENYA examine the sources of illegal arms into the country.
The ruins are still visible on the police zonal headquatres in Kano. The offices of the State Security Service (SSS) and the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) testify to the Boko Haram bombing and armed assaults of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Nation (Nigeria)
35782
Germany,Poland,Nigeria,China,United Kingdom
UK Arms Dealer Arranged to Sell 80,000 Chinese Guns to Nigeria - Court
10 January 2012
BBC News
A British-based arms dealer helped organise the shipment of thousands of guns from China to Nigeria without the necessary licence, a court has heard.
Gary Hyde partly arranged and organised the shipment in 2007 of 80,000 rifles and pistols and 32 million rounds of ammunition.
Southwark Crown Court heard he did not receive permission from the relevant government department.
Mr Hyde, from Derwent near York, denies the charges.
The court was told the shipment involved... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BBC News
35724
Taiwan
Police Seize More Than 2,000 Guns in Buildup to Taiwan Elections
8 January 2012
Taipei Times
Law enforcement personnel nationwide seized 2,213 illegal firearms during raids conducted over the past year as part of efforts to prevent violence from marring the Jan. 14 presidential and legislative elections.
According to statistics released by the Supreme Prosecutors' Office on Friday, since the National Police Agency launched its first nationwide crackdown on illegal firearms in February last year, the police have pursued 1,860 cases involving the illegal... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Taipei Times
35717
China,Europe,United States,Thailand
Firearms Only for the Rich: Bangkok Guns 'Like a Louis Vuitton for Guys'
2 January 2012
CNN
If you have an itchy trigger finger while visiting Thailand it may be difficult to purchase a gun, but wealthy foreigners and Thais who live here can now enjoy their weapon of choice thanks to the recent lifting of a ban imposed in Bangkok last year.
Tourists can, however, buy custom-made leather holsters and other accessories at the estimated 80 weapons stores along Burapha Road, just east of the Sala Chalerm Krung Royal Theatre, where the vast majority of Bangkok's... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: CNN
35698
Bangladesh,Myanmar,South East Asia,China,India
Indian Insurgents Procuring, Smuggling Arms from China, Southeast Asia
9 December 2011
Times of India
NEW DELHI - Insurgent groups in the northeast are procuring arms in China and some other South East Asian countries before smuggling them into India through Myanmar and Bangladesh, the government has said.
"There are reports that insurgent outfits operating in the northeastern states of India have been procuring arms through smugglers based in the Yunnan province of China, Myanmar and South East Asian countries," minister of state for home Mullappally Ramachandran said... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Times of India
35663
Japan
Police Oppose Gun Lobby Push to Slacken Law, Reduce Gun Limits in Japan
7 December 2011
Japan Today
TOKYO — Farmers in rural areas have been reporting increasing damage to their crops by wild boar, deer and other animals. To make firearms more accessible, a bill that would loosen the currently tight restrictions on hunting rifles has been proposed in the Diet. But, the Sankei Shimbun (Dec 4) reports, the police remain adamantly opposed to changes in the law.
According to data compiled by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, in 2009, crop damage from... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Japan Today
35639
China
China Arrests Illegal Arms Makers: Guangdong Gun Crime Up 32% per Year
22 November 2011
China Radio International / Xinhua
Police in south China's Guangdong province have dismantled two gun-making dens in the city of Shanwei, local authorities said Tuesday.
Officials with the Guangdong Public Security Department said the raid led to the arrests of six people as well as seizures of seven guns, 107 bullets, a batch of gun parts and gun-making equipment.
Gun-related crime has surged in Guangdong this year, as 1,909 suspects in gun-related crimes were arrested during the first 10 months of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: China Radio International / Xinhua
35565
China
Thousands of Illegal Guns and Replicas Seized, 84 Arrested in China
17 November 2011
Shanghai Daily (China)
Police in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province, have smashed an illegal firearms production and trafficking ring, detaining 84 people and seizing 6,990 guns.
In late March, the discovery of three imitation guns during a routine check at a train station in Kunming put police on the trail of the gun-trading network.
Within four months they had confiscated 1,612 guns capable of firing live ammunition and 5,378 replicas.
On April 21, police found a man... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Shanghai Daily (China)
35549
Germany,China,United States,India
Increasing Availability and Seizures of Illicit Guns in Pune, India
17 November 2011
Express India
PUNE - Failure in identifying and cracking down on criminals involved in manufacturing and selling of illegal firearms is the major reason behind unchecked illegal trade of firearms in the city, police said. And investigation of some of the cases revealed that the quality of illegal firearms has improved, availability has increased while cost has gone down, police said.
According to the figures obtained by The Indian Express under the Right to Information Act (RTI)... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Express India
35548
North Africa,China,Ukraine,Chad,Mali,Niger,France,Europe,United States,Libya
Hundreds of Thousands of Libyan Assault Rifles Looking for New Owners?
15 November 2011
Time (USA)
More than three weeks after Libya's rebels killed Muammar Gaddafi, arms experts say the task of finding and securing the mountain of weaponry abandoned by Gaddafi's forces in their final rout has been complicated by a lack of international funding and coordination, as well as conflicting priorities among Western and African governments about which weapons pose the biggest threat.
While U.S. and European officials have sounded the alarm about the threat posted to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Time (USA)
35547
Zimbabwe,China
China Delivers 20,000 Assault Rifles to Zimbabwe Ahead of Election
14 November 2011
Defence Web (South Africa)
Zimbabwe has taken delivery of 20 000 AK-47 assault rifles from China as the country re-equips its army ahead of upcoming elections.
The Southern Africa Report, which focuses on political and economic intelligence issues in Africa, reports that the Zimbabwe Defence Force (ZDF) has taken delivery of "the first of several consignments of Chinese small arms and equipment," including AK-47 assault rifles, uniforms, a dozen trucks and 21 000 pairs of handcuffs.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Defence Web (South Africa)
35560
Sudan,China
South Sudan Rebels Have New Chinese Assault Rifles, Says Swiss Group
26 October 2011
Sudan Tribune (France)
KHARTOUM – Relatively new Chinese weapons have been seized from rebel groups in South Sudan, according to the Small Arms Survey research organisation.
Arms captured from rebel fighters loyal to both Peter Gadet and George Athor included Chinese Type-56-1 assault rifles. South Sudan has repeatedly accused Khartoum of backing southern rebels in an attempt to destabilise the oil-rich nation, which became independent in July.
Khartoum denies that it arms rebels in South... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sudan Tribune (France)
35468
United States,Taiwan
Taiwan Gun Group Joins Global Fight to Keep and Bear Arms
25 October 2011
Taipei Times
The Taiwan Defensive Firearms Association (TDFA) earlier this month became a member of the International Association for the Protection of Civilian Arms Rights (IAPCAR), a global gun rights association working to protect and expand the ability to keep and bear arms around the globe.
In a press release, IAPCAR said the TDFA was joining 16 other groups from nine countries on five continents that represent millions of firearm owners and citizens concerned about civilian... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Taipei Times
35451
China,Canada
Airguns Allowed into Canada Easily Converted into Real AK-47, Police Say
20 October 2011
CBC News (Canada)
The RCMP are racing to track down and seize hundreds of replica AK-47 BB guns imported from China that investigators fear can be easily reconfigured into deadly prohibited weapons.
The Mounties launched raids and seizures last week on a number of gun stores in B.C., Ontario, and Quebec. Investigators believe the toys — assembled with authentic parts from the Chinese Type-56 version of the AK-47 semi-automatic assault rifle — can be transformed into weapons with a... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: CBC News (Canada)
35441
Myanmar,China
China Arrests Myanmar Gun-Runners to Tibetan Regions
19 October 2011
Reuters
BEIJING - Chinese police have arrested 17 people for running guns into ethnically Tibetan parts of the country from northern Myanmar, and have seized a small number of guns and bullets, state media said on Wednesday.
China has long expressed concern that instability in Myanmar could spill over into its border provinces and regions. While the two countries have close economic and political ties, relations have been strained of late after Myanmar suspended the building... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Reuters
35438
European Union,China,Germany,South Korea,Switzerland,Serbia,France,United Kingdom,Syria,Yemen,Bulgaria,Belgium,Libya,Italy,Bahrain,Egypt,United States,Russia,West Asia,North Africa,Finland,Austria,Sudan,North Korea,Spain
Tracing the Middle East Weapons Flow
19 October 2011
al Jazeera
Earlier this year, as mass popular uprisings spread through the Middle East and audiences across the world sat transfixed by images of unarmed citizens confronting iron-fisted security forces in the streets of Arab capitals, powerful governments from Russia to the United States were forced to begin accounting for the weapons they had for decades sold to the very rulers they now found themselves abandoning.
In Egypt and Bahrain, protesters held up tear gas canisters... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: al Jazeera
35436
Japan,United States,Philippines
Philippines Needs Stricter Gun Control Laws - Opinion
11 October 2011
Philippine Daily Inquirer, Opinion
Joke only: A Llama is a handgun.
But a Llamas is an AK-47.
* * *
Because of the AK-47 found in the vehicle of Presidential Political Adviser Ronald Llamas when it figured in an accident on Edsa (Llamas was away in Switzerland), the talk at the Kapihan sa Manila at the Diamond Hotel last Monday centered on guns in the hands of civilians.
And the guests were all well qualified to talk about guns: brand-new PNP chief, Director General Nicanor Bartolome,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Philippine Daily Inquirer
35398
Philippines,United States,Asia,Japan
Stricter Gun Laws Needed to Stop the Massacre in Philippines
22 September 2011
Philippine Daily Inquirer, Opinion
The shooting by a 13-year-old of his 17-year-old boyfriend in an SM mall in Pampanga is just another proof that we have very liberal gun laws and that we should have stricter gun laws to curb crime, as the Gunless Society keeps insisting. How can such a young boy have access to a handgun, carry it past the security guards of the mall and then shoot his boyfriend if we had adequate gun laws?
The same with the abandoned wife who shot her estranged husband in another SM... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Philippine Daily Inquirer
35319
Philippines,Indonesia,China
3 Men Charged with Production and Selling of Imitation Guns in China
15 August 2011
China Daily
XIAMEN, Fujian - Three men in East China's Fujian province have been charged with producing and selling imitation guns following a raid on a toy gun factory in Jinjiang city in July.
You Zhixian, a publicity officer with Jinjiang public security bureau, said the three suspects surnamed Huang, Ge and Chen had been arrested on suspicion of producing and selling imitation guns that could cause injury.
"More than 10,000 imitation firearms were discovered in the factory,"... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: China Daily
35189
Kyrgyzstan,Czech Republic,Pakistan,Afghanistan,Central Asia,Russia,Uzbekistan,China,Kazakhstan,European Union,United States,Colombia,Iran
Smuggling of Small Arms in Central Asia Is Endemic - British Expert
2 August 2011
Journal of Turkish Weekly (Turkey), Transcript
British intelligence analyst and journalist Richard M. Bennett says the Fergana Valley is extremely vulnerable to the covert smuggling of arms and drugs, despite the official reports of Central Asian governments denying its highlighted status. Mr. Bennett told JTW that Russia has been responsible for an overwhelming amount of illegal arms circulating in ex-Soviet Central Asia. In his view, Russia's military intelligence (GRU) is the mastermind of major trafficking... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Journal of Turkish Weekly (Turkey)
35152
Pakistan,South Asia,China,United States,United Kingdom,Germany,France,India,Nepal
Global Gun Trade Treaty the Only Way to Control 'Arms Bazaar'
25 July 2011
República (Kathmandu), Opinion
In 2009, I recall visiting a militant camp in India's North East a day before they would surrender. The deputy commander who was in charge and allegedly responsible for the death of at least 200 people brandished his M16 assault rifle and flaunted his bodyguard who was following him with a rocket launcher. He was calm but shifty-eyed and admitted having a personal saving of a few billion INR in his account. Barely 24 hours after his formal surrender, he was in seen in... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: República (Kathmandu)
35116
Israel,United Kingdom,Russia,France,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,China,United States
Productive Negotiations at the UN on Arms Trade Treaty [Francais]
18 July 2011
Courrier du Vietnam / AFP
[Translated summary: Member States of the UN "made significant progress" during the week of negotiations in New York for the adoption in July 2012 of the Arms Trade Treaty, said on July 15 Eric Danon, representative of France in the negotiations.]
Les États membres de l'ONU ont "beaucoup progressé" pendant une semaine de négociations à New York en vue de l'adoption en juillet 2012 d'un traité sur le commerce des armes, a déclaré le 15 juillet Eric Danon,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Courrier du Vietnam / AFP
35078
United States,Indonesia,New Zealand,South Korea,China,Russia,South Africa
New Zealand Police Promise Gun Ban for Rugby World Cup Bodyguards
14 July 2011
Stuff (New Zealand)
Foreign bodyguards will be banned from carrying weapons when protecting overseas dignitaries at this year's Rugby World Cup.
New Zealand police will assume full responsibility for the protection of visiting heads of state and VIPs at the tournament, which starts two days before the 10th anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks.
Visiting security agents were permitted to carry weapons to protect foreign leaders during the 1999 Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Stuff (New Zealand)
35054
Western Europe,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,United States,China,India,Guatemala
Private Security Guards Now Outnumber Police Worldwide - New Survey
6 July 2011
Sunday Times (UK) / AFP
GENEVA - Private security companies employ up to 25.5 million people across the world, exceeding the number of police officers, and hold up to 3.7 million firearms, a survey said Wednesday.
"The global trend towards downsizing government, including public security institutions, has contributed to the growth of the private security sector," said the Geneva Graduate Institute's small arms survey.
"In prisons, at airports, along borders and on the street, security... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sunday Times (UK) / AFP
35024
United Kingdom,United States,Europe,India,China,Russia,Libya,France
France Air-dropped Guns to Libyan Civilians: In Breach of Arms Embargo?
30 June 2011
Le Point (France) / Reuters
[Translated summary: France acknowledged that it airlifted small arms to Libyan civilians fighting Moammar Gadhafi's forces in a besieged mountain region south of Tripoli. Critics say that this is against the UN arms embargo].
NEW YORK, PARIS - La France a défendu sa décision de parachuter des armes aux insurgés libyens, une opération à laquelle l'Otan n'a pas été associée et qui suscite jeudi une controverse, les Nations unies ayant imposé en février un... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Le Point (France) / Reuters
35000
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
United States,North Africa,Russia,European Union,East Asia,Indonesia,China
The Arms Trade Treaty, Several Hurdles Must be Overcome Before 2012
8 June 2011
United Nations News & Commentary
In a three-day meeting organized by the UN Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) the European Union, and the Government of the Republic of Indonesia, representatives of nearly 30 East Asian and Pacific countries are gathering with regional and international organizations to discuss the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT).
This is the latest in a series of regional meetings UNIDIR is conducting to develop concrete recommendations on the future Treaty and to assist States with... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: United Nations News & Commentary
34919
China
Rare Shooting of Chinese Police Officers Earns Execution for Multiple Killer
26 April 2011
Associated Press
BEIJING, China - A Chinese state news agency says a man who killed four policemen in a shootout in eastern China has been executed. It was a rare case of gun violence in a country where private firearms ownership is illegal.
The official Xinhua News Agency says 51-year-old Liu Jianjun was put to death Tuesday. The Intermediate People's Court of Tai'an city in Shandong handed him the death penalty in March for murder and illegal possession of guns and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Associated Press
34718
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
United Kingdom,Israel,Germany,China,Canada,United States,New Zealand,Australia
World Media Reacts to Arizona Shooting: America's Gun Laws Are Nuts
11 January 2011
Wrap (California)
While the shootings in Tucson continue to inflame the debate over violent rhetoric in American politics, the international media's reaction to the tragedy is largely focused on alleged killer Jared Lee Loughner's weapon of choice: a gun.
In doing so, it's gotten to the debate over gun laws faster than a U.S. media hung up on the politics.
"This guy was a nutjob. What he did was sick and evil," a Tucson gunshop owner told Agence France-Presse in a piece entitled,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Wrap (California)
34029
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
China
Murder Suspects Shoot, Kill 6, Injure 5 in Rare Beijing Police Shootout
5 January 2011
New York Times
BEIJING — Two men wielding a shotgun and a homemade pistol fatally shot three police officers and an assistant and staged a series of carjackings in a city in northeastern China, state news media reported Wednesday, a rare example of gun violence in a nation where average citizens are largely barred from owning firearms.
The episode in Tai'an, a city in Shandong Province, left five others wounded after officers and assistants of the city public security bureau... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New York Times
33964
China
Murder Suspects Shoot, Kill 3 Police, Wound Six in Rare Beijing Shootout
4 January 2011
Associated Press
BEIJING - A pair of murder suspects killed three police officers in a shootout after going on a carjacking spree in eastern China, a news report said Wednesday, a rare case of gun violence in a country where private firearms ownership is illegal.
Two civilians and four police officers were also wounded in the shootout in Tai'an city in the eastern coastal province of Shandong.
The suspects hijacked four cars in a row, shooting two of the drivers, before they were... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Associated Press
33960
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
China
Police Charge Man with Making, Selling Shotguns on the Web in China
24 December 2010
Xinhua
Chinese police have cracked a serious case of Internet-enabled gun selling and said they are monitoring the new crime method. The Ministry of Public Security revealed Thursday that police began their investigation of the case in May.
They said the owner of the Internet gun shop, Zhou Zhaoping, and four other suspects were arrested on June 8 in Wuxi City in east China's Jiangsu Province.
Zhou, a 31-year-old man from Yixing City, Jiangsu, had produced and sold shotguns,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Xinhua
33895
Saudi Arabia,Pakistan,Japan,United Kingdom,Switzerland,Finland,Yemen,United States
Civilians Own 74% Of All Guns Globally, Firearm Laws Differ Greatly
15 December 2010
Times of India
The 'Gun Debate' has engaged many parts of the world for decades and both public opinion and lawmakers in different countries differ considerably on this question. Interestingly, 74% of all firearms globally are owned by civilians.
The right to own a firearm is a major issue in US politics and many Americans consider the possession of firearms a time-honoured custom. Strong gun-supporting lobbies like the National Rifle Association spend millions of dollars to fight... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Times of India
33838
Japan
Tokyo Gun Stores Go On Strike to Protest Stricter Firearm Ownership Laws
4 December 2010
Mainichi Daily News (Japan)
An organization of gun stores in Tokyo went on a two-day strike on Dec. 4 at all of its 18 member stores to protest stricter controls on owning hunting guns that it says have devastated sales.
On the morning of Dec. 4, the 18 stores posted notices at their storefronts reading "On Strike!" The organization says that sales are over 50 percent down at all stores.
"We apologize to our customers, but we judged that this was something we had to do," said a director of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Mainichi Daily News (Japan)
33773
China,India,Nepal
Gun Runner Tells of Frequent Handgun Smuggling from India to Nepal
27 November 2010
Kantipur (Nepal)
KATHMANDU - Laxman Shah's (name changed) life seemed routine to his neighbours, until the day the police arrested him. His wife and children were shocked, as they were kept in the dark about his real profession. Shah has been a dealer of firearms for the past decade — an arms mule who regularly procured small arms from the Indian towns of Sitamarhi, Sursand, Basopatti, and Ladniya to send them to the Capital.
Shah was released a few months ago from Jaleshwor Jail,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Kantipur (Nepal)
33717
Iran,North Korea,China,Thailand,New Zealand
UN Security Council Reveals New Zealand Role in Global Gun Running
12 November 2010
Stuff (New Zealand)
New Zealand's role in allowing easy shell company creation has been revealed by a UN Security Council report as a key component in efforts by North Korea to break international arms trading sanctions.
A 75-page report on North Korea's sanctions busting efforts was released by the council in New York today after its publication was blocked for six months by China, a key ally for North Korea.
Written by a panel of experts it also reveals some new details about a... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Stuff (New Zealand)
33618
China
Beijing Police Close Web Sites Said Trafficking Illegal Guns, Ammunition
20 October 2010
People's Daily (China)
The Beijing police force has closed six illegal websites to concentrate on cleaning up 3 million pieces of harmful information and cracking down on dangerous firearm goods since the launch of a special action to strike illegal online trafficking in firearms and ammunition in March of this year.
Tan Quan, a senior official from the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau, said that the police force has discovered harmful information involving firearms, ammunition,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: People's Daily (China)
33508
New Zealand,Thailand,North Korea
North Korea-Bangkok Gun Runners Show NZ Vulnerable to Arms Trafficking
19 October 2010
New Zealand Herald
Gaps in New Zealand's company laws that leave the country vulnerable to illegal arms traders need to be addressed urgently, an Oxfam report says.
The report, Brokers without Borders, was released yesterday and highlighted the need for a global arms trade treaty.
It holds New Zealand up as an example of how illicit arms brokers continue to use international networks of companies to exploit regulatory gaps, when detailing an incident last December when a 35-tonne cache... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New Zealand Herald
33545
Iran,New Zealand,North Korea,Thailand
Oxfam Report Details New Zealand's Vulnerability in Global Gun Trade
19 October 2010
New Zealand Press Association
Gaps in New Zealand's company laws that leave the country vulnerable to illegal arms traders need to be addressed urgently, an Oxfam report says.
The report, Brokers without Borders, was released yesterday and highlighted the need for a global arms trade treaty.
It holds New Zealand up as an example of how illicit arms brokers continue to use international networks of companies to exploit regulatory gaps, when detailing an incident last December when a 35-tonne cache... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New Zealand Press Association
33504
Thailand,North Korea,Iran,New Zealand
NZ Woman Linked to North Korea-Iran Arms Trafficking, Guilty Plea Tipped
2 September 2010
New Zealand Press Association
A director of a New Zealand firm allegedly linked to arms traffickers reappeared in court today.
Lu Zhang, 28, is accused of 75 offences of making false statements in company registration forms after she declared her office address was her residence in 75 companies she registered.
She was charged after a plane loads of weapons, including rockets and grenades, from North Korea bound for Iran was seized in Bangkok last year.
The Russian-made aircraft was allegedly... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New Zealand Press Association
33272
South Korea,United States
US Reconsiders, Bans Import of a Million Military Rifles from South Korea
1 September 2010
Fox News (USA)
The South Korean government, in an effort to raise money for its military, wants to sell nearly a million antique M1 rifles that were used by U.S. soldiers in the Korean War to gun collectors in America.
The Obama administration approved the sale of the American-made rifles last year. But it reversed course and banned the sale in March – a decision that went largely unnoticed at the time but that is now sparking opposition from gun rights advocates.
A State... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Fox News (USA)
33265
India,Myanmar,Bangladesh,South Asia,China
Separatists, Burmese Rebels Make and Sell 'Chinese' Guns Across Region
3 August 2010
BBC News
South Asia's illegal arms market is full of "Chinese-made weapons" - but many of them may not actually be made in China.
Anti-arms campaigners say that the rifles and machine guns which South Asia's rebel armies buy are manufactured under "an informal franchise" that Burma's rebel United Wa State Army (UWSA) has managed to secure from Chinese ordnance factories.
The UWSA is an ethnic left-wing rebel militia, with an estimated 30,000 fighters. It is accused of being... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BBC News
33154
Nepal,China,India
Illegal Arms Trade, Gun Trafficking Said to Flourish in Nepal Tourist Area
2 July 2010
BBC News
The central Kathmandu tourist district of Thamel has become a centre for illegal trade in guns and small arms.
Kathmandu's police chief said the area was becoming increasingly violent because of its popularity with the city's drug dealers and criminals.
With cheap restaurants, backpacker hostels and shops, Thamel has long been the tourist capital of Nepal.
Most tourists spend at least a day here before heading out into the country to go trekking or rafting.
But in... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BBC News
32948
China
Armed Violence Feared Rising in China Despite Strict Gun Control Laws
23 June 2010
Inter Press Service News Agency
BEIJING - China and guns have a long history.
The country invented gun power and developed one of the world's first guns, known as the "fire spear." Rifles played a major role in China's modern history, from the fight against the Japanese army to the Communist's victory over the Nationalists. In 1938, Mao Zedong famously said that "political power grows out of the barrel of a gun."
That comment perhaps foreshadowed the gun control laws later implemented by Mao and the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Inter Press Service News Agency
32861
China
Man Shoots 6 Judges, Kills 3 in Chinese Court Following Domestic Dispute
1 June 2010
Xinhua
YONGZHOU, Hunan - A man killed himself after shooting three judges dead and injuring another three judges in a local court office Tuesday in central China's Hunan Province, said local authorities.
The incident happened at about 10:05 a.m. at Lingling District People's Court in Yongzhou City, said the city's public security department.
The gunman, Zhu Jun, barged into an office on the fourth floor of the court building. He shot the judges in the office before killing... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Xinhua
32762
China
Police May Use Guns to Stop School Attacks, Say Chinese Authorities
14 May 2010
San Francisco Chronicle
Chinese police may use firearms to prevent more attacks on schoolchildren, the official Xinhua News Agency said, citing a government spokesman, after a series of assaults left more than a dozen students dead.
"If offenders dare to attempt such crimes again, the police will enforce the law firmly without hesitation, in line with the Criminal Law and police code of using guns and other weapons," Wu Heping, spokesman for the Ministry of Public Security, was cited as... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: San Francisco Chronicle
32677
Japan
Japan to Relax Post-war Ban on Arms Exports, Already Major Gun Supplier
21 April 2010
Global Times (China)
Tokyo wants to relax its self-imposed ban on arms exports, a Financial Times report published Monday quoted a Japanese defense official as saying.
Akihisa Nagashima, a parliamentary vice minister of defense, told the Financial Times that the move reflected concern about the competitiveness of the country's defense industry and the high prices its military must pay for arms that are often less than cutting edge.
Tokyo in 1967 announced the Three Principles on Arms... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Global Times (China)
32579
North Korea,Russia
President Bans All North Korea Gun Purchases, Transport to, from Russia
30 March 2010
Itar-Tass (Moscow)
MOSCOW - President Dmitry Medvedev prohibited all state structures, Russian legal and physical persons to purchase all types of weapons in North Korea. The appropriate decree on measures for implementing UN Security Council resolution 1874 of June 12, 2009, is placed at the Kremlin's official site.
"All state institutions, industrial, commercial, financial, transport and other enterprises, banks, organisations, other legal and physical persons, under Russian... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Itar-Tass (Moscow)
32437
North Korea
Defector Tells How North Korea Exports Arms - AK-47s Very Popular
11 March 2010
ChoSun Ilbo (Seoul)
Curbing North Korea's illicit arms trade is difficult since the renegade country launders containers carrying weapons three or four times, a defector who was in charge of illicit arms deals told the Chosun Ilbo on Monday.
The defector revealed that a factory in Jagang Province, which is believed to produce tractors, is the center of the communist country's weapons production, including chemical warheads. The defector, who is under police protection, did not want his... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: ChoSun Ilbo (Seoul)
32319
Thailand,North Korea
Thailand Drops Charges Against Crew of Plane Carrying N. Korean Arms
11 February 2010
SEESAC (Belgrade) / Choson Ilbo (Seoul), Web page
Thai prosecutors have dropped charges against the crew of a plane carrying North Korean weapons despite United Nations resolutions that bar Pyongyang from selling arms. The Attorney General's office in Thailand said Thursday [ 11 February] it will not prosecute the five-man crew, whose plane stopped in Bangkok with 35 tons of North Korean weapons on board.
Thai authorities say the men - one from Belarus and four from Kazakhstan - will be sent back to their home... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: SEESAC (Belgrade) / Choson Ilbo (Seoul)
32141
Taiwan
Illegal Weapon Factory, 'Remodeled' Handguns Found in Taiwan Village
27 January 2010
China Post (Taiwan)
CHIAYI, Taiwan -- Chiayi Police yesterday crossed municipal lines to arrest a man who allegedly ran an underground weapons factory behind the facade of a registered green business in Chiayi County, local media reported.
Kuo Wen-tsan was also suspected of illegal arms sale, given the sophisticated construction of six remodeled handguns found on scene, police were quoted as saying. But Kuo was cited as telling authorities that he was merely reconstructing weapons for fun... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: China Post (Taiwan)
31993
North Korea,New Zealand,Thailand,Kazakhstan,Iran
Complex International Web Entangles Weapon Cargo Seized In Thailand
22 January 2010
Associated Press
SHYMKENT, Kazakhstan - The trail of the plane seized in Thailand last month for reportedly smuggling North Korean weapons to Iran leads back to a small air freight company housed near an old Soviet airfield on the edge of the Kazakh steppe.
The aging Russian plane's odyssey took it through a web of companies, financiers and air cargo carriers with addresses stretching from New York through the Persian Gulf to New Zealand, an Associated Press investigation has... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Associated Press
32002
Taiwan
Taiwan Threatens to Sue Client Countries Re-exporting Its Ammunition
20 January 2010
Taiwan News / CNA
TAIPEI -- The Ministry of National Defense (MND) will sue contractors if they have resold expired ammunition owned by Taiwan to an African country as has been reported, an official said Wednesday.
"We have a detailed and sophisticated plan to oversee contracts on the destruction of outdated ammunition, " said Wang Kuo-wu, director of the military procurement center under the MND Armaments Bureau.
"In terms of form and documentation, there should be no problems or... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Taiwan News / CNA
31929
India,Nepal,China
Police to Focus on Nepal-India Smuggling of Chinese Guns and Ammo
14 January 2010
Hindustan Times (Delhi)
Alarmed by the continuous seizure of huge quantities of arms and explosives, the Bihar police has decided to approach neighbouring state agencies to unravel the inter-state network of arms and ammunition peddlers and crime syndicate active on the Indo-Nepal border. "A meeting chaired by Director General of Police Anand Shankar decided to approach neighbouring state agencies to eliminate the inter-state network of peddlers of arms, ammunition and explosive materials,"... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Hindustan Times (Delhi)
31841
Japan
Man Kills 2, Himself, in Rare Japanese Bar Shooting
12 January 2010
Associated Press
TOKYO,Japan - A man opened fire at a bar in western Japan on Tuesday, killing two people and wounding one seriously before taking his own life.
Guns are strictly controlled in Japan, and shootings are rare. When such attacks do occur, they are often linked to gangsters known as yakuza.
Police in Habikino City in Osaka prefecture were investigating the gunman's motive, police official Mitsuyuki Oda said. The Kyodo News agency said the gunman was a city employee and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Associated Press
31817
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
Russia,China,Pakistan
Russia Confronts Pakistan, China Over 'Illegally' Copied AK Assault Rifles
16 November 2009
United Press International
HONG KONG, China — At a press conference held during an international exhibition of defense equipment in Turkey last summer, a Russian military delegation harshly criticized the Pakistan Ordnance Factories Company for copying Russian weapons systems.
The Russians claimed that the POF's RPG-7P anti-tank rockets, 122-mm D-30 howitzer ammunition and PK-10 assault guns were 100-percent imitations of Russian systems. The PK-10 assault gun is a Pakistani version of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: United Press International
31477
India,China,South Asia
Chinese 'Big Smugglers' of Illegal Guns, Claims Indian Home Secretary
9 November 2009
Times of India / TNN
NEW DELHI — The government on Sunday indicated that China might be a source of small arms for naxalites who may be procuring them through smugglers.
"Chinese are big smugglers… suppliers of small arms. I am sure that the Maoists also get them," home secretary G K Pillai said when asked if the naxals had links with China.
He, however, made it clear that the government had no information that the Maoists had any links with China except getting arms. "I do not... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Times of India / TNN
31435
Japan
Yakuza Gunman Dead, Three Injured in Rare Japanese Shooting
6 November 2009
BBC News
A gunman in Japan has taken his own life after wounding three people in Yokohama, outside Tokyo, police said.
The gunman had taken refuge in a building in a residential area which the police surrounded.
A police spokesman said one of the injured men was in a critical condition and the other two were lightly wounded.
Japanese media reported the violence appeared to be gang related. Shootings are rare in Japan, where there are strict gun control laws.
Police named... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BBC News
31419
India,United Nations,Russia,China
UN Gun Trade Treaty 'Likely Very Weak' as India, Russia, China Abstain
2 November 2009
Times of India / TNN
NEW DELHI — Even as the crucial global arms trade and transfers (ATT) treaty, which seeks to regulate the $55 billion arms trade and promote democracy, found overwhelming support from 153 member countries at the UN on Friday, India was among the 19 who abstained from the meet.
These 153 countries — including top arms suppliers like US, Britain, Germany and France — supported a UN disarmament committee resolution which will lead into negotiations for the treaty... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Times of India / TNN
31433
Germany,United Nations,Russia,China
Germany Backs Global Arms Trade Treaty, China and Russia Abstain
31 October 2009
Deutsche Welle
Germany, along with other key United Nations members, has backed talks on a global treaty to regulate the global trade of weapons. Two major arms suppliers, Russia and China, refused to support the measure.
The United Nations resolution calls for talks aimed at agreeing a treaty to police the world's $55-billion (37-billion-euro) arms trade.
The UN General Assembly's first committee on disarmament and peace passed the resolution calling for a treaty by 153 votes to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Deutsche Welle
31432
Taiwan
Call for US-style Gun Law Rejected in Taiwan, Strict Controls to Stay
23 October 2009
China Post (Taiwan)
TAIPEI, Taiwan — The government has decided to maintain the present tight gun control despite a call for liberalizing the regulations on owning lethal weapons to help people defend themselves.
Legislator Yu Tien of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party urged the government yesterday to follow the U.S. practice of easing the rules to allow law-abiding citizens to own handguns to protect themselves.
Yu said that gun smuggling is "quite common" in Taiwan, which... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: China Post (Taiwan)
31322
Russia,China
Russia, China Near Copyright Deal to Licence Kalashnikov Production
22 October 2009
RIA Novosti (Russia)
KLIMOVSK — Russia is working to reach an agreement with China on copyright protection of Kalashnikov assault rifles, the head of Russia's state arms exporter Rosoboronexport said Thursday.
"We have received China's national patent for Kalashnikov products. The documents have been handed to the Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation to prepare and conclude an intergovernmental agreement in the field," Anatoly Isaikin told journalists.
Isaikin said the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: RIA Novosti (Russia)
31358
Taiwan
Taiwan 'Will Not Consider' Increased Legal Gun Ownership, Says Minister
22 October 2009
Taiwan News / CAN
TAIPEI — The government will not consider legalizing gun ownership by the country's citizens, Minister of the Interior Jiang Yi-huah said Thursday.
Jiang said the disadvantages of allowing gun ownership outweigh the benefits and that the ministry will only consider allowing security guards to carry firearms.
He was responding to a call by opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Yu Tien to allow law-abiding citizens to own handguns to protect... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Taiwan News / CAN
31317
India,China,Myanmar,Laos,Cambodia,Thailand
China Small Arms Bazaar Fuelling North East Indian Insurgents, Maoists
19 October 2009
Hueiyen Lanpao (India)
DIMAPUR — Small arms wielded by Northeast militants and Maoists invariably find their way in from Yunan province of southern China through the Chin people in Myanmar. But forces handling security this side of the India-Myanmar border have "no reasons yet"
to suspect Beijing's official involvement in the gun-running racket.
Chinese copies of weapons such as the American M-16 rifles and Russian Kalashnikovs — AK-47s and AK-56s — are cheaper but almost as... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Hueiyen Lanpao (India)
31306
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
Taiwan,Philippines,France
181 Weapons, Submachine Guns Seized from Taiwan-Philippines Fisher
27 September 2009
Agence France Presse
TAIPEI — Taiwan police have cracked a major firearms smuggling ring, seizing five men and 181 guns — the largest haul found in the island's history — officials said Sunday.
The police found the weapons in Hung Hsing, a fishing boat based southern Kaohsiung city, which had just returned on Friday from the Philippines, the officials said.
The police immediately arrested alleged ring leader Ting Chen-hsiang, 53, and two other men in a private house. The fourth and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Agence France Presse
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South Korea,United States
South Korea to Sell 108,000 US Rifles Received for WWII - Back to USA
23 September 2009
BBC News
South Korea has come up with a novel way to boost its defence budget — by selling a vast stockpile of old Korean-war rifles to collectors in the US.
The guns were originally sent to Korea as military aid, and some were also used during the war in Vietnam.
For more than five decades, they have been kept mothballed in warehouses.
Most of those on offer are M1 rifles — a weapon once described by US General George S Patton as "the greatest battle-implement ever... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BBC News
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South Korea,United States
South Korea to Make Millions Selling US WWII Rifles to Gun Enthusiasts
23 September 2009
ABC News (Australia)
South Korea is planning to raise tens of millions of dollars by selling vintage US combat rifles to gun enthusiasts in the United States.
The ageing M1 and carbine rifles were used by US troops in the Korean and Vietnam wars before being donated to the South Korean military.
The rifles have been mothballed for years in military warehouses, but were occasionally used in drills by reserve soldiers.
The defence ministry in Seoul says it has won approval to sell more... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: ABC News (Australia)
31035
China
Chinese Civilians Voluntarily Surrender 60% of 53,000 Guns Seized
17 September 2009
China Daily / Xinhua
BEIJING — Chinese police have confiscated close to 53,000 guns by the end of August in a nationwide crackdown started in March this year, and 9,849 suspects involved in gun-related crimes were punished, the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) said Thursday.
The ministry started the special crackdown on explosives and gun-related crimes in March, and said it would continue till China's October 1 National Day celebration.
The crackdown is part of the ministry's campaign... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: China Daily / Xinhua
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