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
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
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)
Read More: Telegraf (Belarus)
36051
Ukraine
Ukraine to Destroy Ammo, Small Arms under Partnership for Peace Project
18 April 2012
Interfax (Ukraine)
Ukraine and NATO will continue cooperation in scrapping ammunition under the NATO Partnership for Peace Trust Fund project.
A relevant framework agreement was signed between the Ukrainian Defense Ministry and the NATO Maintenance and Supply Agency (NAMSA) in Kyiv on Tuesday, Interfax-Ukraine learned at the Defense Ministry's press service.
According to the agreement, 76,000 tons of ammunition, 366,000 units of light weapons and small arms and three million... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Interfax (Ukraine)
36045
Netherlands,Germany,Austria,Hungary,Serbia,Eastern Europe,Belgium
Belgian Authorities Disband International Gun Trafficking Ring [Français]
17 April 2012
RTL (Belgium)
[Translated summary: Brussels Police and the Federal Prosecutor have dismantled an international gun trafficking network in cooperation with Serbian, Austrian, Hungarian and German authorities.]
La police judiciaire fédérale de Bruxelles et le parquet fédéral ont démantelé un réseau international de trafic d'armes. Huit personnes ont été arrêtées en Belgique et des armes à feu ont été saisies, des kalachnikovs et des explosifs destinés à... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: RTL (Belgium)
36047
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)
Read More: Think Africa Press (London)
36019
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
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)
Read More: New York Times / Reuters
36000
Eastern Europe,France
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)
Read More: Christian Science Monitor
35957
Eastern Europe,France
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)
Read More: Press Association (UK)
35923
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
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)
Read More: MediaGlobal News (New York)
35894
Russia
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)
Read More: RIA Novosti (Russia)
35888
Estonia,Dominican Republic,Ecuador,Ukraine,Kyrgyzstan,Moldova,Kazakhstan,Belize,Latvia,Venezuela,Belarus,Lithuania,Bahamas,Bolivia,Azerbaijan,Russia,Antigua & Barbuda,Guyana,South Africa,Jamaica,Honduras,Guatemala,El Salvador,South America,Colombia,Brazil,Central America,Caribbean
1/3 of Femicides Committed With Gun in Latin America and Caribbean [Espanol]
2 March 2012
RT-TV Novosti (Russia)
[Translated summary: Nearly a third of crimes against women are committed with a firearm and in Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras this indicator is 60% - Small Arms Survey.]
El mayor nivel de feminicidios se registra en Latinoamérica y el Caribe. Catorce países latinoamericanos aparecen entre los 25 del mundo con la tasa más elevada de crímenes contra la mujer.
El informe de la organización de investigaciones independientes Small Arms Survey,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: RT-TV Novosti (Russia)
35882
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)
Read More: RTL (Belgium)
35873
Russia
Russia Reveals Plans to Upgrade Kalashnikov Soviet-era Assault Rifle
28 February 2012
Guardian (UK) / Reuters
MOSCOW - Moscow announced plans on Tuesday to modernise the Kalashnikov, giving a new lease of life to the Soviet-era assault rifle.
The move is part of a 20 trillion-rouble (£435bn) modernisation of Russia's armed forces that includes the addition of new armaments, submarines and aircraft by 2020.
The Kalashnikov has been a mainstay of the Russian army, as well as a weapon of choice for paramilitaries and gangsters around the world. The new-look weapon will get a... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Guardian (UK) / Reuters
35876
Europe,Israel,Russia,United States
Why Does America Lead the World in School Shootings? - Opinion
28 February 2012
CNN, Opinion
Editor's Note: Dr. Frank Ochberg is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Michigan State University and former Associate Director of the National Institute of Mental Health.
School shootings are far more frequent in America than in other countries, although terrible massacres have occurred in Russia, Israel, and several European nations. In the high-crime neighborhoods of inner cities, school turf is relatively safe. We have learned to harden the target and patrol with... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: CNN
35875
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
Germany,Chad,Yemen,Egypt,Libya,France,United Kingdom,United States,Sudan,Belarus,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,Syria,Russia
Towards an International Control of Arms Trade, NGOs Concerned [Francais]
19 February 2012
Le Monde (France)
[Translated summary: As negotiations were launched this week in New York on the Arms Trade Treaty, Amnesty International, CCFD-Terre Solidaire and Oxfam France are concerned about the risk of a "Treaty at a discount ".]
La vente d'armes à un régime qui réprime sa population, comme le fait aujourd'hui la Russie à l'Etat syrien, sera-t-elle bientôt illégale ? C'est l'enjeu des négociations qui devraient aboutir, en juillet, à New York, à la signature d'un... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Le Monde (France)
35854
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
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
Madagascar,Guinea,Ghana,Botswana,Angola,Algeria,South Africa,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,Russia,Austria,Israel,Germany,Italy,United States,Yemen,Philippines,Pakistan,Sri Lanka,Tunisia,Brazil,Burkina Faso,Egypt,Côte d'Ivoire,Malawi,Mauritania,Morocco,Namibia,Niger,Nigeria,Congo (ROC),Senegal,Tanzania,Uganda,Zambia,Zimbabwe,Argentina,Ecuador,Chile,Honduras,Guatemala,United Arab Emirates,Trinidad & Tobago,Jordan,Dominican Republic,Singapore,Kazakhstan,Liberia,Saudi Arabia,Bosnia & Herzegovina,Congo (DRC),Guyana,Mauritius,Latvia,Oman,Nepal,Somalia,Bolivia,Colombia,Venezuela,Peru,Mexico,Qatar,Kuwait,Indonesia,Malaysia,Thailand
Brazilian Gun Industry Seeks New Markets: Africa and Asia [Portugues]
27 January 2012
Publica (Brazil)
[Translated summary: With the support of the Ministries of Defence and Foreign Affairs, Brazilian gun manufacturers seek new markets in countries with a history of human rights violations: Tunisia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Philippines and Yemen. Brazil is among the six countries in the world with annual exports exceeding $ 100 million, according to recent research from Small Arms Survey. According to the Army, responsible for supervising and controlling exports from 2005 to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Publica (Brazil)
35794
Russia
Russia Touts 20 New Kalashnikov Variants, Holds 17 Million Surplus
25 January 2012
RIA Novosti (Russia)
IZHEVSK - Izhmash, the manufacturer of Kalashnikov AK assault rifles, said its sales were up 57.4 percent last year at 5.73 billion rubles (about $190 million).
Civilian weapon sales rose 25 percent and a similar increase is expected this year, Izhmash press secretary Yelena Filatova said.
Production is to increase 30 percent this year, to 5.1 billion rubles, she added.
In September 2011, Chief of the Russian General Staff Nikolai Makarov said the Defense Ministry... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: RIA Novosti (Russia)
35777
Russia
Police Seized 227 Guns from Passengers at Russian Airports in 2011
23 January 2012
RIA Novosti (Russia)
MOSCOW - Police seized 227 firearms, thousands of rounds of ammunition and several kilograms of explosives at airports around Russia in 2011, a spokesperson for the Russian transport police said on Monday.
Russia has tightened security measures at airports and railway stations following a terrorist attack at the Domodedovo airport near Moscow in January 2011 which killed 37 and injured 120 people.
"During passenger preflight checks at Russian airports last year,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: RIA Novosti (Russia)
35764
Iran,Ukraine,Ghana,Nigeria
Illegal Arms Importation, a Threat to Nigeria's Existence
23 January 2012
Nation (Nigeria), Editorial
A critical factor fuelling the alarming state of insecurity in Nigeria today is the dangerously large number of illegal arms circulating throughout the country. It is with these illegal weapons that sundry criminal elements have unleashed an unprecedented orgy of violence in recent times. In carrying out their dastardly acts, armed robbers, kidnappers, aggrieved militants, perpetrators of ethno-regional and communal conflagration, religious (Boko Haram) zealots,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Nation (Nigeria)
35758
Russia
Russia's Kalashnikov Factory Dumped Assault Rifle Parts in Public Tip
16 January 2012
RIA Novosti (Russia)
IZHEVSK - Police have found functional gun parts at a dumping ground for destroyed Kalashnikov automatic rifles in the Urals republic of Udmurtia, local Interior Minister Alexander Pervukhin said on Monday.
"I regret to report we've discovered many firearms parts and details that can still be used," Pervukhin told the republic's head, Alexander Volkov. He did not elaborate on how the rifle parts ended up as waste.
The local Kalashnikov recycling facility already... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: RIA Novosti (Russia)
35737
Russia
Siberian Truck Driver Takes Crates of Army AK-47s, Sells for Firewood
13 January 2012
RIA Novosti (Russia)
MOSCOW - A retiree in the Udmurtia region of the western Urals has alerted police after finding scores of Ak-47 assault rifles in crates he bought for firewood, police said.
The Udmurtian man contacted the police after he found "an object similar to a Kalashnikov assault rifle" in one of the wooden cases, a police source said.
Another 78 rifles and munitions were later found in the crates which the man bought for firewood from a Kamaz truck driver who was supposed to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: RIA Novosti (Russia)
35731
Kosovo,Bulgaria,Albania,Hungary,Croatia,Bosnia & Herzegovina
A 5th of Bosnia & Herzegovina Population Own 750,000 Unregistered Arms
12 January 2012
Southeast European Times
An estimated fifth of Bosnia and Herzegovina's (BiH) population own 750,000 unregistered weapons, according to officials who cite widespread availability and easy access on the black market as a major source of concern.
"After traffic accidents, illegal arms are the most common cause of death in BiH. About 90% of illegal acts are done with the use of illegal weapons," Denis Hadzovic of the Centre for Security Studies in BiH told SETimes.
Most illegal weapons are guns... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Southeast European Times
35736
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
Slovakia,Austria,Azerbaijan,Serbia,Russia,Armenia,Turkey,Romania,Czech Republic,Croatia,United States,Bulgaria,Ukraine,Southern Europe,Georgia,Eastern Europe
South Caucasian Republics Purchased 107,324 Small Arms in 2005-2010
4 January 2012
Milaz.info (Azerbaïdjan)
The South Caucasian republics purchased 107 324 small arms from various countries of the world in 2005-2010.
APA reports quoting the UN Register of Conventional Arms that Georgia takes the first place among the South Caucasian republics on purchase of small arms during this period.
Georgia bought 76 377 small arms from 7 countries. The submachine guns, short rifles, pistols, automatic rifles, pistol-machineguns, heavy machineguns, grenade launchers as well as the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Milaz.info (Azerbaïdjan)
35704
Eastern Europe,Belgium
Illegal Firearm Market in Belgium Has a Variety of Sources [Francais]
16 December 2011
La Libre (Brussels)
[Translated summary: The type of weapon used by the Liège mass shooter Nordine Amrani represents a marginal part of arms trafficking. The market for illicit long guns is relatively small as they are not easily concealable. There are two main sources: weapons from Eastern Europe and weapons manufactured in Belgium, like the FAL, apparently used by Amrani.]
Le type d'armes utilisées par Amrani n'est qu'un volet marginal du trafic d'armes.
Comment Nordine Amrani a-t-il... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: La Libre (Brussels)
35676
Thailand,Colombia,Russia,United States,Uganda,Rwanda,South Africa,United Arab Emirates,Belgium,Sudan,Somalia,Côte d'Ivoire,Liberia,Angola,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,Congo (DRC)
Stopping the Trade in Death, Gun Trafficking, Smuggling - Opinion
6 December 2011
New York Times, Opinion
On a dark November morning in 2004, I woke up in my bungalow overlooking Lake Kivu, tense with anticipation. Our small United Nations team was about to undertake a surprise inspection of three airfields in eastern Congo, notorious for smuggling operations.
With the backing of U.N. peacekeeping forces and a U.N. Security Council mandate, we searched almost every incoming and outgoing aircraft that day. By evening, we had the evidence to link several aviation front... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New York Times
35632
Russia,Mozambique,Nigeria,India,Australia,East Africa,Eastern Europe,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
Global: Unplanned Explosions at Munitions Dumps Increasing - IRIN / SAS
5 December 2011
IRIN (UN News)
JOHANNESBURG - The rate of accidents at munitions storage sites has risen to unprecedented levels in 2011, despite a growing international commitment to assist countries in managing their weapons and ammunition stockpiles.
"During the first ten months of 2011, the average number of explosions has increased to more than three per month - the highest rate recorded in a calendar year," said the Small Arms Survey (SAS), a Geneva-based NGO monitoring small arms and armed... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: IRIN (UN News)
35622
Austria,Spain,Belgium,Eastern Europe,France
In 2010, French Police Seized 79% More Guns Than in 2009 [Francais]
2 December 2011
Le Figaro (France)
[Translated Summary: French Police seized 3,355 firearms since January 2011, 2,710 in 2010 or 79% more than in 2009; out of 3.14 million firearms lawfully possessed, 30,000 are unlawfully possessed in 2010; a report from 2009 says that theft of firearms increased by 38.6%.]
La Direction centrale de la police judiciaire a recensé 2710 saisies d'armes à feu en 2010, soit une explosion de 79% par rapport à 2009.
Les saisies de pistolets, révolvers, fusils à pompes... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Le Figaro (France)
35624
Libya,Eastern Europe,France
3% of 3,500 Guns Seized in France Are Automatic Assault Rifles [Francais]
29 November 2011
Europe 1
[Translated Summary: French police seized 3,500 weapons since the beginning of the year, 3% of which were automatic rifles. In Eastern Europe, an AK-47 costs some hundred Euros, but once in France, it costs around 2,000 to 3,000 Euros.]
Decryptage - Les armes automatiques circulent illégalement. D'où viennent-elles, qui les utilisent ?
Deux fusillades meurtrières en moins de 24 heures à Marseille. Et par deux fois, les malfaiteurs ont tiré à l'arme de guerre, en... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Europe 1
35592
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
Russia
Moscow Bans Airgun Ammo in Attempt to Enforce Firearm Registration
13 November 2011
Moscow Times
Ammunition for air guns has disappeared from the city's specialized stores, apparently on verbal orders from a police force that has long frowned upon people buying — and often abusing — non-lethal firearms.
Although officially blamed on red tape, the disappearance of the ammunition is actually part of an Interior Ministry campaign to ban air guns across the country, Izvestia reported Friday.
Such an unofficial ban would amount to abuse of power, a pro-gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Moscow Times
35533
Czech Republic
Arms Dealer Linked to Fatal Shootings in Czech Aircraft Factory Boardroom
10 November 2011
České Noviny (Prague)
KUNOVICE - Three men, including the assailant, died and one woman suffered light injuries in a shooting incident in the Czech Aircraft Industries plant in Kunovice today, regional police spokeswoman Jana Bartikova said.
The shooting occurred in the company's headquarters shortly before noon. There was reportedly a meeting of the company board, some of whose members were killed.
The police were alerted by the employees.
The situation in the company was very dramatic.... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: České Noviny (Prague)
35528
Ukraine
Ukrainians Own 3 Million Illegal Guns, According to Small Arms Survey
7 November 2011
Ukrainian Journal / Komsomolskaya Pravda
KIEV - Ukraine ranks the world's 84th by the number of arms owners and 3 million pieces of armaments are owned here illegally, the newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda in Ukraine said on Monday with reference to the Small Arms Survey - a project monitoring firearms in 178 states.
Ukrainians "own about 800,000 rifles and smooth-barrel guns, 169,000 rubber bullet weapons and 107,000 pneumatic weapons of 5.5 millimeters and more," the Interior Ministry's arms license department... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Ukrainian Journal / Komsomolskaya Pravda
35514
India,Spain,United Kingdom,Italy,Germany,France,Czech Republic,Bulgaria,Belgium,Austria,Yemen,Syria,Libya,Egypt,Bahrain,West Asia,North Africa,Europe,Russia,United States
Major Arms Exporters Accused of Mideast Gun Sales Before Human Rights
24 October 2011
al Jazeera
According to an Amnesty International report, the US, Russia and a number of European countries supplied large quantities of weapons to repressive governments in the Middle East and North Africa before this year's uprisings.
The report says that these arms deals were signed despite evidence of a substantial risk that they could be used to commit serious human rights violations.
The human rights group reports that in the five years preceding the Arab spring $2.4bn... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: al Jazeera
35448
European Union,China,Germany,South Korea,Switzerland,Serbia,France,United Kingdom,Syria,Yemen,Bulgaria,Belgium,Libya,Italy,Bahrain,Egypt,United States,Russia,West Asia,North Africa,Finland,Austria,Sudan,North Korea,Spain
Tracing the Middle East Weapons Flow
19 October 2011
al Jazeera
Earlier this year, as mass popular uprisings spread through the Middle East and audiences across the world sat transfixed by images of unarmed citizens confronting iron-fisted security forces in the streets of Arab capitals, powerful governments from Russia to the United States were forced to begin accounting for the weapons they had for decades sold to the very rulers they now found themselves abandoning.
In Egypt and Bahrain, protesters held up tear gas canisters... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: al Jazeera
35436
Germany,France,Czech Republic,Bulgaria,United Kingdom,Belgium,Austria,Yemen,Syria,Libya,Egypt,Bahrain,North America,West Asia,North Africa,Europe,United States,Russia,Italy,Spain
Arab Spring Abuses Show Need for Arms Trade Curb - Amnesty
18 October 2011
Reuters (Africa)
LONDON - Russia, the United States and European countries ignored fears over human rights abuses and sold large numbers of weapons to governments in the Middle East and North Africa in recent years, Amnesty International said in a report on Wednesday.
Rights group Amnesty said the failings showed the need for a meaningful international arms trade treaty to choke off the supply of weapons to countries seen at risk of turning them on their own people.
"The Arab Spring... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Reuters (Africa)
35431
United Kingdom,Hungary
Machine Guns, Handguns for Brad Pitt Film Seized by Hungarian Police
11 October 2011
Washington Post / AP
BUDAPEST, Hungary — Nearly 100 weapons to be used in Brad Pitt's "World War Z" film were confiscated in Hungary because they had not been properly deactivated, authorities said Tuesday. The weapons included machine guns, rifles and pistols.
The weapons arrived from London to Budapest's Ferenc Liszt Airport on Saturday and were discovered at a nearby duty free zone, Janos Hajdu, head of Hungary's Counterterrorism Center, said. He said he could not confirm they were... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Washington Post / AP
35415
India,Russia,Germany,United States
India's Unlicensed Gun Market Thrives on Smuggled, Home Made Firearms
5 October 2011
First Post (Mumbai)
A 10-year-old boy was accidentally shot dead by his 12-year-old neighbour while they were playing cop and thief in West Delhi earlier this week. On 24 September, 23-year-old toll attendant, Umeshkant Pandey, was shot dead by the driver of a white Bolero. His crime: he asked the driver to pay Rs 27 as toll tax.
Gun crime has consistently been on the rise in India, and every few weeks, there is a new tragedy. An armed gang shoots a woman over a small piece of jewellery,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: First Post (Mumbai)
35375
Ukraine,Uganda,Sudan,Ethiopia,Libya,Somalia,Kenya
Police Close Kenya-Somalia Border, Attempt to Block 'Conduit of Illicit Arms'
5 October 2011
Business Daily (Nairobi)
Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere's Monday order to close the Kenya-Somalia border has not affected flights, offering miraa traders and humanitarian workers a lifeline.
Miraa is one of Kenya's largest exports to Somalia, accounting for a substantial share of the Sh13 billion export value to the country last year, according to the Economic Survey 2011.
"We do not have any indication of cancellation of flights from the commissioner's communication," said Kenya Police... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Business Daily (Nairobi)
35374
Russia,Peru,Colombia,Greece
Russian Accused of Gun-Running Beats Extradition and Leaves Greece
1 October 2011
RIA Novosti (Russia)
ATHENS - Vladimir Gavrilov, a Russian accused of gun-running to Colombia's FARC rebels in the 1990's has been released from custody in Greece, where he had been detained for a month on an extradition request from Peru, his lawyer Georgy Gurovanidis told RIA Novosti.
Gavrilov returned to Moscow on Saturday morning after his release.
Vladimir Gavrilov had spent a month in detention in Salonika, Greece, after being detained at the end of August on an international arrest... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: RIA Novosti (Russia)
35347
Venezuela,Libya,Russia
Russia Defence Ministry Orders an Update of the Kalashnikov Rifle
28 September 2011
Moscow Times
The Defense Ministry said Tuesday that it has suspended purchases of the legendary Kalashnikov rifle and is expecting the manufacturer, Izhevsk machinery plant, to present it with a new model of the weapon.
Mobilization reserves of Kalashnikov assault rifles, which the Soviet armed forces began using in 1949, are too big, and the ministry is not satisfied with the quality of the current firearms arsenal, General Staff chief Nikolai Makarov said.
The current reserves... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Moscow Times
35334
Russia
Boy Injures 2 Students with Unattended Police Assault Rifle in Russia
17 September 2011
RIA Novosti (Russia)
MAKHACHKALA - A high school student in Russia's North Caucasus republic of Dagestan accidentally wounded two other students after he made a shot from an assault rifle in a school, a local police spokesman said on Saturday.
He said several policemen were invited to a school in the Tarumovsky district of Dagestan to deliver a lecture for children.
"A senior class student was examining an assault rifle that was left unattended for some time by one of the policemen after... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: RIA Novosti (Russia)
35287
Montenegro,Bosnia & Herzegovina,European Union,Serbia,Eastern Europe,Southern Europe,Croatia,Kosovo,Albania
Balkan Countries Work To Round Up Privately Held Guns, Ammunition
5 September 2011
Southeast European Times (Pristina)
The statistics about gun ownership regionwide are surprising and the results can be deadly. In Albania alone, for example, analyst Jonuz Kola estimated this summer that 6% to 9% of the population has a weapon in the home. Scores of accidental shootings occur, including that of a 9-year-old in Shkodra, who died at the hands of his 11-year-old brother on July 18th.
Xhavit Shala, an expert within the Albanian Interior Ministry notes that in 1997, a considerable amount of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Southeast European Times (Pristina)
35244
Ukraine,North Africa,Niger,Algeria,Mali,France,United Kingdom,United States,Libya
Libya Warned Smugglers Are Looting Gaddafi's Guns
2 September 2011
Guardian (UK)
Libya must urgently secure weapons hoarded by the Gaddafi regime amid growing fears that smugglers are exploiting the chaos there to loot hundreds of portable missiles and other small arms, western officials have warned.
The US and Nato are pressing the National Transitional Council to make the issue a priority because of concerns that the trade has already begun, with reports that some African mercenaries who fought for Colonel Muammar Gaddafi are returning home laden... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Guardian (UK)
35237
United Kingdom,France,Russia,Bahrain
Russia Ignores European Human Rights Embargo, Offers Guns to Bahrain
29 August 2011
Moscow Times / Bloomberg
Russia for the first time is selling weapons to Bahrain after Britain and France banned deliveries of security equipment to the Gulf monarchy because of its crackdown on protesters.
State arms trader Rosoboronexport says it wants more business in Bahrain. The country is selling AK-103 Kalashnikovs with grenade launchers and ammunition for tens of millions of dollars to Bahrain, according to a person close to the Russian Defense Ministry who declined to be identified... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Moscow Times / Bloomberg
35224
Russia,United States,European Union,Belgium,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,Burundi
Development, Security Require a World Without Small Arms [Francais]
9 August 2011
Pax Christi Wallonie Bruxelles (Brussels)
[Translated summary: In Burundi, the authorities spend each year an average of 5 dollars per person for health care. Each gun injury costs 163 dollars to the health care system. Three quarters of the global budget for health care is thus spent on these injuries!]
Au Burundi, les autorités consacrent en moyenne 5 dollars par habitant aux soins de santé chaque année. Chaque blessure causée par une arme à feu coûte 163 dollars au système des soins de santé. Trois... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Pax Christi Wallonie Bruxelles (Brussels)
35176
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
Russia
3 Civilians Killed in a Restive Russian Province in North Caucasus
28 July 2011
San Francisco Chronicle / AP
MAKHACHKALA, Russia -- Police say a village leader and an elderly couple have been killed in a restive Russian province in the North Caucasus.
Vyacheslav Gasanov, a police spokesman in the republic of Dagestan, said village chief Rabadan Omarov in central Dagestan was killed late Thursday night when an unidentified man stormed his house and gunned him down with an assault rifle.
In southern Dagestan, a married couple in their 60s known, for having conservative Muslim... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: San Francisco Chronicle / AP
35136
Poland,Norway
Norway Mass Killer Tried Smuggling, Then Bought His Guns Legally Instead
24 July 2011
Financial Times (UK)
The Nordic countries' hunting traditions mean that there is a high rate of gun ownership in Norway, where locals – and tourists - often go out to the woods to hunt wild reindeer, moose, deer, hare and grouse.
About 439,000 Norwegians are recognised by the Norwegian Register of Hunters, or about one in every 10 citizens. However, most have licences for bolt-action rifles and shotguns, with a smattering of semi-automatic weapons, and ownership of heavier weapons and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Financial Times (UK)
35102
France,Qatar,United Kingdom,Libya,Russia,Italy
Small Arms Seized by Italy Gone Missing, Libya Likely Destination
20 July 2011
Scotsman (Edinburgh)
A shipment of weapons seized by the Italian navy following a tip-off from British secret agents has gone missing - most likely ending up in the hands of Libya's rebels.
The haul, which was described by one military expert as "enough to start and win a small war", included 400 anti-tank missiles and 50 launchers for them; 30,000 AK47s; 5,000 Katusha rockets; 11,000 anti-tank rockets and 32 million rounds of small arms ammunition.
All of the Russian-made weapons were... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Scotsman (Edinburgh)
35083
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
Russia
Tensions on Moscow Roads, Reports of Multiple Clashes with Firearms
18 July 2011
Moscow Times
Tensions on Moscow roads have flared with a prominent blogger and an opposition activist reporting separate clashes with firearm-wielding motorists accused of driving violations.
Photographer-blogger Dmitry Ternovsky said a 24-year-old ethnic Gypsy from Latvia pulled out an air gun and fired multiple shots at his car on Volgogradsky Prospekt on Thursday.
Ternovsky had angered the man by photographing the black, emergency siren-equipped Mercedes S500 that he was riding... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Moscow Times
35071
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
European Union,Bulgaria,Russia,West Africa,Pakistan,France,Australia,United Kingdom,Canada,Germany,Italy,United States,Haiti,Côte d'Ivoire,Madagascar
Study Finds Small Arms Have Serious Impact on Fragile States
6 July 2011
Voice of America
A new study finds the global authorized trade in small arms, light weapons, and their ammunition is worth nearly $7.1 billion a year. In its annual report, the independent think tank, the Geneva Forum, also examines the serious impact small arms proliferation is having upon three so-called fragile states-Madagascar, Ivory Coast and Haiti.
Arms exporters
The survey finds in 2008, the United States, Italy and Germany topped the list of 14 top exporters of small arms... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Voice of America
35022
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
Ukraine
Ukraine will Destroy Ammunition and Weapons worth EUR 30 Million
25 June 2011
Interfax.com (Ukraine)
State-run companies that are part of the Ukroboronprom Concern will destroy ammunition and weapons worth EUR 30 million under the Partnership for Peace program.
The ammunition will be scrapped in the execution of an agreement between Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers and the NATO Maintenance and Supply Agency (NAMSA).
The government's resolution No 533-r ordering the signing of this agreement dated May 16 was posted on the Ukrainian parliament's Web site on... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Interfax.com (Ukraine)
34981
South America,South Asia,Central Asia,Eastern Europe,Africa,Egypt,France,Italy,Libya
Libya's Rebels: Where Are the Weapons From?
15 June 2011
The Interpreter - Lowy Institute for International Policy (Australia)
Libya's rebels appear to be armed in a fairly predictable way. The basis of their armoury seems to come from weapons taken from state stockpiles in battle and from defecting Libyan officers. The literature refers to these as 'battle-captures', or euphemistically, 'leakage'. In Libya's case, it's clearly a flood.
Libya was one of the largest purchasers of conventional military equipment in the developing world in the 1970s and 80s. While the USSR was its main supplier,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: The Interpreter - Lowy Institute for International Policy (Australia)
34956
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
Romania,Ireland
Romanian Truck Driver Hands Pistol to 'Incredulous' Irish Prison Guards
6 April 2011
Irish Times (Dublin)
A Romanian man who was armed with a pistol as he made a delivery to St Patrick's Institution has escaped a prison term after a judge accepted he genuinely believed he was allowed possess it.
Sandor Hideg (33) was delivering a skip to the detention centre and handed the gun to guards because he thought he had to check it in before entering. The court heard the guards were "perplexed" and in the confusion, Hideg was handed back the gun.
Hideg of Liffey Avenue, Liffey... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Irish Times (Dublin)
34638
Bulgaria,India
India Buys Another 20,000 AK-47s to Protect Luxury Trains, Repel Maoists
13 February 2011
Press Trust of India
NEW DELHI - Waking up to the threat of Maoists and terrorists, Railways is procuring 6,000 AK-47 rifles besides critical accessories like bullet-proof jackets and helmets for its security personnel to protect trains and stations.
"We are in the process of acquiring 6,000 fully automatic AK-47 assault rifles from Bulgaria. The payments has been made to Ministry of Home Affairs for the purchase," a senior Railway Ministry official told PTI.
The AK-47 assault rifles... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Press Trust of India
34390
United States,Mexico,Romania
Romanian Assault Rifles Modified in US, Flood South to Mexican Drug War
3 February 2011
Center for Public Integrity (Washington DC)
Camron Scott Galloway, 21, walked into X Caliber Guns in Phoenix, Ariz., on Jan. 30, 2008, and filled out forms for the purchase of six AK-47 rifles.
Reliable and powerful, and a bargain at about $500 each, the Romanian-made gun, a semiautomatic version of the iconic Kalashnikov assault weapon, had become popular with the drug cartels in Mexico.
Galloway, who eventually pleaded guilty to a forgery charge and became a cooperating prosecution witness in a broader case,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Center for Public Integrity (Washington DC)
34333
Thailand,United States,Russia
Arms Treaty Campaigners Seize on 'Merchant of Death' Gun Running Case
28 January 2011
Inter Press Service News Agency
When Andrew Niccol wrote and directed the feature film "Lord of War", the story was partly inspired by the life of Viktor Bout, a Russian businessman suspected of using his air cargo company as a cover for arms dealing.
While he succeeded in trading arms all over the planet – and especially in war-torn nations like Sierra Leone and Liberia - for two decades without technically breaking any international laws, Bout was finally arrested in 2008 in Thailand, as part of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Inter Press Service News Agency
34273
United States,Africa,Russia
Russian Arms Dealer's Trial Resumes Amid Calls for Global Arms Treaty
21 January 2011
Voice of America
Alleged Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout makes a second appearance in a New York court Friday, where he is accused of offering to supply arms to terrorists and rebels in Africa. Oxfam, an International non-governmental organization fighting poverty and injustice, says the Bout case shows why there is an urgent need for global rules on arms trade.
The charges against Viktor Bout stem from a 2008 U.S. sting operation in which authorities say Bout tried to sell weapons to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Voice of America
34235
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
United States,Russia
Accused Russian Gun Runner Viktor Bout Tells of His Life in New York Jail
3 January 2011
RIA Novosti (Russia)
Suspected Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, extradited from Thailand to the United States in mid-November, has given an interview to RIA Novosti.
Former Russian armed forces officer Bout was arrested in Thailand in March 2008 during a sting operation led by U.S. agents and extradited to the United States after spending more than two and half years in Thai prisons. The charges against him include conspiring to supply arms to terrorist groups and kill U.S. nationals. Bout... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: RIA Novosti (Russia)
33948
Russia
Russian Kalashnikov Maker Near Bankrupcty, AK-47 Industry Under Threat
20 December 2010
Lenta (Russia)
Izhmash will continue to produce the basic range of small arms and advanced weapons models. On this, as reported by Interfax , said deputy director general of the state corporation Russian Technologies Nikolai Volobuyev. Previously reported that the production of weapons will suffer from Izhmash on IMZ in connection with the forthcoming bankruptcy of the enterprise.
According Volobuyeva, currently being worked out a program of financial recovery Izhmash that does not... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Lenta (Russia)
33888
Russia,Venezuela
Kalashnikov Factory Makes Assault Rifles, Ammo in Venezuela [Espanol]
3 December 2010
Agencia EFE
[Translated summary: From May 2011, a new Russian-built factory in Venezuela will produce Kalashnikov assault rifles, Model 101 to 105, with ammunition, for both Warsaw Pact and NATO calibres.]
MOSCÚ/MOSCOW -- Venezuela comenzará a fabricar fusiles Kaláshnikov y sus municiones antes de lo previsto y las primeras partidas se producirán en mayo de 2011, informó hoy la corporación estatal rusa para la exportación de armamento, Rosoboronexport.
"Tenemos previsto... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Agencia EFE
33876
Africa,Russia,Thailand,United States
Heavy Price to Pay for Dealing With Viktor Bout, Lord of War
18 November 2010
Herald (Scotland), Opinion
He's been dubbed the Merchant of Death.
Viktor Bout, former Russian army officer turned international arms dealer extraordinaire, was this week extradited to the US from Thailand, accused of trying to sell weapons to Colombian rebels as well as supplying many of the guns, bombs and bullets used in conflicts across Africa and the Middle East.
Bout – pronounced "boot" – is very much a man who epitomises the dangerous and mercenary times we live in. Here we have a... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Herald (Scotland)
33711
Thailand,Russia,United States
Who Is the 'Merchant of Death?' Global Gun Runner Viktor Bout - CNN
17 November 2010
CNN
He's known as the "Merchant of Death" and the "Lord of War," -- an alleged international arms dealer straight out of a cloak-and-dagger spy novel who eluded authorities for years and inspired Hollywood villains.
But in reality, according to those who have seen or met Viktor Bout, he is a somber man, sometimes nattily dressed, a wheeler-dealer who has insisted he is innocent of the allegations leveled against him.
Bout, a Russian citizen and former military officer,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: CNN
33663
Thailand,Russia,United States
Russia Claims US Pressure, Pressures US to Free 'Merchant of Death' Bout
17 November 2010
BBC News
Russia has described as a "blatant injustice" Thailand's decision to extradite alleged Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout to the US to face charges of conspiring to sell weapons.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said it was the result of unprecedented American pressure on Thailand.
Mr Bout arrived in New York late on Tuesday after Thailand backed the US request following a long legal battle.
He was arrested in Bangkok in 2008 in a US-led operation.
The former... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BBC News
33654
Bulgaria,Russia
Russia, Bulgaria Address Illegal Production of Kalashnikov Assault Rifles
14 November 2010
RIA Novosti (Russia)
SOFIA - Russia and Bulgaria have agreed to resolve issues related to unlicensed production of Soviet-era weaponry and equipment by Bulgarian companies, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said.
"We spoke about bilateral military-technical cooperation. There are some problems in this area that we must resolve together," Putin said after talks with his Bulgarian counterpart Boiko Borisov in Sofia on Saturday.
"They are related to unlicensed production of Soviet-era special... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: RIA Novosti (Russia)
33884
Europe,United States,Southern Europe,Eastern Europe
Terrorists 'Can Get Weapons Anytime' in Balkans, Attack Europe, America
11 November 2010
SEESAC Media Monitoring / Politika (Belgrade)
Experts for terrorism warn that the extremists, who have been threatening to attack specific targets in Europe and America, could get there across the Balkans, where they could without much difficulty find the weapons and explosives they need.
"After recent threats, both America and Europe have reinforced controls over the entry of weapons, as well as over the activities of the extreme Islamic and criminal groups that sell weapons. But there is one gap, and this is the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: SEESAC Media Monitoring / Politika (Belgrade)
33632
Russia,United States,Thailand
Russian Foreign Minister, Clinton Discuss Viktor Bout Gun Running Case
10 November 2010
Voice of Russia (Moscow)
November 20th will mark the deadline for the Russian businessman Victor Bout to be extradited from Thailand to the US on what Russia sees as false arms smuggling charges.
The upcoming handover would come three months after a ruling about it by a Thai high court.
Lower courts had dismissed the case as driven by politics and without foundation in available evidence.
Bout was detained in Bangkok in 2008 during a vacation.
According to the Bangkok daily 'Nation', his... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Voice of Russia (Moscow)
33617
Russia,Afghanistan
Russia Once Again Airlifts Planeloads of Assault Weapons to Afghanistan
9 November 2010
Voice of Russia (Moscow)
Power structures in any country should be well-armed: otherwise, what we are talking about can't be called power structures. This rule is of great importance for all countries, including Afghanistan in the first place. And still, till recently the power structures in Afghanistan were practically unarmed. Now the situation has begun changing – among other things, thanks to supplies from Russia.
The transport planes of the Russian Interior Ministry have begun... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Voice of Russia (Moscow)
33622
Russia,United States
How the AK-47 Rewrote the Rules of Modern Warfare
1 November 2010
Wired (San Francisco)
Part 1: Origins
The compact automatic rifle that Stalin's engineers unveiled in 1947 didn't look like much of a gun. The result of a secret design contest, its components were simple, inelegant, workmanlike. Its ammunition lacked the stopping power of other rifle cartridges. Its barrel was too short to achieve the range of standard infantry rifles. When the Pentagon finally got its hands on a few of the weapons in the 1950s, officials scoffed. But from this unheralded... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Wired (San Francisco)
33926
Southern Europe,Eastern Europe,Albania,United States
Southeast Europe, United States Worry as Stolen Military Guns Proliferate
12 October 2010
Associated Press
TIRANA, Albania - Defence Ministers from southeast Europe meeting in Albania have expressed concern about the proliferation of small arms from former Communist military arsenals and Balkan wars.
They pledged Tuesday to work more closely to prevent the spread of looted and unrecovered weaponry. Albania's military stores were looted during a revolt in 1997.
Officials from Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Macedonia, Italy, Romania, Slovenia, Turkey, Ukraine, Serbia,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Associated Press
33472
Slovakia
Slovakia Mass Shooting May Lead to Private Machine Guns Being Banned
2 September 2010
New York Times
PRAGUE — As Slovakia held a day of mourning Thursday to honor the victims of Monday's violent rampage in the Slovak capital, Bratislava, a picture began to emerge of the killer, an unemployed loner who the police said had participated in shooting contests and may have harbored resentment against his Roma victims.
The killing spree, in which six members of a Roma family were killed — including a 12-year-old boy — has shaken Slovakia, a small and predominantly... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New York Times
33277
Slovakia
Slovak Rampage Gunman Killed 7 with Assault Rifle He Owned Legally
1 September 2010
Agence France Presse
A gunman who killed seven people and wounded at least 13 in a rampage in Bratislava was in legal possession of the assault rifle he used, police said Tuesday.
The gunman, who killed himself after the Monday shooting spree, was a 48-year-old man from Devinska Nova Ves, the outskirts of the Slovak capital where the shooting took place, police said in a statement.
"The police found an SA Vz.58 assault rifle. He also had two handguns and several full magazines. The man... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Agence France Presse
33259
Slovakia
Gun Club Target Shooter with Legal Assault Rifle Killed 7, Self in Slovakia
31 August 2010
Agence France Presse
BRATISLAVA — Conflicts with his Roma neighbours were a likely motive behind a shooting rampage in which a gunman killed seven people in Bratislava before turning the gun on himself, police said Tuesday.
Lubomir Harman, 48, whose victims included his five Roma neighbours, their relative and a woman standing on a balcony, was shot by a police bullet to the chest before he killed himself, the police added, a day after the bloodbath.
"We don't yet know the motive, but... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Agence France Presse
33263
Slovakia
Man Wounds 15, Kills 7, Self with Assault Rifle in Slovakia Family Killing
31 August 2010
Agence France Presse
A man armed with an assault rifle shot seven people dead, wounded 15 and then turned the gun on himself in a Monday morning rampage on a street in the Slovak capital Bratislava, the police said.
"A man in his fifties shot six people dead and eventually killed himself after the police cornered him as he tried to escape the crime scene," police commander Jaroslav Spisiak told reporters.
"The seventh victim, a 52-year old woman, didn't belong to the murdered family and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Agence France Presse
33232
United States,Russia,Thailand
Thailand Moves to Extradite Russia's 'Merchant of Death' Gun Runner to US
26 August 2010
Associated Press
BANGKOK — A suspected Russian arms dealer known as "The Merchant of Death" has been transferred to a high-security prison in the Thai capital pending his extradition to the United States, authorities said Tuesday.
A Thai appeals court last week ordered Viktor Bout's extradition within three months to face four terrorism-related charges in the U.S. Neither American nor Thai officials have said when exactly he will be extradited or specified the bureaucratic steps... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Associated Press
33208
Russia,United States,Thailand
Infamous Russian Gun Runner Still at Center of US-Russia Tug of War
19 August 2010
Associated Press
THAILAND - The suspected Russian arms dealer known as "The Merchant of Death" is tired of prison life but optimistic a Thai appeals court will rule in his favor Friday and refuse to extradite him to the United States, his lawyer said.
Viktor Bout, a 43-year-old former Soviet air force officer, is reputed to be one of the world's most prolific arms dealers. He has been linked to some of modern history's most notorious conflicts, allegedly supplying weapons that fueled... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Associated Press
33207
Bulgaria
Assault Rifles, Submachine Guns Seized in Bulgarian Police Raids
11 August 2010
Sofia Echo (Bulgaria)
Another high profile police operation, codenamed The Armourers, was carried out overnight on August 11 2010, Bulgarian media reported.
According to Interior Ministry reports, police raids are not restricted only to Sofia but are throughout the country, in Bulgaria's second biggest city of Plovdiv, as well as Kazanluk and Gradina village. The operation is still ongoing, media sources said.
Three persons were arrested during the operation: According to Focus news... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sofia Echo (Bulgaria)
33167
France,Bulgaria,Kenya
Amnesty International Report Claims Kenya Abets Regional Gun Running
21 July 2010
Standard (Nairobi)
Kenya is one of the countries that have failed to control movement of weapons, which end up being used to commit war crimes.
A new report by Amnesty International shows how countries fail to control trafficking of deadly arms globally, leading to serious human rights violation.
The report exposed how transport companies registered in five countries ship arms by sea and air around the world.
The report, Deadly Movements: Arms Transportation Controls in the Arms Trade... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Standard (Nairobi)
33144
Russia
Venezuela Launches Mass Production of Russian Kalashnikov Assault Rifle
17 July 2010
Pravda (Moscow)
Venezuela has become the first nation in the world to make the iconic Kalashnikov third generation assault rifle on Russia's official license. The first batch of the legendary small arms that conquered the whole world has already been assembled at a Venezuelan enterprise, RIA Novosti reports with reference to Rosoboronexport official Alexander Yemelyanov.
Russian specialists simultaneously participate in the construction of a new factory in Venezuela, which would be... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Pravda (Moscow)
33184
Russia,Venezuela
Venezuela Plant Can Make 50 Million Kalashnikov Rounds Every Year
25 May 2010
RIA Novosti (Russia)
An ammunition plant being built by Russia in Venezuela will have the capacity to produce over 50 million rounds for Kalashnikov assault rifles per year, a Russian defense industry official said on Tuesday.
The Urals-based Izhevsk Mechanical Plant (IMP) supplied 100,000 AK-103 assault rifles to Venezuela, and signed a new contract in 2007 licensing production of Kalashnikov rifles in the Latin American country.
Under the contract, Russia is building an assembly line... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: RIA Novosti (Russia)
33179
Russia
Moscow Police Officer Dies While 'Scratching Nose With Loaded Gun'
11 May 2010
Herald Sun (Melbourne)
Investigators believe a young Moscow cop died after scratching his nose with his loaded gun.
The Moskovsky Komsomolets reports the 23-year-old policeman, who was not named, was found under a desk with a head wound. The investigation ruled out a murder and there was no note that would indicate suicide, the paper said.
The alarm was raised when a supervisor couldn't reach the policeman by phone. A locked door was broken down and the man's body was located, the paper... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Herald Sun (Melbourne)
32645
Russia,Italy
Italian Gun Maker Beretta Rescues Russian Weapon Plant in Joint Venture
7 May 2010
RIA Novosti (Russia)
MOSCOW - State Technology Corporation Rostekhnologii plans to embark on a joint small arms production venture with Italian firearms company Beretta, Kommersant business daily reported on Friday.
Director General of Rostehnologii Sergei Chemezov told Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Thursday the state corporation is negotiating with the Italian company on the production of "hunting and sporting arms, and handguns for the special services and police."
A source... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: RIA Novosti (Russia)
32644
Russia
Demand for Guns, Insurance Tipped to Surge After Russia Terror Attacks
30 March 2010
Gazeta (Russia)
Terrorism has staged a comeback in Moscow. After a six-year interval, blasts hit the Moscow metro again, this time killing 38 people. Experts observe that following each terrorist attack, people show an increased interest in life insurance and in buying cars and small arms.
Irina Vorobyeva, of 2K Audit Business Consultations, says that faced with such a situation people begin buying cars, afraid to travel on public transport. "We may well see a rise in car purchases,"... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Gazeta (Russia)
32466
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