Users of the online forum Reddit took advantage of a community page to purchase at least 150 firearms, including semi-automatic rifles, since June, highlighting the potential to exploit a common loophole in federal gun law online. The subreddit page GunsForSale has been an active spot for gun buyers and sellers since 2011, offering over 1,000 listings from more than 400 Reddit users in the last six months, according to an investigation by Mother Jones. Moderators at... (GunPolicy.org)

According to Finnish police local underworld groups appear to be amassing more firepower each year and seem to be placing more emphasis on arming their members. Detective Inspector Tapio Kalliokoski of the National Bureau of Investigation said that the development is worrying. "Firearms aren't toys. They are acquired for a certain purpose, whether it be self defence against other gangs or then as a precaution. For years police have been concerned about whether we are... (GunPolicy.org)

CHICAGO - Illinois is now the last state in the U.S. to allow average citizens to carry around concealed firearms. On Sunday, it joined a two-decade long parade of jurisdictions ranging from Arizona to Vermont that have loosened their gun laws at the same time violent crime rates were dropping across the country. "For years, we heard from gun control groups that concealed-carry laws would result in an increase in crime," said Larry Keane, general counsel for the... (GunPolicy.org)

DUSHANBE – On Wednesday January 8, the OSCE Office in Tajikistan began overseeing the destruction of more than a thousand of small arms and light weapons units, including firearms collected from the local population and arms found in caches across various regions of Tajikistan. According to the OSCE Office, the operation is taking place at the Tajik Interior Ministry's Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) Storage and Destruction Facility. The OSCE provided special... (GunPolicy.org)

A government task force has been established to review gun policies as the Department of Public Safety is looking at arming police officers, a move that has resulted in concern being voiced by members of the community, including prominent lawmakers, who plan to take up this issue when the Fono convenes later this month. In a memo issued this week, Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga said the 'Task Force to Review Gun Policies' is mandated to "determine the adequacy of the... (GunPolicy.org)

The Chief Firearms Licensing Officer in the police force, Francis Mwangi Wanjohi has revealed there is no thorough vetting done before guns are issued to civilians. Wanjohi blamed the situation on the coming in of the new Constitution and admitted a number of applicants had been given licences to own guns before being vetted as required by law. He said unlike in the past when applicants used to be vetted through a rigorous process, the situation changed with the... (GunPolicy.org)

[Translated summary: French authorities found 32 firearms and 500kg of ammunition in the canton of Beaumont-le-Roger, after a man was injured in a shooting incident. The man did not have a licence for the weapons.] Les gendarmes de la compagnie de Bernay ont découvert un véritable arsenal chez deux collectionneurs demeurant dans le canton de Beaumont-le-Roger. Ils ont, notamment, saisi 32 armes à feu et 500 kg de munitions assemblées. Admis aux urgences Tout... (GunPolicy.org)

EXCLUSIVE - An arms dealer who supplies high-powered guns to the Australian Defence Force has been questioned over weapons permit breaches and suspected underworld connections. The dealer, who has been ­allowed to import lethal weapons for more than a decade, has links with a group of ex-soldiers whose associates include underworld figures and bikies. For six years, the dealer's firm has been the subject of multiple probes by state and federal authorities, including... (GunPolicy.org)

There was a 7 percent increase in serious crimes in Guyana in 2013 compared to 2012, according to data released by the government this week. In the Jan. 1 to Dec. 31 period, there were a total of 4,007 reports of serious crimes under review, compared to 3,760 in the 2012 calendar year. The offences monitored included murder, armed robbery, robbery with violence, larceny and breaking and entering, among others. There were a total of 154 murders in 2013, compared to... (GunPolicy.org)