A fuzzy photo shows the decapitated marble head of an ancient Roman statue; the grainy image is standing in for the gilded sales bills usually displayed in the world's finest auction houses. There are no certificates of authenticity or patrimony for these artifacts either, just maps with red markings. This is no ordinary art show. The maps in question show ancient Roman and Greek tombs that have been pillaged in Libya. These artifacts have been put on the market by... (GunPolicy.org)

Over 35 firearms experts from South East Europe are meeting in Chisinau, Moldova on 27 – 28 September for the 5th Regional Meeting of the South East Europe Fire Arms Experts Network (SEEFEN). Funded by the European Union (EU), the meeting is gathering prosecutors, police and customs officials from the region to discuss their experiences, good practices and most effective ways in combating illicit trafficking of firearms. "The threats we face are greater than... (GunPolicy.org)

- States Parties [countries] still engaging in unscrupulous arms transfers, putting lives and human rights at risk - More than a quarter of States Parties are yet to meet the treaty's reporting obligations - Some States Parties opting to reject public scrutiny of their arms transfers States must ensure the global Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) lives up to its promise to save lives and protect human rights from the devastating effects of the international arms trade by taking... (GunPolicy.org)

[Translated summary: Austria has sent experts to Moldova to advise on small arms and ammunition storage and management under the OSCE framework. Sweden, Canada, Germany and Switzerland will participate in the programme by 2017, which aims to prevent smuggling of stolen ammunition.] WIEN (bmlvs) - Insgesamt zehn Experten des Bundesheeres unterstützen ab dem 05.03. die OSZE-Mission in der Republik Moldau. Dort werden vorerst vier Angehörige der Heereslogistikschule und... (GunPolicy.org)

Southeast Europe's are heavily armed – according to the South Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, people in the region legally own 3 million firearms and another 4 million illegal weapons. Serbia leads the region in weapons, according to Ivan Cvijovic, police inspector at the public order sector of the Belgrade police department. The rate of registered firearms per 100 people is 15.81. Montenegro has 14.36... (GunPolicy.org)

[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)

A joint CIS database of transnational criminal groups involved in illegal arms trafficking will be created, the press service of the Minsk-based CIS Executive Committee has told Interfax. "This is stipulated by a draft agreement on cooperation in combating the illegal manufacturing and sale of firearms, ammunition, explosives and explosive devices, which has been discussed by the committee's expert group," the press service said. Chief of the committee's anti-crime... (GunPolicy.org)

It's an all-too-familiar scene — Islamic insurgents attacking U.S. troops near Baghdad. But where are these radicals getting their support to take on the American military machine? While much of the world blames Iran and Syria, evidence points to help coming from thousands of miles away. Ariel Cohen of the Heritage Foundation said, "Of course, we see a large number of small weapons turning up in Iraq in the hands of Hezbollah, and in other places in the Middle... (GunPolicy.org)

CHISINAU — Valery Pasat, Moldova's former defense minister and head of the country's information and security service, has been accused again of weapons smuggling, the Prosecutor General's Office said Friday. The new charges were brought against Pasat after 14 bullets, a pistol and a revolver were found in his apartment. The Prosecutor General's Office said the investigation shows the pistol was presented to Pasat by a Romanian defense minister in 1997, and the... (GunPolicy.org)

CHISINAU — President of the breakaway Dnestr region of Moldova Igor Smirnov admitted the production of small batches of weapons for the needs of the region, but denied any arms trade. "Dnestr enterprises produced small batches of products of military designation" for the armed forces of the self-proclaimed republic. "However we never traded the products, as we lack them for our own needs", Smirnov said Thursday. He was replying to concerns voiced in Chisinau... (GunPolicy.org)

CHISINAU, Moldova — Pro-Slavic separatists in eastern Moldova are manufacturing weapons for Chechen rebels fighting the Russian army, Foreign Minister Nicolae Cernomaz said Tuesday. The weapons are made by four companies in Trans-Dniester, a Russian and Ukrainian separatist region in the east of the country, Cernomaz asserted. "After several tests, it was proven that many weapons used in Chechnya are produced. in Trans-Dniester," he said on the telephone. He did... (GunPolicy.org)

CHISINAU — Moldovan customs services have spoiled an attempt of illegal arms traffic when a Ukrainian transit plane landed Wednesday on the Chisinau airport. A team of customs officers while checking up the plane found 4,000 Makarov handguns and 1,000 R handguns, identical to the known Russian-made TT pistols. The plane was following the route Budapest-Chisinau-Sofia, according to departure papers. Sources in the Interior Ministry, who requested to remain... (GunPolicy.org)