Gun Policy News
Gun running and illicit trafficking in small arms
'Ghost guns' and 3D printing: Secret arsenals in Australia
4 November 2022
Brisbane Times / Nine
KEY POINTS
- There have been 11 fatal, and 15 non-fatal, shootings in Victoria this year.
- Police have also seized numerous illicit weapons, including a cache of firearms found hidden in a storage container in Melbourne's outer north.
- Many criminals rely on "grey market" guns that should have been relinquished in the 1996 buy-back scheme.
- The use of 3D printing to create weapons is also becoming more sophisticated and common.
In a storage container on a property... (GunPolicy.org)
Finland,Ukraine,Sweden,Denmark,Netherlands
Firearms Supplied to Ukraine Found in Crime in Scandinavia
2 November 2022
YLE (Finland)
Organised crime is growing in Finland and there is a strong demand for weapons. Routes and connections from Ukraine to Finland are already in place. The police are hoping for resources to deal with the increasing workload caused by the war in Ukraine.
Soldiers carry weapons in the woods.
Europol, the European police agency, has warned that international criminals are trying to smuggle weapons from war-torn Ukraine to various EU countries. Photo by Yasuyoshi Chiba /... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico's Bold Move Against Gun Companies
1 September 2022
Arms Control Association
Of 193 member states of the United Nations, Mexico has the fifth-largest number of unregistered firearms in civilian hands, behind the United States, India, China, and Pakistan.(1) This availability of firearms and the violence it enables have major destructive consequences. In Mexico, guns are the weapon of choice in 70 percent of total homicides and 60 percent of homicides committed against women. Guns are also the main tool in homicides of young people.
Gun violence... (GunPolicy.org)
Uruguay Becoming Arms Trafficking Hub Between Argentina and Brazil
12 August 2022
InSight Crime
Uruguay has been making regular seizures of weapons smuggled in from Argentina, indicating that the country is becoming a preferred transit hub for arms traffickers.
In the latest case, ten people were convicted of arms and ammunition trafficking in early August, according to Uruguay's Interior Ministry.
Beginning last November, Uruguayan authorities uncovered a network smuggling weapons into the country's Soriano and Río Negro departments.
In late July, security... (GunPolicy.org)
2 August 2022
Small Arms Review
Its society beset by civil wars in the last fifty years, Yemen is awash in small arms. Nearly every Yemeni male over the age of ten carries some form of weapon, from the traditional jambiya (curved dagger) to assault rifles, as personal apparel and icons of masculinity. In the remote mountains and wadis, open carry of an assault rifle is not only common and widely accepted, but is considered de rigueur. Even heavy weapons such as the DsHk 12.7 machine guns and RPG-7s... (GunPolicy.org)
55% Of Firearms Entering Peru Come From The Illegal Market
12 July 2022
Peruano (Peru)
[Sucamec] plans to destroy more than 3,000 seized firearms.
In 55% of cases the firearms entering Peru come from the illegal market or are smuggled for use in criminal acts, warned Wilmer Delgado, a specialist from the Department of Arms, Ammunition and Related Articles of the National Superintendence for the Control of Security Services, Arms, Ammunition and Explosives for Civilian Use (Sucamec).
Speaking to Andina al Día, the specialist assured that Sucamec... (GunPolicy.org)
Scandal at Haiti Customs After Over 100,000 Rounds of Smuggled Ammunition Seized
8 July 2022
InSight Crime
Haiti's Customs Agency has seized an extremely large quantity of illegally imported ammunition the same day that its director was replaced on suspicion of arms trafficking, highlighting the Caribbean nation's struggle in combating weapons flows.
On July 1, customs and police authorities interdicted roughly 120,000 rounds of ammunition on board a container ship at Port-au-Paix wharf. The illegal cargo, which had come from the US state of Florida, was almost entirely... (GunPolicy.org)
Jamaica Pushes for Higher Standards of Investigation and Prosecution for Gun Crimes
7 July 2022
The Ministry of National Security
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Security, Courtney Williams, says the Government of Jamaica (GOJ) is working to develop and promote higher standards for the investigation and prosecution of trafficking in firearms and related crimes.
While speaking at today's launch of a five-day training workshop, which is being organised by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Williams explained that the proliferation and increased access to illegal... (GunPolicy.org)
Can United Nations Help Jamaica Finally Curb Gun Violence?
28 June 2022
InSight Crime
In its latest bid to curb the flow of illegal firearms and ensuing violence, Jamaica has turned to the United Nations for help.
Scheduled to run until December 2022, Reducing Small Arms and Light Weapons Joint Programme, referred to as SALIENT, boasts an over $70 million budget and a range of programs spearheaded by the United Nations (UN) in Jamaica.
According to a statement from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), "SALIENT aims to dismantle the factors... (GunPolicy.org)
'SALIENT Jamaica' To Tackle Small Arms Trafficking
22 June 2022
Jamaica Information Service
The Norwood area in St. James and Denham Town in Kingston stand to benefit from Jamaica's first community violence audit to support the prevention and reduction of gun violence under a United Nations Jamaica joint programme.
The more than $70-million national initiative 'Reducing Small Arms and Light Weapons Joint Programme, also known as SALIENT Jamaica, aims to dismantle the factors that make it possible for the illicit trafficking of firearms and ammunitions into... (GunPolicy.org)
US Guns Fuel Arms Trafficking in the Dominican Republic
3 June 2022
InSight Crime
Seizures of military-style assault weapons in the Dominican Republic are raising concerns that criminal groups are accessing powerful firearms smuggled from the United States and elsewhere.
On May 26, Dominican customs and police authorities launched a sting operation to dismantle an arms trafficking ring smuggling weapons into the Caribbean nation from the United States, according to a news release by the nation's customs authority.
During the raid at Haina Port,... (GunPolicy.org)
Dominican Republic,United States,Haiti
US Guns Fuel Arms Trafficking in the Dominican Republic
3 June 2022
InSight Crime
Seizures of military-style assault weapons in the Dominican Republic are raising concerns that criminal groups are accessing powerful firearms smuggled from the United States and elsewhere.
On May 26, Dominican customs and police authorities launched a sting operation to dismantle an arms trafficking ring smuggling weapons into the Caribbean nation from the United States, according to a news release by the nation's customs authority.
During the raid at Haina Port,... (GunPolicy.org)
Former Honduran President Pleads 'Not Guilty' to US Federal Trafficking Charges
10 May 2022
CNN
Former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández on Tuesday pleaded not guilty in US court to federal drug trafficking and firearms possession charges.
The indictment in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York charges Hernández with cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices.
"As is charged in the indictment, Hernández abused his position as... (GunPolicy.org)
Rising Gang Violence in Ecuador Prompts State of Emergency
6 May 2022
Organization for World Peace
President Guillermo Lasso of Ecuador has declared a state of emergency in the provinces of Guayas, Manabí, and Esmeraldas, as a result of rising crime in the region. Citing the impact of drug trafficking gangs, he has announced the imposition of a curfew and has sent 9,000 police and soldiers to the coastal provinces in an effort to enforce peace and order. Since taking office in 2021, this action means President Lasso has now twice used emergency powers due to... (GunPolicy.org)
Morocco Approves Draft Law to Regulate Firearms
12 March 2022
Hespress
The Government Council, chaired by Aziz Akhannouch Head of Government, approved, in its session of Thursday on March 10, the draft law No. 86.21 on firearms, their parts, components, accessories, and ammunition, put forth by the Minister of the Interior Abdelouafi Laftit.
The project aims to fortify the kingdom's legislation with international conventions against all forms of illicit firearms trafficking.
At a press conference after the meeting of the Government... (GunPolicy.org)
Jamaica Hatches New Plan to Seize Illegal Guns as Murders Soar
10 February 2022
InsightCrime
As attention continues to focus on Jamaica's spiraling homicides, the country's prime minister has promised to stem the violence by clamping down on illegal firearms – a proposition that is easier said than done.
More than 90 guns have been seized as part of the government's "Get Every Illegal Gun" campaign, which launched in early February. The Jamaica Constabulary Force confiscated the latest batch at a gated community in Trelawney after a shootout that left a top... (GunPolicy.org)
Honduras,Belize,El Salvador,Guatemala
U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, and Tobacco (ATF) Firearms Tracing Data (2015-2019) Revealed
11 January 2022
U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), Web page
Gangs and drug cartels commit much of the violence in Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. The guns they use are mostly from other countries, including the U.S.
While reducing violence in the region is a U.S. policy goal, agencies' efforts—such as helping countries secure their borders—haven't focused on guns. The State Department plans to focus more on gun trafficking but lacks information to tailor its programs to each country's needs. For instance,... (GunPolicy.org)
Dominican Republic,United States
A Rhode Island Man was Arrested for Trafficking the Firearms to the Dominican Republic
9 January 2022
CNN
A Rhode Island man was arrested in New York Thursday for allegedly selling or attempting to sell more than 100 guns that he produced at his home, according to the US Attorney's Office Southern District of New York.
Most of the guns were untraceable "privately made firearms" (PMF's), known as "ghost guns."
Robert Alcantara, 34, was charged with one count of conspiracy to traffic firearms and one count of making false statements, the US Department of Justice said in a... (GunPolicy.org)
Lebanese Rush to Buy Weapons for Personal Security
30 December 2021
The National (Lebanon)
The business of firearms dealer Abdullah has been booming since Lebanon's economy collapsed.
He sells at least three rifles a day – Kalashnikovs are popular among households in fear for their safety as crime rates soar. He also sells boxes of ammunition and grenades.
An automatic rifle or machinegun costs between $400 and $1,400.
His sales have risen threefold since the financial crisis began in 2019, even though the dollar value of the minimum wage has dropped to... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns in High Demand in Papua New Guinea
19 October 2021
Post-Courier (Papua New Guinea)
As the 2022 National General Election looms, firearms are being smuggled into the Highlands region from various parts of the country, says an identified firearms dealer.
According to the dealer who is from the Southern Highland's upper Mendi area who agreed to speak to the Post-Courier anonymously, the demand for firearms has increased significantly –– especially from intending candidates from the Highlands.
The dealer said that most weapons are supplied from... (GunPolicy.org)
Ecuador: The New Corridor for South American Arms Trafficking
4 October 2021
InSight Crime
As Ecuador reels from its worst prison massacre, military intelligence has recently revealed a flow of arms from Chile and Peru into Ecuador along its southern border, highlighting the country's key role in emerging arms trafficking routes.
A recent string of drug seizures, driven in part by increased enforcement, confirms police suspicions that Ecuador is a focal point for arms trafficking in South America. Police discovered ten heavy-caliber rifles during an August... (GunPolicy.org)
Effective Control of Illegal Weapons in Nigeria
23 September 2021
Punch (Nigeria)
The recent transmission by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), of two executive bills to the National Assembly to control arms proliferation and regulate the importation of explosives into the country appears in order. But deeper scrutiny exposes the regime's tactless approach and the helplessness of security forces in curbing arms smuggling into Nigeria. The biggest problem is that in many parts of the country, the Nigerian state has lost its... (GunPolicy.org)
Afghanistan and Libya: All Weapons in the Hands of Islamic Terrorists
22 September 2021
Corriere della Sera (italy)
Afghanistan, Libya and Syria are the three crises that today fuel the archipelago of Islamic extremism. Three countries that are out of control and where Western intervention has increased the risk to global security. In Doha, in recent months, the Americans negotiated the withdrawal from Afghanistan with the Taliban, promising: we will leave, but you will not allow al Qaeda or other extremist groups to operate in the country. We know how that went. And when countries... (GunPolicy.org)
Nigerian Students Denounce Influx of Illegal Firearms
26 August 2021
Daily Independent (Nigeria)
Students in Ogun State have blamed the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) over what they alleged as an influx of illegal firearms into the country through the borders in the state.
The students, under the aegis of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Ogun, the National Association of University Students (NAUS) and the National Association of Ogun State Students (NAOSS) lamented that the Ogun 1 Area Command of the Service was becoming a toothless bulldog... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico Sues US Gunmakers to Stop Weapons Crossing Border
4 August 2021
Guardian
The Mexican government has launched legal action against US gunmakers in an unprecedented attempt to halt the flow of guns across the border, where US-made weapons are routinely used in cartel gun-battles, terror attacks on civilians – and increasingly to challenge the state itself.
The Mexican government is suing six gunmakers in a Massachusetts court, alleging negligence in their failure to control their distributors and that the illegal market in Mexico "has been... (GunPolicy.org)
Liberia Embarks on a Five-year Strategic Plan for Arms Control
8 June 2021
Analyst (Liberia)
The Liberia National Commission on Small Arms (LiNCSA) has concluded three-day stakeholders' validation sessions to endorse a five-year Strategic Plan (2021-2025) that has been formulated to provide strategic direction for the Commission. The Plan will essentially guide management decisions, planned programs and activities in the accomplishment of its general and specific mandates and institutional sustainability. The five-year Strategic Plan builds and improves on... (GunPolicy.org)
Merchants Of Death: Tactics Criminals Use to Smuggle Firearms Into Nigeria
21 May 2021
Punch (Nigeria)
Criminals are hell-bent on making Nigeria unsafe with the diverse methods being used to smuggle firearms into the country. The country is currently battling insurgents, killer herders, robbers, kidnappers and bandits using sophisticated weapons to cause mayhem across states in the country. The security agents have been able to bust some of the gangs and their methods of smuggling firearms into the country while others albeit escaped their eagle eyes. There are viral... (GunPolicy.org)
The Deadly Toll of California's Craft Weapons
18 May 2021
Guardian
When Brian Muhammad, a program manager at a gun violence prevention group in California, asked a 16-year-old boy in 2018 how young people were getting guns, he assumed the answer would be Nevada, the neighboring state with looser gun laws.
"Who would waste time going to Nevada when you can just get them in the mail and put it together?" the Stockton teen nonchalantly replied.
Three years later, homemade weapons known as "ghost guns" have risen to the top of the Biden... (GunPolicy.org)
Arms Trafficking in Togo and Benin
12 May 2021
TogoWeb (Togo)
[Translated text]
Have the Togolese become very active in arms trafficking? After the seizure of 70,000 12-gauge cartridges by the Beninese police, Togo also announced a second seizure of 1,300 cartridges of the same calibre. In both cases, Benin is mentioned as the final destination and the involvement of Togolese.
"On 30 April 2021 at around 1am, the patrol team of the Central Police Station of the city of Lomé stopped a suspicious AUDI car with the registration... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Mexico,Central America,Honduras
US-made Guns are Active in Central America
16 April 2021
The Guardian
The stray bullet from the gang fight struck Katery Ramos when she was 12 years old, playing on the dirt street in the poor Planeta neighbourhood of San Pedro Sula, Honduras. "I was standing up for a moment, afterwards I fell," she told me, sitting with her mother in a scrubby field near her home.
The bullet entered just above her waist and didn't hurt, she said. But when she arrived at the hospital, the doctor announced that it had cut through her spine. She was... (GunPolicy.org)
Multiple Arrests and Firearms Seized in Australian Police Raids
7 April 2021
Australian Border Force, Media release
Law enforcement agencies across Australia seized 823 firearms last month as part of a national week of action.
Operation Athena, a collaborative and national law enforcement group comprising of police from jurisdictions across Australia with assistance from Federal agencies including Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Australian Border Force (ABF) undertook a national week of action across Australia to target the trafficking and use of illicit firearms.
A number... (GunPolicy.org)
Liberia to Amend the Firearms and Ammunition Control Act of 2015
31 March 2021
Liberia National Commission on Small Arms (LiNCSA)
Liberia is leading the reform efforts within in West Africa to conform to provisions of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) by ensuring the validation to amend the Firearms and Ammunition Control Act of 2015 and the Act creating the National Small Arms Commission of Liberia.
The new Arms Commission Act when enacted by the National Legislature will expand its mandate to regulate all categories of conventional arms including small arms, light weapons their ammunition and related... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Liberia National Commission on Small Arms (LiNCSA)
Nigeria: Tackling Insecurity with Cargo Tracking Note
26 March 2021
This Day (Nigeria)
Over the years Nigeria has been bedeviled by insecurity and the problem has become worse in the last five years.
The situation seems to have defied all effort by the federal government to check the menace. Apart from banditry and kidnapping for ransom, piracy in the nation's waters is at an all-time high.
Also, the country has been besieged by the outbreak of violence and conflicts, which have claimed thousands of lives and property.
For instance, Boko Haram has, in... (GunPolicy.org)
How Arms Proliferation Fuels Insecurity in Nigeria
7 February 2021
All Africa
Despite efforts by security forces, violent crimes are on the hike pointing to availability of small and light weapons in the country. Experts attribute this trend to large unmanned borders.
Proliferation of arms, occasioned by illegal and porous borders and booming business of gun-running, is fuelling Nigeria's security challenges, giving rise to criminal activities across the country.
Investigations by Daily Trust show a spike in cases of banditry, kidnapping,... (GunPolicy.org)
PNG Police Gun Running, Drug Smuggling, says Own Minister
18 September 2020
Guardian
Papua New Guinea's police force is the most corrupt public agency in the country, engaged in drug-smuggling, gun-running, and land theft, and beset by "a rampant culture of police ill-discipline and brutality", its own police minister has said, in an extraordinary condemnation of his own force.
Police minister Bryan Kramer used the occasion of PNG's independence anniversary to launch a swingeing attack on the police force, saying its endemic corruption would take... (GunPolicy.org)
Nigeria Establishes Centre for Control of Arms
28 August 2020
Premium Times (Nigeria)
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the establishment of a national centre for the control of small arms and light weapons, the national security adviser, Babagana Monguno, said.
The centre will be domiciled under the office of the NSA and efforts are on to give it a legal backing, Mr Monguno told State House reporters Thursday.
He added that the centre will be similar to the counter terrorism centre and the cybersecurity centre, both of which are domiciled under... (GunPolicy.org)
South Africa,United States,United Kingdom
Gun Trafficking from US to UK Increasing
12 August 2020
New York Times
Handguns are quietly being smuggled into Britain, despite tough gun-control laws. The police fear that the illegal weapons are contributing to a rise in gang-related crime.
NORTHAMPTON, England — Josh Bains was 28 when he was killed after an argument over a drug debt of about $50 just a few miles from the English village where he grew up — with a gun that had traveled thousands of miles from America.
His was one of a rising number of gun deaths in recent years... (GunPolicy.org)
LiNCSA seeks to Register Five Thousand Gun Owners
24 June 2020
Analyst (Liberia)
The Chairman of the Liberia National Commission on Small Arms (LiNCSA), Atty. Teklo Maxwell Grigsby II has outlined his vision of the Civilian Arms Registration for hunters to members of the Board of LiNCSA.
In a prepared presentation to members of the Board, Chairman Grigsby said, one of the major reasons for the Civilian Arms Registration is to ensure the control and regulation of both illicit and licit firearms, which remain a huge challenge in Liberia. The Small... (GunPolicy.org)
Liberia: End Proliferation of Small Arms in ECOWAS Region
28 November 2019
Front Page Africa (FPA)
The 11th Annual National Commissions on Small Arms (NATCOM) meeting of the ECOWAS 15 Member States kicked off Tuesday, November 26, in Monrovia with a call on member states to collaborate to end the proliferation of small arms in West Africa.
Liberia's Chairperson on Small Arms, Att'y Teklo Maxwell Grigsby said hosting the meeting is Liberia is timely because there have been many gains made by the Liberian Small Arms Commission.
He said there is a need to accelerate... (GunPolicy.org)
Nigerian Governor Illegally Imported 1,000 Ak-47 Guns, Two Million Bullets
8 November 2019
Premium Times (Nigeria)
The Nigerian government has confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES that a former Ogun State governor, Ibikunle Amosun, did not get approval to import weapons into Nigeria.
Mr Amosun, a serving senator, requested and received approval for a duty waiver to import only 13 armoured personnel carriers for police operations in Ogun State in 2012, Ben Akabueze, the director-general, Budget Office of the Federation, told PREMIUM TIMES in a recent letter.
The federal government's... (GunPolicy.org)
How American Gun Laws Are Fueling Jamaica's Homicide Crisis
29 August 2019
New York Times
She came to Jamaica from the United States about four years ago, sneaking in illegally, stowed away to avoid detection. Within a few short years, she became one of the nation's most-wanted assassins.
She preyed on the parish of Clarendon, carrying out nine confirmed kills, including a double homicide outside a bar, the killing of a father at a wake and the murder of a single mother of three. Her violence was indiscriminate: She shot and nearly killed a 14-year-old girl... (GunPolicy.org)
More Than 2 Million Illegal Weapons Enter Mexico in the Last Decade
14 August 2019
Universidad de Guadalajara T.V
The Mexican government has records of 2,12,573 weapons that entered the country illegally in the last decade, and a large percentage of them have still not been recovered, Defence Secretary Luis Cresencio Sandoval said today.
Since this is a clandestine activity, the Mexican authorities rely on data provided by the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the minister explained at a press conference accompanied by Mexican President Andrés Manuel López... (GunPolicy.org)
Ex-Firearm Dealer Gets 11 Years for Smuggling 'Mass Kill' Guns
14 May 2019
Australian Associated Press
A Victorian man who imported "mass killing machines" has had years added to his prison sentence after an appeal.
Paul Robert Munro, 65, was originally ordered to serve at least six years behind bars for importing a dozen Thureon machine guns, capable of firing 1000 rounds a minute.
But on Tuesday the Court of Appeal revealed it had increased his non-parole period to 11 years.
The maximum 10-year sentence handed down by the County Court last May was also increased to... (GunPolicy.org)
Sweden Calls for Tighter Penalties for Arms Smuggling
5 May 2019
Vägen ut
A black car rolls up a shot is fired from a gun and a young man falls to the ground. Another fatal shooting added to the statistics and another family losing a loved one. A total of 45 people lost their lives in fatal shootings last year, with the most deaths in the Southern Region and the most shootings in the Stockholm area.
The number of fatal shootings continues to rise and the prognosis looks bleak. Fatal violence has been declining for a long time. But the trend... (GunPolicy.org)
Liberia Tackles Trafficking of Illicit Small Arms
17 February 2019
New Republic (Liberia)
In the midst of rumors, claims and counter claims regarding assassination plot of President George Weah, the chairman of the Liberia National Commission on Small Arms (LINCSA), Marvin Sarkor has assured Liberians that the country's borders will not be used for trafficking of illicit small arms and light weapons.
According to Sarkor, the people of Liberia have no reason to fear as the commission, he noted, is working tirelessly with her international partners to include... (GunPolicy.org)
Tasmanian Gun Dealer Charged With Gun Trafficking
4 December 2018
The Advocate
Police laid more than 80 firearms charges against a 58-year-old Ulverstone man on Tuesday.
In a release, police said a "lengthy criminal investigation" led to the charges being laid, along with a suspension of the man's firearms dealer's license and his personal firearms license.
He has been charged with 12 counts of unregistered firearm possession, 54 counts of a licensed firearms dealer failing to keep records in an approved form and four counts of possessing... (GunPolicy.org)
Kuwait Committed to Combat Against Illicit Trafficking of Firearms
18 October 2018
Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)
VIENNA -- Assistant Undersecretary of Kuwait's Ministry of Interior for Criminal Security Affairs Maj.-Gen. Khaled Al-Duyayn said Wednesday that his country continues to contribute to the international campaign against organized crimes, including the illicit trafficking and misuse of firearms.
Kuwait is working with the State Parties to the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime to ensure effective implementation of the Protocol against the Illicit... (GunPolicy.org)
Former Firearms Dealer Charged With Gun Trafficking
10 September 2018
Newcastle Herald (New South Wales)
A former licensed firearms dealer has been charged with 101 offences and police have seized more than 1180 guns as part of an investigation into organised crime.
In November 2015, the Criminal Groups Squad's Strike Force Raptor commenced an investigation into the activities of an organised criminal network operating across Sydney. Investigations concentrated on underworld killings with a focus on the bikie community.
As part of their extensive inquiries, Strike Force... (GunPolicy.org)
Togo to Launch Weapons Marking Operation
9 July 2018
TogoWeb (Togo)
[Translated content]
The Togolese State through its Ministry of Security and Civil Protection wants to launch a national operation to mark the weapons of the security forces. This initiative, financially supported by Japan, is part of the fight against the trafficking of small arms and light weapons in order to guarantee the security of the population.
In case of theft or loss, these weapons will be more easily found, according to General Yark Damehane, Minister of... (GunPolicy.org)
Samoan Police to Destroy 300 Guns
5 July 2018
Samoa Observer
The police will destroy close to 300 illegal firearms that they recovered during their operations.
Commissioner Fuiavailiili Egon Keil said questions remain on how the firearms were brought into the country as Samoa does not manufacture weapons or ammunition.
"This coming Thursday (today) at the police headquarter at 10 o'clock we have little less than 300 firearms that we will be destroying, just like what we did back in 2015. So these weapons will be destroyed... (GunPolicy.org)
Smuggled Military Weapons Seized Near Thai-Cambodian Border
18 April 2018
Nation (Bangkok)
Thai authorities have arrested a man suspected of smuggling illegal weapons from Cambodia to Thailand, according to Cambodian National Police.
On Tuesday night, Thai authorities intercepted a vehicle at a checkpoint in Klaing Yai district, in Thailand's Trat province, about 50 kilometres from Cambodia's Cham Yeam checkpoint, a Cambodian National Police website announcement reads.
The weapons seized included two that appear to be Chinese-made Type-95 assault rifles,... (GunPolicy.org)
ISIS Links to Gun Smuggling in Malaysia
20 November 2017
Straits Times (Singapore)
With the rise of extremists in Malaysia, a new insidious form of smuggling has emerged - sneaking in guns for militants.
Malaysian police have increased raids against local terror cells in recent years, but the inflow of arms has not been eradicated due to the many Malaysia-Thai cross-border smuggling routes, officials say.
Asked whether firearms were among the smuggled goods commonly seized, Malaysian Border Security Agency director-general Mohamad Ismail told The... (GunPolicy.org)
Illicit Indian Craft Firearms Smuggled to Bangladesh
4 November 2017
Daily Star (Dhaka)
In recent years, the country's northwestern border in Chapainawabganj has emerged as a major route for smuggling in arms. It has of late become militants' most preferred point for collecting illegal firearms and explosives. This is the route through which terror outfit "Neo JMB" smuggled in the guns and bombs used in last year's Gulshan café attack. With such chilling information surfacing, Shariful Islam visits the zero line area of Indo-Bangla border in the district... (GunPolicy.org)
Cambodians Nabbed for Weapons Smuggling
24 July 2017
Cambodia Daily
Cambodian police on Saturday arrested three nationals in connection with an alleged weapons smuggling attempt that netted five Thai nationals across the border last week, officials said on Sunday.
"Three were arrested yesterday in Banteay Meanchey province in connection with weapons smuggling," National Police spokesman Kirth Chantharith said on Sunday before declining to answer any more questions.
However, Ben Sam Ath, police chief of Banteay Meanchey's Malai... (GunPolicy.org)
Mechanic Smuggled Thureon 'AR-15s' from US to Australia
14 July 2017
Herald Sun (Melbourne)
A black market weapons dealer who imported lethal US machine guns police say are designed for killing people is staring down the barrel of a lengthy jail term.
Paul Munro, 63, pleaded guilty to importing Thureon fully automatic rifles — which can fire 1000 rounds per minute — and firearms parts and frames into Australia in the two years to March 2015.
The County Court heard on Friday that the weapons the former mechanic imported landed in the hands of violent... (GunPolicy.org)
Cambodia, Thailand Investigate Arms Smuggling
23 June 2017
Khmer Times
Cambodia and Thailand are now working together to investigate weapons being smuggled from Cambodia to Myanmar via Thailand after a cache was recently confiscated by the Thai military in Thailand's Trat province.
Speaking at the inauguration for the new provincial governor in border province Koh Kong on Friday, Interior Minister Sar Kheng said National Police Commissioner General Neth Savoeun was working with Thailand's Police Commissioner General to investigate the... (GunPolicy.org)
Firearm Smuggling on the Thai-Cambodian Border
20 June 2017
ASEAN Today
Cambodia's Defense Ministry may have blood on their hands. The Thai media have claimed they are directly involved in arms smuggling. The Thai media made the claims after Thai authorities found a weapons cache in a vehicle in the Trat province of Thailand. They assert that the weapons may be linked to Cambodian Defense Minister, Tea Banh.
The Cambodian Defense Ministry are investigating the issue. However, the recent spate of arrests suggests that the problem is not... (GunPolicy.org)
Putting Guns Away for Good: Can Japan eliminate firearms?
24 April 2017
Asia & the Pacific Policy Forum
A decline in private firearms ownership and no recognisable gun culture means that Japan is positioned to be the world's first country to reverse the gunpowder revolution, writes Aaron Karp.
Four-hundred years ago Japan eradicated virtually all firearms. Today the country may be on the cusp of an equally far-reaching, albeit far gentler, transformation.
Although Japan's private gun ownership rose during the 20th century, today's levels are not just small but rapidly... (GunPolicy.org)
Fight Against Arms Proliferation in Mauritania
12 April 2017
Authentique (Mauriania)
[Translated content]
The Public Authority has finally decided to act to curb the circulation and trade of arms in the country and particularly in Nouakchott! This is at least what we have learned from reliable sources. This was prompted by the death last week of a young resident of the Moughataa of Ryadh as a result of the explosion of a grenade he was handling, but also by the arrest last week of an officer of the National Guard, accused of having supplemented a... (GunPolicy.org)
US Agencies Help Stop Smuggling of 5000 Guns to Australia
16 March 2017
News Corp Australia Network
The largest ever shipment of guns organised by bikie gangs and bound for Australia has been stopped in the US and seized by police as the crackdown on outlaw motorcycle clubs intensifies.
The almost 5000-strong shipment of handguns and automatic rifles was nabbed late last year before reaching Australian shores as part of a joint investigation between federal, state and international policing agencies.
News Corp Australia can exclusively reveal the operations leading... (GunPolicy.org)
Malaysia Shuts Down North Korean Arms Trafficking Firms
28 February 2017
Reuters
KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia's authorities were aware that two North Korea-linked companies operated an arms business in the country and both were being struck from the Company Registry, the police chief said on Tuesday.
Reuters reported on Monday that North Korean intelligence ran an arms operation out of Malaysia called Glocom, and two companies linked to the trade were International Global System and International Golden Services.
Confirming details of the story,... (GunPolicy.org)
Most Illegal Guns Smuggled to Australia Arrive as Parts
6 February 2017
Australian (Sydney)
Sophisticated arms smuggling involving sending individual components of guns through regular international mail and reassembling them here has become the conduit of choice for Australian criminals engaged in the illicit trade.
The Australian Border Force revealed to The Australian two major busts of alleged illegal firearm operations in recent days, in Queensland and NSW, one involving semi-automatic weapons.
The border watchdog says the arrests demonstrate its... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Find '3D-Printed Submachine Gun' Factory in Australia
23 November 2016
Guardian, Australian Associated Press
A highly sophisticated weapons production facility using 3D printers and computers to make machine guns has been uncovered in a series of raids across the Gold Coast.
Police say they found four homemade automatic submachine guns, silencers, ammunition, a replica handgun, a .45 calibre pistol and equipment used to make weapons at two Nerang businesses, as well as a pill press.
The equipment used to make the weapons included computers, a 3D printer, drill presses and... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Raid 'First of its Kind' Illegal Gun Factory in Australia
23 November 2016
Brisbane Times (Queensland)
Police say sophisticated gun factory found during raids at the Gold Coast on Friday is the first of its kind in Queensland.
Officers executed search warrants on four residential properties and two industrial sheds finding drug labs, a weapons factory, drugs, guns, ammunition and 3D printer.
The guns found included four "uzi-style" submachine guns, three silencers and two handguns while drugs seized included steroids, cannabis, ecstasy and amphetamines.
Five people... (GunPolicy.org)
Traffickers Flood Mexico with Easily Bought American Guns [ES]
22 November 2016
Vice News (US)
[Translated summary: Although Mexico has some of the strictest gun legislation in the world, with only one shop where guns can be bought legally, there are more than 15 million guns in circulation and 85% are illegal. One of the main reasons is the proximity of the USA, where guns are easily available. Almost 100,000 Mexicans died of gun wounds in the last decade.]
Es casi la media noche del 11 de octubre y la policía recibe una llamada de emergencia alertando de una... (GunPolicy.org)
Balkan Gun Trafficking Fears Grow Amid Major Security Alerts
20 November 2016
Irish Times (Dublin)
Serbia is urgently checking state arms depots after scores of guns were found to be missing from a military warehouse, fuelling concern over Balkan weapons smuggling amid a series of major security scares around the region.
Serbia's defence ministry said military intelligence, military police and other agencies were investigating the disappearance of weaponry including 70 semi-automatic pistols, five automatic rifles and two cases of ammunition.
Last week Serbia... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Control 'Eroded' in Canada, Now More Guns on the Streets
20 November 2016
Toronto Star (Ontario)
Weakened gun laws and how they're enforced have led to a spike in the number of restricted firearms in the hands of Canadians — and ultimately in hands of criminals, a leading gun-control advocate says.
Wendy Cukier, president of the Coalition for Gun Control, said relaxed licensing processes and legislative changes under the past Conservative government "eroded strict controls" that limited access to certain firearms.
The number of restricted firearms — a... (GunPolicy.org)
Half of Toronto's Crime Guns Come from Local Dealers, Owners
19 November 2016
Toronto Star (Ontario)
Danny Santapaga, a self-employed financial adviser, bought 14 guns on 10 different occasions over seven months.
Plumber Graham Jovanovic purchased nine firearms over five weeks. University student Justin Green obtained 23 handguns during a 22-month period, including 15 from one store. Security guard Andrew Winchester acquired 47 handguns in a six-month buying binge.
These Toronto men have no apparent connection to one another. But they share a common thread.
Each... (GunPolicy.org)
Social Media Used for Gun Sales, Trafficking in Venezuela [ES]
18 November 2016
Entorno Inteligente
[Translated summary: Venezuelans now use social media like Whatsapp, BBM, Snapchat and Instagram to illegally buy and sell guns. A Beretta 92FS pistol can be purchased for 2.7 million Venezuelan bolivars (270,000 USD). Official data from 2012 calculates that the country has between 1.2 and 1.5 million unregistered guns. Until March, 2016, only 48,000 firearms had been destroyed.]
Los índices de violencia y criminalidad siguen en un preocupante ascenso. Para completar... (GunPolicy.org)
West Africa Terror Groups Get Guns from Syria and Iraq - Study
17 November 2016
PJ Media (US)
A report issued this month tracking the flow of weapons across Libya and the Sahel revealed that terror groups operating in West Africa are getting much more than just inspiration from terror hubs in Iraq and Syria.
The study by UK-based Conflict Armament Research, an independent organization that tracks the flow of conventional weapons and materiel, found that weapons stockpiles remaining from the nearly 42-year dictatorship of Moammar Gadhafi have migrated as far as... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Background Checks Work, May Hamper Suicide Prevention
17 November 2016
Channel News Asia (Singapore), Reuters
Gun control laws that mandate a background check before a gun can be temporarily transferred to a friend or family member may interfere with suicide prevention efforts, researchers say.
The research team looked at what happens when people want to temporarily remove firearms from their home because they fear someone in the house might be considering a suicide attempt. In some states, they found, gun control laws may actually hamper the ability to easily transfer a gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Man Charged With Smuggling Handgun Parts by Mail
17 November 2016
Sydney Morning Herald
A Mildura man has been charged with importing handgun parts in the mail.
Australian Border Force officers intercepted seven packages from the US and Hong Kong addressed to 34-year-old Hanh Truong between November 6 to November 9.
The packages were labelled as toys or model parts, but X-rays at the Australia Post gateway facility in Tullamarine revealed they actually contained firearm parts and handgun frames, a Border Force spokesman said.
Border Force and police... (GunPolicy.org)
Serbia Makes its Biggest Gun Seizure in 16 Years
16 November 2016
BBC News
Ten people have been arrested in Serbia for arms-trafficking, police say, after the country's largest weapons haul in 16 years.
Rocket launchers, anti-tank mines and automatic guns were among the weapons seized in northern Serbia, close to the Croatian border.
A police video shows officers arresting suspects amid piles of weapons.
Hand grenades, rifles, pistols, bullets, night-vision equipment and various explosives were also seized.
Interior Minister Nebojsa... (GunPolicy.org)
Algeria Seizes Many Guns at Tunisian and Libyan Borders [FR]
16 November 2016
Réalités (Tunisia)
[Translated summary: Algerian Customs have seized a large number of firearms at the borders with Tunisia and Libya. The guns are very sophisticated and equipped with new technologies. They belong to trafficking networks and terrorists from Libya, where there are 20,000 illegal firearms in circulation.]
Les services de la Douane algérienne ont intensifié récemment leur présence au niveau des frontières avec le Maroc et la Tunisie et ce en ayant recours à d'autres... (GunPolicy.org)
France,Serbia,Bosnia & Herzegovina
Balkan Countries Struggle to Control Gun Trafficking, Smugglers
16 November 2016
World Bulletin (Turkey)
A year after rebel fighters used weapons manufactured in Serbia to gun down victims in Paris, Balkan countries are struggling to end the scourge of illegal arms trafficking.
The killers who opened fire at the Bataclan theatre, cafes and restaurants in the French capital last November used Yugoslav-era assault rifles produced by Serbia's Zastava Arms.
Months earlier the Kouachi brothers, behind the deadly assault on the Charlie Hebdo magazine offices, carried a rocket... (GunPolicy.org)
Illegal Gun Seizures Rise Amid Ongoing Insecurity in Honduras
15 November 2016
InSight Crime (Bogotá)
Honduran officials say seizures of illegal firearms at border checkpoints are increasing rapidly, as the market for millions of illegal firearms continues to grow and fuel violence in the Central American country.
According to Honduras' National Anti-Evasion Force (Fuerza Nacional Antievasión - FNA), customs officers in Honduras are seizing an average of 35 to 40 firearms and ammunition shipments per month.
Officers are interdicting shipments from Mexico, the United... (GunPolicy.org)
Kenya Destroys 5,250 Seized Guns to Slow Armed Violence
15 November 2016
Washington Post, Associated Press
NAIROBI — Kenya's deputy president on Tuesday set ablaze more than 5,250 firearms seized by authorities to discourage the circulation of illegal weapons in a country battling extremist violence.
Deputy President William Ruto presided over the burning of rifles and pistols in three stacks about 15 feet high. They were recovered in this East African country over the past nine years, Ruto said.
Most of the firearms were collected through voluntary surrender, others... (GunPolicy.org)
Syria,Iraq,Slovakia,European Union
Europe Split on Reforms and Regulations to Curb Gun Violence
14 November 2016
EUObserver (Belgium)
EU lawmakers are meeting on Tuesday (15 November) for another round of backroom talks to curb gun violence and prevent terrorists from acquiring weapons on the black market.
Debates around the European Commission's EU firearms directive reform, proposed in the aftermath the Paris November terrorist attacks, appears to be advancing as positions converge between the two co-legislatures at the European Parliament and the Council, representing member states.
"There is a... (GunPolicy.org)
Stronger US Gun Laws Linked to Lower Gun Homicide Rates
14 November 2016
EurekAlert (New York)
Stronger firearm laws are associated with reductions in firearm homicide rates, concludes a narrative review published in the November 14 issue of JAMA Internal Medicine.
Researchers at Boston Children's Hospital reviewed all available articles published in peer-reviewed journals from January 1970 to August 2016 that focused specifically on the connection between firearm homicide and firearm laws. Of the 582 abstracts found, only 34 met the criteria for inclusion.... (GunPolicy.org)
Increasing Firearm Smuggling in Bangladesh
13 November 2016
Dhaka Tribune
There are at least 119 points on the border which are being used to smuggle these firearms in, according to sources in intelligence agencies.
Officials say the majority of the arms shipments is entering the country via the border points in Chapainawabganj, Benapole, Satkhira, Comilla and Brahmanbaria districts.
The firearms which are being used in all kinds of scenarios – from trivial arguments to militant attacks, sources said.
According to Border Guard... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Smuggling from India Increases in Bangladesh
13 November 2016
Dhaka Tribune (Bangladesh)
Use of illegal firearms has increased alarmingly in the country as a group of organised smugglers are bringing them into the country taking advantage of weak border security, according to sources in law enforcement agencies
There are at least 119 points on the border which are being used to smuggle these firearms in, according to sources in intelligence agencies.
Officials say the majority of the arms shipments is entering the country via the border points in... (GunPolicy.org)
Honduras,United States,South America
Firearm Trafficking Soaring in Honduras - Customs [ES]
11 November 2016
La Tribuna (Honduras)
[Translated summary: Every month, Honduran customs seize an average of 35 to 40 firearms of US and South America origin. Among the seized arms are pistols, shotguns, hunting rifles and ammunition. Police say the increase in crime is the reason Hondurans want to arm themselves, and trafficked guns cost one fifth of legal guns.]
Un promedio de 35 a 40 armas de fuego o municiones provenientes de Estados Unidos y de Suramérica decomisan al mes funcionarios de Aduanas de... (GunPolicy.org)
Bosnia & Herzegovina,Serbia,Western Europe
Bosnia, Serbia Try to Curb Illegal Flow of Guns to Europe [ES]
10 November 2016
Terra (Argentina)
[Translated summary: Bosnia and Serbia want to stop the illegal flow of Balkan firearms to Europe. In the 2015 Paris attacks the terrorists used Balkan firearms. It is estimated that there are between 3.6 to 6.2 million firearms in the Balkans, 900,000 in Serbia alone. Serbian organised crime has been linked to a third of all investigations into illegal arms trafficking conducted in France.]
Las armas procedentes de los Balcanes equipan desde hace tiempo a los... (GunPolicy.org)
New Legal Guns in Tasmania Jumped from 57 to 1500 in 2016
5 November 2016
Mercury (Tasmania)
Almost 1500 extra firearms have come into Tasmania over the past year — a massive jump from the previous 12 months when there were just 57.
It comes as police figures show some owners are stockpiling firearms across the state.
Anti-gun activists say the figures are alarming but firearm owners say there is nothing to fear.
About 100 individuals, excluding collectors or dealers, possess arsenals of 20 or more firearms, according to the data.
The largest registered... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Dominican Republic
Many More American Guns Seized in Dominican Republic [ES]
4 November 2016
Acento (Dominican Republic)
[Translated summary: 115 firearms, 57,000 rounds of ammunition and military equipment of American origin were seized in the Dominican Republic in the last two months. Among the firearms were pistols, rifles, pellet guns, shotguns, revolvers and one automatic machine gun.]
SANTO DOMINGO -- Los esfuerzos de las autoridades de Estados Unidos por frenar el tráfico ilegal de armas de fuego y municiones desde su territorio hacia la República Dominicana hasta el momento han... (GunPolicy.org)
In China, Life Sentence or Even Death for Replica Firearms [ES]
2 November 2016
W Radio (Colombia), EFE News Agency
[Translated Summary: China's strict legislation on firearms can cause firearm replica owners to be accused of trafficking, and go to jail. Even a life sentence or the death penalty are possible in severe cases. The definition of a firearm includes any weapon that can shoot with a force of more than 1.8 joules per square centimetre. This prohibits many replicas.]
La estricta legislación china sobre armas de fuego puede provocar que los propietarios de réplicas sean... (GunPolicy.org)
Four Ghana Regions Main Hubs of Illegal Gun Possession
30 October 2016
Ghana Web
The three Northern Regions and the Ashanti Region have been identified as the hub for the haulage of large cache of illegal weapons in the country with the Ashanti region serving as a major user and transit point across the country and beyond, a baseline study on the proliferation of small arms in the country has revealed.
The study further revealed that while analysis of the distribution of ownership of these arms with respect to age was more concentrated in ages... (GunPolicy.org)
UK Border Security Gaps Could Let Terrorists Bring in Guns
28 October 2016
Guardian
Weaknesses in Britain's border security may allow terrorists to get the guns they need to attack London, a report has warned.
The report, for London mayor Sadiq Khan, warns of rising firearms use in the capital over the summer, with the potential for weapons smuggled in by organised criminals being acquired by terrorists.
The study by Lord Toby Harris says that a major terrorist attack could inflict a severe casualty toll on London, and makes 127 recommendations to... (GunPolicy.org)
FBI Helps Dominican Republic to Fight Gun Trafficking [ES]
25 October 2016
CDN (Dominican Republic)
[Translated summary: US authorities are helping the Dominican Republic with illegal firearms trafficking investigations, allowing the country to access FBI information. The last shipments of firearms seized in DR consisted of weapons of war, rifles, pistols, revolvers, ammunition, military equipment, bullet making machinery and a grenade. The guns were found in food boxes sent from the US.]
SANTO DOMINGO -- El Buró Federal de Investigaciones de Estados Unidos (FBI por... (GunPolicy.org)
New York Official Study: Weak-Law States Flood NY With Guns
24 October 2016
New York Times
The .40-caliber pistol used to kill a New York City police officer last year was bought in South Carolina on Feb. 28, 2008.
A 9-millimeter pistol used in a murder-suicide in a Buffalo neighborhood had been bought in Georgia on June, 12, 2010, just 102 days before the double shooting.
And a 9-milimeter pistol used to fatally shoot a couple on Long Island in 2010 was bought in South Carolina on April 10, 2009.
Those are among the 52,915 guns used in crimes that law... (GunPolicy.org)
2,000 Gun Homicides in Honduras in First Half of 2016 [ES]
23 October 2016
La Prensa (Honduras)
[Translated summary: In Honduras, 2,000 people were murdered with firearms in the first six months of the year, a number that represents 75% of total homicides in the country. Police explain that they are constantly combating crime and illegal gun trafficking and that they have seized a great number of AK-47 and AR-15-pattern rifles.]
San Pedro Sula -- Casi a diario las autoridades policiales y militares capturan personas por el delito de portación ilegal de armas,... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia,Afghanistan,Russia,Central Asia,Pakistan,China,Turkey,Brazil
UN Rule of Thumb Suggests 600,000 Illegal Guns in Australia
21 October 2016
Age (Melbourne)
As many as 600,000 illegal guns could be circulating in the Australian underworld, but national efforts to control the spread is being hampered by inconsistencies between states, a firearms intelligence report has found.
The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission report on guns - to be released on Friday, the same day as state and federal government representatives meet to thrash out a way to combat illegal firearms - also backs a national amnesty.
Chris Dawson,... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia Extends Ban on Adler Rapid-fire Lever Action Shotgun
20 October 2016
ABC News (Australia)
Police ministers met in Melbourne this morning to consider a new classification for the lever-action shotgun.
There is currently a ban in place on Adler shotguns that have a magazine capacity of more than five rounds.
The ABC understands concerns were raised that tightened restrictions on the seven-shot Adler would struggle to pass Parliament in certain states.
The Australian Federal Police and Justice Minister Michael Keenan said there was a "majority" view but that... (GunPolicy.org)
Israel Gun Trade 'Helping to Fuel South Sudan War,' Says UN
20 October 2016
Times of Israel
A United Nations panel of experts found evidence of "well-established networks" of arms suppliers in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, including from Israel, that are fueling the war in South Sudan.
In a confidential report to the Security Council obtained by AFP on Thursday, the panel described the arms deals that are not recent and involve Israeli and Bulgarian firms.
The Council has threatened to impose an arms embargo on South Sudan to try to end the fighting... (GunPolicy.org)
Italy,Russia,Moldova,Libya,Ukraine
Jihadi Tomb Raiders, Italian Mafia Sell Antiquities for ISIS Guns
18 October 2016
Daily Beast (USA)
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)
Assault Weapons Seized from Trafficking Group in Philippines
15 October 2016
The Standard (Philippines)
A shipment of about 6,700 rounds of ammunition for high-caliber arms and assault rifles from Metro Manila to Mindanao was intercepted by police and military agents at a port in Cagayan de Oro Thursday, law enforcement officials said Friday.
Two handlers of the cargo and a member of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front were arrested after the shipment—thousands of M60 caliber bullets and four rounds for the M203 grenade launchers—was seized.
This was the second... (GunPolicy.org)
Amazingly, There Is No US Federal Law Against Gun Trafficking
13 October 2016
Mother Jones (USA)
Rep. Caroline Maloney (D-N.Y.) first learned that there is no federal law against gun trafficking at, of all places, a Fast and Furious hearing. In June 2011, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform convened to scrutinize the gunrunning sting known as Fast and Furious, which had flown off the rails when agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) allowed assault weapons to land in the hands of Mexican drug cartels. Much of... (GunPolicy.org)
Spain,United States,Greece,Italy,Turkey,France,Syria
Europol Dismantles Spain/Syria/Libya Gun Trafficking Network
11 October 2016
EFE News Agency
A huge haul of arms and drugs was seized from a trafficking network run by Syrian nationals, Spain's police said Tuesday.
A total of 109 people were arrested and 100 tons of hashish, 11,400 firearms, over a million ammunition rounds and 10 tons of explosives were seized in an international operation against a trafficking network that sold drugs to arm jihadist groups in countries like Libya.
The joint operation was carried out by security forces from Spain, Italy,... (GunPolicy.org)
South Korea: Surge in Gun Smuggling Worries Politician
10 October 2016
Yonhap News Agency (South Korea)
SEOUL -- A lawmaker from the ruling Saenuri Party said Monday the customs office detected 246 attempts to smuggle guns and related items into the country though August this year, adding South Korea can no longer be considered safe from firearms.
According to the data compiled by Rep. Park Myung-jae, the Korea Customs Office caught seven shipments of fully functioning guns, as well as 171 other imitation firearms, which could potentially be used for crimes this... (GunPolicy.org)
How UN Arms Embargoes in African Countries Can Be Effective
4 October 2016
Institute for Security Studies (Africa)
Arms embargoes are the most common type of sanction currently applied by the United Nations (UN), and one of the five main types of targeted or smart sanctions (others are diplomatic sanctions, travel bans, asset freezes and commodity interdiction).
The key aim of smart sanctions is to raise the regime's costs of non-compliance (with the sanctions) without bringing about the wider suffering often associated with comprehensive sanctions, such as trade bans.
How... (GunPolicy.org)
Increased Gun Smuggling in the UK
28 September 2016
Guardian
More guns are being seized in cities across Britain as the number of firearms being smuggled into the country increases, Britain's most senior police officer has said.
Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, the Metropolitan police commissioner, told a hearing at London's City Hall that a rise in gun crime in the capital was being put down to an increase in the number of weapons coming into the country.
The Met seized a "worrying" record number of weapons in 2015, including... (GunPolicy.org)
Over 35 Gun Experts Meet in Moldova to Discuss Illicit Trafficking
27 September 2016
SEESAC (Belgrade)
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)
Africa Arms Trafficking Caused 3,783 Deaths, Says Senegal [FR]
26 September 2016
Sen 360 (France)
[Translated summary: The trade in conventional arms has caused 3,783 deaths in Africa between 2006 and 2014, according to the director of the Cabinet Ministry of the Armed Forces of Senegal. Senegal is one of the African countries that signed and ratified the Arms Trade Treaty.]
Le commerce des armes classiques, notamment les armes de petit calibre a causé entre 2006 et 2014, 3783 décès en Afrique, a affirmé lundi à Dakar, Demba Diouf, directeur de Cabinet du... (GunPolicy.org)
USA Guns Stolen from Cars Fuel 'Iron Pipeline' Traffickers [ES]
22 September 2016
Zócalo (Mexico)
[Translated summary: In the US, between 300,000 and 600,000 guns are stolen each year, according to a study from Harvard and Northeastern Universities. Almost 6,000 gun thefts from cars were reported in 2015. These weapons fuel the 'Iron Pipeline' East Coast trafficking route, and are often used in crime.]
Washington -- En Estados Unidos roban entre 300 mil y 600 mil armas al año, según información de un estudio de Harvard y Northeastern University, y en muchas... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns Are Stolen in America As Often As Once Every Minute
21 September 2016
The Trace (USA)
ATLANTA — Landen Boyd parked his Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck at a construction site south of downtown Atlanta and went to work, leaving his black Smith & Wesson 9mm in a case underneath the center console.
It was the fall of 2006, and Boyd, a 37-year-old construction superintendent, was overseeing the development of an apartment complex across the train tracks from Mechanicsville, a high-crime neighborhood. When noon came, Boyd hitched a ride to eat lunch with... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico,Central America,South America
Recent Seizures Point to Thriving Latin American Gun Trade
21 September 2016
InSight Crime (Bogotá)
A series of recent raids and reports highlights the thriving arms trade throughout Latin America, which serves to both profit illicit groups and to facilitate criminal violence in the region.
During a recent conference on armed violence in Central America, Ana Yancy Espinoza, academic director of the Costa Rican organization Fundación Arias, presented the results of an investigation on regional arms trafficking.
According to a press release from the Foundation for... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Owners Lose Up to 60,000 Firearms a Year to Thieves
21 September 2016
Guardian
Landen Boyd parked his Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck at a construction site south of downtown Atlanta and went to work, leaving his black Smith & Wesson 9mm in a case underneath the center console.
While Boyd was eating lunch at a nearby rib joint, someone chucked a brick through his truck's back window, crawled inside, grabbed his weapon, and fled.
The Smith & Wesson vanished into Atlanta's underworld for more than two years. The handgun resurfaced when police... (GunPolicy.org)
Has Australia Become Complacent About Gun Control?
21 September 2016
Huffington Post (Australia)
It's been 20 years since the Port Arthur massacre, and the landmark gun control legislation introduced by the Howard government soon after. Two decades on from the buy back scheme which saw 700,000 guns taken off streets and destroyed, the Australian Greens have named senator Lee Rhiannon as their new gun control spokesperson. It is a new portfolio for the party, and Rhiannon herself said she wasn't sure if any other party had named a specific gun control portfolio... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Trafficking Network Dismantled in Colombia [ES]
20 September 2016
El Tiempo (Bogotá)
[Translated summary: 40 people accused of gun trafficking were captured in Colombia. During the operation, 5 machine guns, 30 rifles, more than 50,000 cartridges, grenades, over 50 handguns and 2 sniper rifles were seized.]
Luego de un operativo conjunto entre el Ejército y la Policía fueron capturadas 40 personas, en varias ciudades del país, a las que se les sindica de traficar armas con el Eln y bandas criminales. Los presuntos delincuentes incluso tenían una... (GunPolicy.org)
Criminal Gun Misuse in Australia Reveals Gun Law Limitations
16 September 2016
NRA Institute for Legislative Action
While anti-gun politicians like Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama tout Australia's gun control laws as a model for the United States, recent reporting on crime in Melbourne from newspaper The Age revealed the limitations of Australia's stringent laws. According to the paper, "Despite Australia's strict gun control regime, criminals are now better armed than at any time since then-Prime Minister John Howard introduced a nationwide firearm buyback scheme in response to the... (GunPolicy.org)
Haiti Legalizes 38,000 Guns Traded on the Black Market
16 September 2016
Haitian-Caribbean News Network
PORT-AU-PRINCE -- Haiti's government has announced that some 38,000 firearms, traded on the black market, were legalized as part of an effort to control the large quantity of illegal weapons in circulation in the impoverished Caribbean country.
Prime minister Enex Jean-Charles said on Thursday that a process to legalize illegal weapons was launched by the high command of the Haitian National Police (HNP) as instructed by the High Council of the National Police, chaired... (GunPolicy.org)
Venezuelans Trading Guns for Food with Trinidadians - Police
15 September 2016
Caribbean 360
PORT OF SPAIN – Venezuelans and Trinidadians are bartering on the high seas, selling and/or exchanging arms and ammunition for food and basic commodities.
These trades also take place at some of T&T's remote coastal ports, according to Assistant Superintendent of Police Vernly Gift of the Organised Crime, Narcotics and Firearms Bureau (OCNFB).
He made the comments yesterday at the police weekly briefing where he said there is a need for greater monitoring of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia Amnesty Hopes to Recover Thousands of Illegal Guns
14 September 2016
Sydney Morning Herald
Justice Minister Michael Keenan says he expects that at least "thousands" of illegal guns to be handed over in a planned national firearms amnesty.
But the nature of the illicit market meant it was hard to know how many owners of illegal guns would actually be prepared to give them up, as opposed to serious criminals who will want to hang onto their weapons, he said.
Mr Keenan has confirmed Fairfax Media reports on Wednesday that the federal government will soon nail... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia Plans New National Gun Amnesty, Tougher Penalties
14 September 2016
Guardian
The Turnbull government will begin a national gun amnesty after a wave of gun-related crime across the country. It also plans to increase penalties for gun smuggling.
The justice minister, Michael Keenan, said the gun amnesty had the support of the Nationals and would allow Australians to hand in illegal guns without penalty. It would not be a buyback.
He said the details of the amnesty were yet to be worked out but had in-principle support from his state and... (GunPolicy.org)
Chasing a Silver Bullet: How Melbourne Became a Gun City (3)
13 September 2016
Age (Melbourne)
He was 22 years old the first time he got caught with a gun. Police chased him down on foot and recovered a stash of drugs and a revolver. He was charged and released on bail.
Five months later, he would be caught with more drugs and another gun - this time a .22 calibre semi-automatic pistol.
For these crimes, he got nine months jail and a community corrections order.
Angelo's* next run in with the law - five months after his release from prison - would see the now... (GunPolicy.org)
New National Gun Amnesty to Be Announced in Australia
13 September 2016
Age (Melbourne)
State and federal ministers and attorney-generals requested an amnesty be considered by senior officials in the National Justice and Policing Senior Officials Group last year.
These officials gave a unanimous in-principle support for an amnesty last month.
State ministers must agree to proceed, however, support for an amnesty is strong and it is understood the timing will be settled before the end of the year.
Victoria's Police Minister Lisa Neville said the state... (GunPolicy.org)
Young, Dumb & Armed: How Melbourne Became a Gun City (1)
12 September 2016
Age (Melbourne)
Sunday at the south-side club is gangster night. The blokes in streetwear - G Star Raw, Adidas, Louis Vuitton man-bags - the women in not much.
It's an exhibition of murky trades: drug dealers, bikies, standover men, the underworld's rising stars and wannabes.
They come from across the city to party and be seen, sweeping into the sprawling neon-lit club like royalty.
The ones flush with cash can spend big to get a VIP booth above the action, while the up-and-comers... (GunPolicy.org)
Central America,Mexico,South America,United States
USA, Stop Enabling Latin America's Gun Addiction - Letter
11 September 2016
Americas Quarterly, Letter
Dear Mister / Madam President,
As the world's largest arms exporter, the U.S. plays an outsize role in fueling Latin America's insatiable addiction to firearms. To take one example, during most of the 1980s, El Salvador was the largest consumer of U.S. military hardware in the Americas, feeding one of the most vicious civil wars in Latin American history. And while the conflict ended in 1992, the legacy of its arms transfers remains: U.S. officials estimate that almost... (GunPolicy.org)
Failures in the Fight Against Illegal Gun Transfers in US [FR]
8 September 2016
L'Orient-Le Jour (Beirut)
[Translated summary: After a two-year investigation, the US Department of Justice has concluded that undercover operations against gun trafficking by the ATF were poorly managed, and that the agents lacked training and supervision. For example, an infiltrated agent actually sold a gun and kept the profits, some of the retrieved guns were later stolen, and some agents misplaced sensitive documents.]
Des policiers fédéraux américains ont accumulé les bévues lors... (GunPolicy.org)
Honduras,United States,El Salvador,Guatemala
Weapons are Everywhere in Honduras
2 September 2016
Swiss Peace
Even on my morning jog around a small, public park in Tegucigalpa, the capital city of Honduras, I encounter two heavily armed, young soldiers guarding the park. Firearms are everywhere in Honduras. They are seen as an important means of self-defence and a way of ensuring personal safety. According to the Honduran Law on Controlling Explosives, Firearms and Munitions, every living person of majority age has the right to register up to five firearms. Politicians, judges,... (GunPolicy.org)
Police in Australia Seize Guns Linked to US Crime Syndicate
2 September 2016
ABC News (Australia)
Police in Victoria and New South Wales have seized 300 weapons and gun parts in a haul they say has cracked down on a major crime syndicate importing weapons from the United States.
The international operation has led to firearms charges being laid against two men.
Police said there might be further arrests as their investigations continue.
The joint federal, state and international operation was sparked 15 months ago in Victoria when a military-style assault rifle... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Seizure in US Prevented Illegal Trafficking to #Australia
2 September 2016
Age (Melbourne)
A cache of illegal guns has been seized by state, federal and US authorities as part of an investigation to tackle an international weapons operation.
Investigations began after an armed robbery at a western suburbs McDonald's 15 months ago, where a Thureon AR-15 assault rifle was used.
That weapon was then "backtracked" by police, which helped prevent a large consignment of weapons being imported to Australia.
In June, US officials seized six fully automatic assault... (GunPolicy.org)
Main US Gun Tracing Centre Deliberately Buried in Bureaucracy
1 September 2016
Mother Jones (USA)
Two agents with suits and trim haircuts lean against a cubicle wall in the cavernous red-brick building that houses the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' National Tracing Center in Martinsburg, West Virginia. They're laughing about one of the gun lobby's favorite myths: the notion that the government has a database with the names of every gun owner in America, and that one day, maybe very soon, it will sweep across the country to confiscate... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Afghanistan,Iraq
US Lost Hundreds of Thousands of Guns In Iraq, Afghanistan
24 August 2016
New York Times
Early this year, a Facebook user in Baghdad using the name Hussein Mahyawi posted a photograph of a slightly worn M4 assault rifle he was offering for sale. Veterans of the latest war in Iraq immediately recognized it. It was a standard American carbine equipped with a holographic sight, a foregrip that was military-issue during the occupation and a sticker bearing a digital QR code used by American forces for inventory control. Except for one detail — an aftermarket... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico Asks US Congress to Renew Ban On Assault Weapons
23 August 2016
News X (India)
Mexico's Foreign Minister Claudia Ruiz Massieu has asked the US Congress to restrict the sale of assault weapons as "they cause harm on both sides of the border".
Massieu made this call at the Second Conference of States Parties to the Arms Trade Treaty of the UN in Geneva, Switzerland, on Monday.
According to a Foreign Ministry statement, Massieu said that Mexico "places the highest priority" on this matter, as the country has suffered from the illegal arms trade,... (GunPolicy.org)
Illegal Gun Factory Dismantled, Weapons Seized in Spain
18 August 2016
Spanish News Today
The Guardia Civil has dismantled a major arms manufacturing and repair workshop in the town of Dos Hermanas, near to the city of Sevilla, in the Andalucía region, seizing a large quantity of weapons and munitions, as well as a quantity of marijuana in the same premises.
During the raid a 48 year old man was arrested and will face a number of charges including manufacturing arms and munitions, storing and owning firearms without a licence, selling illegal weapons and... (GunPolicy.org)
Ethiopia Hopes to Control Illegal Firearms with New Gun Law
14 August 2016
The Ethiopian Herald
INTERVIEW
Ethiopia has prepared a draft proclamation to control illicit flow of small arms and light weapons. Last week, EPA reporters have held an exclusive interview with Haneta Geberemedhin, Deputy Commissioner of Federal Police Commission and adviser to the commissioner regarding the objective and expected outcomes of the draft proclamation. Excerpts:
- Guns are owned [by citizens/individuals] both legally and illegally in our country. How does that come up? What... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexican Cartels Infiltrate Australia With Illegal Guns, Drugs
12 August 2016
Sporting Shooters' Association of Australia, Media release
Mexican drug cartels on a mission to expand their networks are actively pursuing once unreachable countries like Australia to peddle illicit drugs and firearms. It sounds like a script for a Hollywood crime thriller but a new report has revealed this is the harsh reality our island nation must face. The findings come as anti-gun lobbyists and Green-leaning politicians continue to criticise theft from licensed owners for contributing to a growing black market, while... (GunPolicy.org)
US Traffickers Export Illegal Guns via Global Web 'Darknet'
11 August 2016
CNN
One day, Michael Andrew Ryan sat down at a computer, hopped onto a hidden part of the Internet known as the dark Web, called himself "Gunrunner" and opened for business.
His international weapons operation offered anyone a virtual laundry list of weapons with brand names that have become disturbingly familiar:
- Glock
- Beretta
- Uzi
- Highpoint
- Walther
To make these guns hard to trace, Gunrunner took off their serial numbers and shipped them to countries where... (GunPolicy.org)
Romania,Western Europe,Ukraine
Romania Is a Central Point for Gun Trafficking from Ukraine [FR]
7 August 2016
Sputnik News
[Translated summary: The illicit traffic of firearms coming from Ukraine passes through Romania to reach the countries of Western Europe, but also the Middle East. One Romanian traffic network offers pistols, sniper rifles, shotguns, hunting rifles and semi-automatics.]
Les ventes d'armes illégales en provenance d'Ukraine et à destination de l'Europe de l'Ouest commencent à faire parler d'elles.
Le trafic illicite d'armes en provenance d'Ukraine passe par la... (GunPolicy.org)
UN Says 70% of Illegal Guns in West Africa Are in Nigeria
3 August 2016
Vanguard (Lagos)
ABUJA — The United Nations has raised alarm over proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons (SALW) in Nigeria, with over 350 million.
According to the organisation, 70 per cent of estimated 500 million of such weapons said to be circulating in West Africa is domiciled in the country.
Director of United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa, UNREC, Ms. Olatokunbo Ige, gave this startling statistics at the ongoing National... (GunPolicy.org)
Delhi Becomes Safe Haven for Illegal Gun Trafficking Industry
2 August 2016
India Times
When one thinks of Delhi, one thinks of our country's legislative capital, home to the Parliament, the Supreme Court and our nation's top leaders and policy makers. On the surface, it appears to be a relatively lawful city, far from the infamous gang violence of Mumbai. It may come as a surprise that the city has of late become a safe haven for a huge illegal gun trafficking industry. From .315 and 12 bore pistols to assault rifles and AK-47, all sophisticated firearms... (GunPolicy.org)
US Study Finds 79% of Crime Guns Are Not Legally Owned
28 July 2016
Guns (US)
A study published this month finds 4 out of 5 guns recovered in crime are not owned by the perpetrator, who often obtained them through theft or trafficking.
The peer-reviewed study, "Gaps continue in firearm surveillance: Evidence from a large U.S. City Bureau of Police," was complied by a team of researchers led by Dr. Anthony Fabio of the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Public Health, and published in this month's Social Medicine.
Fabio worked with... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia Targets 'Darkweb' Gun Sales With $25.4 Million Fund
27 July 2016
Gizmodo (Australia)
The Federal Government has announced a $25.4 million funding injection into the detection and seizure of illegal firearms, including "specialised intelligence software tools" aimed at boosting intelligence collection on international firearms trafficking.
The software will and allow the Australian Federal Police to search, analyse and map intelligence data to identify previously unknown links between firearms traffickers and their suppliers, customers and illegal... (GunPolicy.org)
Western Europe,Spain,Germany,Switzerland,Poland
Spain, Europol Dismantle Multinational Gun Trafficking Network
26 July 2016
Europol
Europol has supported a Spanish National Police – led operation which resulted in the dismantlement of an organised crime group headed by a Polish national suspected of firearms trafficking.
Numerous house searches were carried out in several locations in the municipality of Ibiza in the last couple of weeks. Simultaneously, Europol coordinated searches in some firms located in Germany and Switzerland.
As a result, several members of the crime network were... (GunPolicy.org)
Rwanda,Kenya,Tanzania,Burundi,Uganda
Armed Violence and Illegal Guns in East Africa - Recent Study
26 July 2016
New Times (Rwanda)
East African Community (EAC) member countries are meeting in Kigali for a validation workshop on the study by the Regional Centre on Small Arms (RECSA) on the status of armed crimes in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.
The report dubbed 'Analysis of Armed Crime Rates' released yesterday, in Kigali was conducted between 2010 and March 2016 with the support of African Development Bank (AfDB).
According to the report, Rwanda registered 421 cases related to... (GunPolicy.org)
Ukraine, After War, Becomes a Trove For Black Market Arms Trade
25 July 2016
Reuters
On Feb. 12 last year, the same day that a ceasefire ended the worst of the fighting in eastern Ukraine between rebels and government forces, a former rebel fighter seized a chance to turn his inside knowledge of the conflict into hard cash.
He traveled to a spot on the Russian-Ukrainian border where he retrieved a cache of weapons hidden there earlier by his comrades in the pro-Russian rebel movement.
Four days later, shortly before 6:00 p.m., he and a friend showed... (GunPolicy.org)
Ukraine,Russia,Iraq,Syria,Libya
Ukraine Once Again a Trove for Black Market Gun Trafficking
25 July 2016
New York Times, Reuters
SLOVIANSK/MOSCOW — On Feb. 12 last year, the same day that a ceasefire ended the worst of the fighting in eastern Ukraine between rebels and government forces, a former rebel fighter seized a chance to turn his inside knowledge of the conflict into hard cash.
He traveled to a spot on the Russian-Ukrainian border where he retrieved a cache of weapons hidden there earlier by his comrades in the pro-Russian rebel movement.
Four days later, shortly before 6:00 p.m., he... (GunPolicy.org)
Vast Majority of Guns Recovered in Pittsburgh Not Legal
25 July 2016
EurekAlert (USA)
PITTSBURGH -- Nearly 80 percent of perpetrators carrying a gun recovered by Pittsburgh Police were not the lawful owners, a strong indication that theft and trafficking are significant sources of firearms involved in crimes in southwest Pennsylvania, a new University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health analysis reveals.
The finding suggests a timely opportunity for collaboration between public health and law enforcement officials to better understand and... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Puerto Rico,Caribbean
Florida a 'Massive' Gun-Smuggling Gateway to North, Caribbean
18 July 2016
News 4 Jax (USA)
JACKSONVILLE -- Across the state of Florida, Jacksonville had the most guns recovered last year that were tied to crimes -- more than 4,000 in 2014 and 2015 combined, the News4Jax I-TEAM learned.
Why here? The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives points to our open highways with access to JaxPort. Those interstates include I-10, even I-75, and the big one, I-95.
In fact, I-95 is so notorious for gun trafficking, it's called the "Iron Pipeline." Guns... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico City Airport Used as Hub for Gun Smuggling [ES]
17 July 2016
El Universal (Mexico)
[Translated summary: According to a report by the Mexican Federal Police, the Mexico City airport is being used as a hub for firearm smuggling. Between 2015 and the first two months of 2016, 62% of gun and cartridge confiscations were made in flights from Mexico City to other locations. During that period, 539 cartridges and 34 guns were seized.]
Un informe de la PF revela que 62% de los aseguramientos de armas y cartuchos se realizaron en vuelos que partieron de la... (GunPolicy.org)
Caribbean,American Samoa,Niue,Palau,Northern Mariana Islands,Nauru,Cook Islands,Fiji,Micronesia,French Polynesia,Marshall Islands,Kiribati,Papua New Guinea,Samoa,Solomon Islands,Tonga,Tuvalu,Vanuatu,New Caledonia
Addressing Gun Violence in the Caribbean and the Pacific
15 July 2016
The Diplomat (Japan)
"The seas bring us together, they do not separate us."
–Constitution of the Federated States of Micronesia
The Caribbean and the Pacific each offer a unique and contrasting perspective toward addressing armed violence. Despite sharing similar challenges as Small Island Developing States (SIDS), each region faces very different circumstances on the ground. In light of this, each region has taken a different approach toward addressing armed violence. The Pacific stands... (GunPolicy.org)
1,300 Guns Destroyed in Ghana, 1.1 Million Still in Wrong Hands
11 July 2016
Graphic Online (Ghana)
The National Small Arms Commission (NSAC) last Saturday destroyed 1,300 illegal guns in the country but warned that there were still more than 1.1 million of such firearms and light weapons that might be in wrong hands.
The guns, which were marked and broken before being set on fire, included locally made single- and double-barrelled shotguns, locally made and imported pistols, pump action guns and local mortars.
The number of illegal firearms in wrong hands means that... (GunPolicy.org)
Ethiopia,Kenya,Burundi,Tanzania,Rwanda,Uganda
Kenya's Private Gun Ownership the Largest in East Africa
11 July 2016
East African (Nairobi)
Kenya has the largest number of guns in civilian hands in eastern Africa amid rising gun attacks while Rwanda has the least, a global survey shows.
Data from Sidney-based GunPolicy.org, a website backed by the United Nations, puts the estimated number of guns possessed by Kenyan civilians at about 680,000, comprising licit and illicit firearms.
Tanzania has 550,000 guns in private hands, Uganda (400,000), Ethiopia (320,000), Burundi (100,000) and 58,000 for... (GunPolicy.org)
Gang Smuggling Guns from Switzerland to France Dismantled
11 July 2016
SwissInfo
An investigation by the French police has led to the arrest of two Swiss residents involved in smuggling arms to the French cities of Toulouse and Marseilles. Around 300 to 400 weapons of different calibers, including a Kalashnikov and M16 were seized.
Information on the trafficking operation was obtained after investigations in France and Switzerland in June and July, said the Marseilles public prosecutor Brice Robin at a press conference in the city on Monday.
Two... (GunPolicy.org)
Indonesian Presidential Guards Involved in Illegal US Gun Trade
10 July 2016
Jakarta Globe
JAKARTA -- A US court has found a soldier participated in a scheme to purchase guns and send them to members of the Indonesian presidential security detail, an explosive report reveals.
Indonesian descendent, Audi Sumilat, of El Paso, Texas, pleaded guilty in federal court on Wednesday (06/07) to one count of conspiracy to make false statements in connection with the acquisition of firearms, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
In his testimony, Audi said he... (GunPolicy.org)
Large Gun Trafficking Network Dismantled in France [FR]
29 June 2016
20 Minutes (France)
[Translated summary: Montpellier police dismantled a large gun trafficking network. They seized assault rifles, pistols and revolvers and arrested ten people. The firearms were sold to criminals and corrupt gun collectors.]
Une dizaine de personnes a été arrêtée dans le cadre de ce trafic d'armes qui arrosait un grand sud-est de la France. Des dizaines d'armes ont été saisies…
La police judiciaire de Montpellier a démantelé un vaste trafic d'armes de... (GunPolicy.org)
Surge in US Firearm Sales Increased Trafficking to Mexico [ES]
22 June 2016
Noticieros Televisa (Mexico)
[Translated Summary: The surge in the sale of guns in Texas increased firearms trafficking to Mexico. According to Customs and Border Protection, in the last five years, 283 firearms and at least 5,000 bullets of numerous calibres have been confiscated in the US/Mexico border areas.]
En el estado de Texas, en Estados Unidos, la venta de armas sigue en aumento y más cuando en unas semanas, entrará en vigor una nueva ley donde, además de portar armas, se podrá... (GunPolicy.org)
How Rare Illegal Firearms Find Their Way Onto British Streets
20 June 2016
The Conversation (UK)
How it is possible to get hold of weapons in Britain despite tough laws that restrict their ownership and use? This strict firearm legislation, enacted chiefly through the Firearms Act 1968 and amendments following the 1987 Hungerford mass shooting and 1996 Dunblane mass shoting, has reduced the number of purpose-made firearms in circulation. This has contributed to the number of firearms offences (including those using airguns and air rifles) falling from a high of... (GunPolicy.org)
How Illegal Firearms Find their Way Onto British Streets
20 June 2016
The Conversation (USA)
How it is possible to get hold of weapons in Britain despite tough laws that restrict their ownership and use? This strict firearm legislation, enacted chiefly through the Firearms Act 1968 and amendments following the 1987 Hungerford mass shooting and 1996 Dunblane mass shooting, has reduced the number of purpose-made firearms in circulation. This has contributed to the number of firearms offences (including those using airguns and air rifles) falling from a high of... (GunPolicy.org)
Central America,Germany,El Salvador
El Salvador Accuses Its Own Ambassador of Gun Trafficking
6 June 2016
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Prosecutors in El Salvador have asked Congress to strip the country's ambassador to Germany and former Defense minister of immunity so they can pursue charges against him related to an alleged arms trafficking ring.
The Attorney General's Office is accusing Gen. Jose Atilio Benítez of fraud, illegal possession of weapons, and illegal arms trafficking, La Prensa Grafica reported. The prosecutors alleged that Benítez ordered subordinates to fraudulently register... (GunPolicy.org)
Almost 60% of Jamaica's Confiscated Firearms Come from USA
6 June 2016
Jamaica Gleaner
A steady stream of guns continues to flow from the United States into Jamaica despite a raft of measures implemented by local law-enforcement authorities.
In the last two years, the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has traced the history of 991 guns seized in Jamaica over the period and found that 567, or nearly 60 per cent, were "sourced in the US".
The term "sourced in the US" refers to guns manufactured in or legally imported into the... (GunPolicy.org)
Boss of UK's Biggest Known Gun Smuggling Ring Gets 35 Years
3 June 2016
Guardian, Press Association (UK)
The ringleader of Britain's biggest known gun-smuggling operation has been sentenced to 35 years in jail for shipping £100,000 worth of weapons from the same source used in the Charlie Hebdo terror attack.
Harry Shilling bragged "we [are] now officially gangsters" after 22 assault rifles and nine Skorpion sub-machine guns from eastern Europe sailed up the river Medway from Boulogne in France.
The 26-year-old and Michael Defraine, 30, were found guilty of gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Central America,South America,United States
Latin America's Fatal Gun Addiction Fuelled by US Arms Dealers
27 May 2016
Foreign Affairs (US)
During the 1980s, El Salvador was the single largest recipient of U.S.-issued military hardware in the Western Hemisphere. All manner of weaponry—including over 32,500 M-16s and 270,000 grenades—seeped into the country from 1980 to 1993. Most of it was destined for the military-led government so that it could wage a vicious war against the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front, or FMNL. Although the armed conflict officially ended in 1992, the guns, grenades,... (GunPolicy.org)
Europe Should Trace More Crime Guns, Share Data - Report
25 May 2016
International Business Times (UK)
Governments need to improve the way they gather and share information about illegal firearms in order to combat gun crime, a UK-led report has concluded.
The 15-month Effect Project found that inconsistencies in the ways European countries register firearms offences means that gun crime was difficult to monitor.
It found that legal loopholes could be exploited by criminals to acquire firearms, and recommends the formation of a centralised "firearms focal point" where... (GunPolicy.org)
Security Firms a Big Source of Guns for Criminals in Brazil
23 May 2016
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Over 30 percent of all weapons belonging to private security firms in Rio de Janeiro end up in the hands of criminals, authorities say, highlighting an important yet often overlooked source of firearms for criminal groups throughout Latin America.
A Federal Police report accessed by Globo states that at least 17,662 firearms were diverted or stolen from the stockpiles of private security companies in Rio de Janeiro state over the last 10 years. This figure represents... (GunPolicy.org)
Libya-linked Gun Trafficking Ring Dismantled in Algeria [FR]
23 May 2016
El Watan (Algiers)
[Translated summary: A network specialized in firearm trafficking has been dismantled in Algeria. Police arrested two people and seized 22 American pump-action shotguns, three Turkish shotguns, one handgun and ammunition, all from Libya.]
Un réseau spécialisé dans le trafic transfrontalier d'armes à feu a été démantelé en fin de semaine dernière. L'opération, menée par une brigade spécialisée de la sûreté de la wilaya d'Alger (SWA), a permis... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Trafficking, Home Made Firearms Worry Ghana Police
20 May 2016
Joy Online (Ghana)
The Small Arms Commission has warned of possible politically motivated violence during the 2016 elections after observing a trend pointing to stockpiling of weapons.
Executive Director of the Commission, Jones Applerh expressed fears that the elections could trigger a heightened demand for arms.
A number of arms seizures must have informed the fears of the Commission. There were seizures reported in the Western Region in February, 2016 where the police collected at... (GunPolicy.org)
Man Arrested Smuggling Guns, Parts from Hong Kong to China
16 May 2016
South China Morning Post (Hong Kong)
A man has been arrested at the Lo Wu border checkpoint on suspicion of smuggling firearm parts from Hong Kong to the mainland.
Shenzhen police were alerted after a cleaner found a roll of copper wire containing gun parts next to a fence at a checkpoint exit, Guangdong provincial police said on their website.
Police later assembled four pistols from the parts.
Police soon identified a suspect and arrested him at the border crossing last week. He was carrying two gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Trafficking Gangs Arrested in Algeria [FR]
5 May 2016
Le Matin d'Algérie
[Translated summary: Every day in Algeria there are more and more cases of violence in which young people are involved. In Batna, a network of gun traffickers was stopped by the national gendarmerie and two shotguns, one revolver, 227 cartridges and 960 capsules were seized.]
Dans la journée de mercredi, la faculté de droit a organisé un séminaire national sur la délinquance juvénile à l'auditorium de l'université. Ce rendez-vous a été une occasion pour... (GunPolicy.org)
Proliferation of Small Arms a Threat to Security in Nepal
1 May 2016
Himalayan Times (Kathmandu)
The illicit proliferation and misuse of small arms and light weapons is posing a serious threat to security in the Kathmandu Valley. Officials fear smuggling and easy availability of such firearms is likely to give rise to criminal activities if timely action is not taken.
Police have seized six firearms over a period of last seven months. This is a testimony to the growing gun culture in the Valley. Though the small arms are rarely used in killing, criminal gangs... (GunPolicy.org)
Active Soldiers Were Trafficking Guns in Colombia [ES]
28 April 2016
RCN Radio (Colombia)
[Translated summary: Active soldiers in Colombia had a gun trafficking network where they sold parts of machine guns and ammunition stolen from military armouries.]
Un suboficial, dos soldados profesionales y un civil al servicio del Ejército conformaban una red encargada de comercializar armas y partes para las mismas, así quedó evidenciado en medio de un operativo que las autoridades señalaron como una acción de contrainteligencia coordinada con el CTI de la... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia's Gun Problem: Laws Weakened since Port Arthur
28 April 2016
Marie Claire
April 28 marks 20 years since the Port Arthur massacre and the implementation of Australia's groundbreaking gun legislation. But with gun ownership back to 1996 levels and firearm restrictions under threat, are our gun laws failing to protect us?
It was just after 5pm on a brisk winter Sunday in Sydney, and the sickening sense of worry was building in Michelle Fernando's stomach. She was due to meet her father, Vincent, that evening to attend a talk by a lawyer they... (GunPolicy.org)
Uruguay Concerned at Attempted Thefts from Military Arsenal
27 April 2016
InSight Crime (Bogota)
A rise in attempted arms thefts from Uruguay's military barracks in 2016 has sparked debate over the criminal nature of the perpetrators involved, and again drawn attention to the country's role as a source of weapons for regional arms traffickers.
During a meeting of the Uruguayan Senate's security commission on April 26, Senator Javier García said 32 attempts to enter barracks and steal weapons have occurred in 2016. Of these, 11 led to exchanges of gunfire,... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia Gun Owners Buy More Than Before
27 April 2016
The Conversation
The proud claim that Australia may have "solved the gun problem" might only be a temporary illusion. In recent years, arms dealers have imported more guns than ever before. And last year we crossed a symbolic threshold: for the first time in 20 years, Australia's national arsenal of private guns is larger than it was before the Port Arthur massacre.
This increase must be seen in context. Australia's population grew by five million in the same period, so per-capita... (GunPolicy.org)
Nepal,Oceania,Africa,Asia,Americas,Europe
Global Arms Smuggling and Trafficking Increases Gun Crime
21 April 2016
Telegraph (Nepal), Opinion
No doubt, the country is being increasingly inflicted by smuggling and illegal trade of small arms. This fast festering malaise has intensified serious crimes like murder, extortion, death threats, abduction and robbery. Fears are palpable that the growing market of small arms in the country may wreck the social fabric of the country. This is also hampering the efforts towards overcoming the social and economic trauma left by the decade-long armed conflict. However, the... (GunPolicy.org)
Namibia Recorded 330 Gun Murders in Five Years
21 April 2016
New Era (Namibia)
WALVIS BAY — The police recorded 338 murder cases in Namibia involving fire-arms between January 2011 and January 2016.
Statistics also indicate that at least 1 050 attempted murder cases, 1 641 armed robbery cases and 1 997 threatening by fire-arm cases were reported in the country over the same period.
The statistics were revealed by Deputy Inspector General Desderious Shilunga during a two-day knowledge- and capacity-building workshop towards the ratification of... (GunPolicy.org)
UK Gang Bought Guns from Same Shop as Paris Terrorists
21 April 2016
Guardian (UK)
A British crime gang bought the largest haul of automatic weapons ever detected by police on the UK mainland from the same source in eastern Europe as terrorists behind the Paris attacks of January 2015, it can be revealed.
The 22 Kalashnikov-style assault rifles and nine machine guns were described by police from the National Crime Agency as "mass casualty weapons". They were intercepted in an operation led by the NCA after being smuggled from eastern Europe to France... (GunPolicy.org)
Panama Gun Owners Say Import Ban Incites Smuggling [ES]
18 April 2016
Telemetro (Panama)
[Translated summary: The Panama Firearm Owners Association claims that the current firearm import ban encourages smuggling. They say that after five years of the ban, illegal firearms are still being seized in the streets, even military weapons.]
A dos meses para que culmine la prórroga que ordenó el Ministerio de Seguridad para la suspensión de importación de armas de fuego, la Asociación de Propietarios expresó este lunes, una vez más su malestar por esta... (GunPolicy.org)
Providence, Boston Mayors Launch Gun Violence Partnership
8 April 2016
San Francisco Chronicle, Associated Press
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Mayors from Massachusetts and Rhode Island have announced a partnership aimed at reducing illegal gun trafficking and gun violence.
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh joined Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza, both Democrats, and law enforcement officials at the New England Regional Gun Violence Summit in Providence.
Walsh announced a new program that brings several cities, including Boston and Providence, together with nonprofit Arms with Ethics to take part in... (GunPolicy.org)
Argentina Military Industries Involved in Gun Trafficking [ES]
8 April 2016
La Nación (Argentina)
[Translated summary: In Argentina, for over twenty years, armament and ammunition coming from the State-owned enterprise Military Industries have been surfacing in different countries such as Ecuador, Croatia and Brazil. New findings show that Military Industries was also using public resources to illegally manufacture and sell armaments.]
El descubrimiento de un circuito ilegal en una planta de Fabricaciones Militares indica la urgente necesidad de poner fin a la... (GunPolicy.org)
El Salvador Still Has No Penalty for Gun Trafficking [ES]
7 April 2016
La Prensa Gráfica (El Salvador)
[Translated summary: In El Salvador, there is no penalty for arms trafficking. District attorney Douglas Meléndez is proposing a reform to include arms trafficking and other felonies in the Salvadoran legislation. Meléndez explained that 90% of crimes involve trafficked firearms.]
Fiscal dijo que también busca se castigue con prisión a los que impidan la libre circulación a las personas. Propone reformar Ley contra Terrorismo porque no está apegada a realidad... (GunPolicy.org)
Asia,United States,Africa,Libya,Yemen,Iraq,Syria
Middle East: Militias Use Facebook Groups to Sell Weapons
6 April 2016
New York Times
A terrorist hoping to buy an antiaircraft weapon in recent years needed to look no further than Facebook, which has been hosting sprawling online arms bazaars, offering weapons ranging from handguns and grenades to heavy machine guns and guided missiles.
The Facebook posts suggest evidence of large-scale efforts to sell military weapons coveted by terrorists and militants. The weapons include many distributed by the United States to security forces and their proxies in... (GunPolicy.org)
Africa,Asia,Iran,United States
Middle East Gun Runners Immune to Arrest in Arabian Sea
5 April 2016
Washington Post
The Navy disclosed Monday that it recently confiscated a weapons cache from a small fishing craft in the Arabian Sea, seizing about 1,500 Kalashnikov rifles, 200 rocket-propelled grenade launchers and 21 .50-caliber machine guns. It marks the fourth seizure by a U.S.-led maritime task force in the region since September — and underscores the difficulties the United States faces in stopping weapons smuggling to nations like Yemen, where Houthi rebels continue to rely... (GunPolicy.org)
Tanzania: Politicians Involved in Illegal Small Arms Trade
3 April 2016
Guardian (Dar Es Salaam)
Politicians are said to be contributing to illegal arms trade by supporting and deliberately arming rebel groups to accomplish their narrow interests.
A senior government official made this observation in Dar es Salaam yesterday at an Africa parliamentary workshop on addressing illicit trade of small arms and light weapons organized by the Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA).
The two day workshop was attended by members of Parliaments from 13... (GunPolicy.org)
Belarus President Protests Gun Trafficking from Ukraine [ES]
30 March 2016
Sputnik News (Russia)
[Translated summary: During a meeting with the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Michael Carpenter, the President of Belarus, Alexandr Lukashenko, expressed his concern regarding arms trafficking from Ukraine to his country. He stated that this problem is worse than the threat of terrorism and that they are monitoring NATO's activity in Belarus' borders.]
El presidente de Bielorrusia, Alexandr Lukashenko, expresó su preocupación respecto al ingreso en su... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns in New Zealand '95% Untraceable' by Police, Says Expert
29 March 2016
New Zealand Herald
Parliament woke with a start when a police bust in Takanini recently netted a handgun and 14 high-powered military style rifles. This firepower is about double what terrorists used in the attack in Paris at the end of 2015 in which 130 people were killed.
The Takanini bust followed police reports that pistols and military-style semi-automatics now make up 14 per cent of the illegal firearms they retrieve. Parliament is also nervous about the recent spate of gun-related... (GunPolicy.org)
US-Mexico Gun Smuggling Ring Busted in Arizona
25 March 2016
Albuquerque Journal (USA) / AP
TUCSON — Federal authorities say they've busted a firearms trafficking ring that tried to smuggle weapons and ammunition from Arizona to Mexico.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement says it worked with another federal law enforcement agency and has identified 21 suspects in the southern Arizona ring.
Authorities arrested 19 of the suspects in the past week and are looking for the rest of them.
The investigation began last year after the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol,... (GunPolicy.org)
Terrorists Attacks in France: Which Guns Were Used? [FR]
24 March 2016
France TV Info
[Translated summary: In Europe, it is very easy to get a firearm. In the recent terrorists attacks, Mohammed Merah had a Colt that was not precisely illegal and the Kouachi brothers used Yugoslavian rifles that came from arms trafficking. There would be 2,763,000 registered firearms in France and 10 million in circulation.]
L'Europe veut se saisir du sujet de la circulation des armes à feu. En Europe, il est très facile de se procurer des armes. C'est le cas... (GunPolicy.org)
Firearms Trafficking from Uruguay to Brazil [ES]
21 March 2016
El Pais (Uruguay)
[Translated summary: Four people were arrested by the Special Brigade for International Crimes, for trafficking firearms from Uruguay to Brazil. The traffickers paid 'mules' to lawfully buy firearms in Uruguay 'since the sale of firearms in the country is free', a police source said.]
La Brigada Especial en Delitos Internacionales detuvo a cuatro personas que traficaban armas desde Río Branco (Cerro Largo) hacia Brasil. El modo de operar de los traficantes era... (GunPolicy.org)
Lax Gun Tracing and Registration in Belgium - Experts [FR]
20 March 2016
Le Soir (Belgique)
[Translated summary: According to a retired Commissioner, Belgium lacks transparency in terms of gun numbers; Police reports are outdated; the Firearms Act is unreadable; Police and Customs are under-funded and under-equipped to fight arms trafficking.]
1. La Belgique n'a pas de vision, pas de chiffres
Personne n'est capable d'estimer aujourd'hui combien d'armes illégales circulent en Belgique. « On a bien une vue sur la détention légale, on n'a absolument aucune... (GunPolicy.org)
France,Slovakia,Germany,Eastern Europe,United Kingdom
East Europe's Shadow Gun Market Fuels Terrorism in West
18 March 2016
Black Sea, Der Spiegel, Le Soir
The trafficking of Communist-era weapons leads from a Slovakian website to last year's ISIS terror attack in Paris and new regulations have failed to stop the sale of deadly weapons to criminals, we can reveal.
7 January 2015. Chérif Kouachi and his brother Said leave a bloodbath in the newsroom of magazine Charlie Hebdo. Two days later, Kouachi's close contact, Amedy Coulibaly, assaults the kosher supermarket Hyper Cacher in Paris.
When Coulibaly takes the... (GunPolicy.org)
More US 'Fast and Furious' Guns Found at Mexico Massacre
17 March 2016
InSight Crime
Weapons linked to the controversial US anti-gun trafficking operation "Fast
and Furious" were found last spring at the scene of a bloody clash between Mexican police and a group of alleged cartel gunmen that left 43 dead, according to documents obtained exclusively by InSight Crime.
The previously unpublished documents, obtained through a freedom of information request, show how US and Mexican authorities traced weapons from the shootout in Michoacán to the now... (GunPolicy.org)
France,Caribbean,Eastern Europe
40% Increase in Smuggled, Seized Firearms in France [FR]
17 March 2016
Le Figaro (France)
[Translated summary: In France, results in the fight against arms trafficking increased strongly, with a 40% increase in the number of firearms seized (1,158 against 828 in 2014). Strong measures against arms trafficking have been implemented. France deplores 1,800 deaths by firearm every year.]
Tabac et articles de contrefaçon, drogues ou encore armes… 2015 est un cru plutôt faste pour les douanes qui ont multiplié les saisies. En matière de la lutte contre les... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Mexico,Honduras,Finland,Philippines,Thailand,United Kingdom
US Gun Smugglers Illegally Sent Firearms to 46 Countries
16 March 2016
Washington Post
Arms trafficking from within the United States, long thought to be relegated to gun-running for Mexican drug cartels, is far more extensive than previously thought, according to a new report by a weapons research group released Wednesday.
The report, published by the Geneva-based Small Arms Survey, examines more than 150 court cases involving arms trafficking from within the United States from 2010-2015. Spanning 46 countries and six continents, the report details... (GunPolicy.org)
Paraguay,Bolivia,Argentina,United States
Top Paraguay Official Reveals Arms Trafficking Secrets
10 March 2016
InSight Crime (Bogota)
A raid on a weapons "supermarket" in Paraguay has led officials to offer details of the inner workings of the country's arms trade, depicting a familiar mix of corruption, stolen military arms, and guns legally bought in the United States.
On March 9, security forces discovered an arsenal of high powered weaponry in a raid on a house in Paraguay's capital city of Asunción, which included machine guns, assault rifles, and armour piercing weapons, reported ABC. So far,... (GunPolicy.org)
Luxembourg Central to Europe's Gun Trafficking Routes [FR]
9 March 2016
Le Quotidien (Luxembourg)
[Translated summary: Luxembourg finds itself in the middle of Europe's gun trafficking routes. Luxembourg police seize thousands of guns, and in 2012 86,427 firearms owned by 15,670 people were legally registered.]
Les ministres de la Sécurité intérieure et de la Justice affirment que le Luxembourg ne joue pas de rôle dans le trafic international d'armes de guerre. C'est faux. Un réseau en partie implanté au Grand-Duché et démantelé en février 2015 alimentait... (GunPolicy.org)
Hired Mercenary Shoots, Kills 3 at Papua New Guinea Funeral
4 March 2016
Pacific Islands Report, Post-Courier (Port Moresby)
PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea – Southern Highlands police yesterday appealed to businesses and the better educated to stop financing, supplying and smuggling high-powered weapons to villages for tribal warfare.
Provincial police commander Sibrom Papoto made the call from Mendi after a tribe engaged a mercenary to kill three men at a funeral ceremony this week.
The three were gunned down at point-blank range in what police described as "barbaric, cruel and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Pacific Islands Report, Post-Courier (Port Moresby)
German MPs Query Germany-Mexico Gun Trafficking [ES]
1 March 2016
El Universal (Mexico)
[Translated summary: German Members of Parliament ask the Mexican government to clarify Heckler & Koch gun trafficking from Germany to Mexico, with possible links to a mass shooting of 43 students.]
Diputados alemanes pidieron al gobierno mexicano que aclare el probable tráfico de armas germanas que se han usado en conflictos dentro del país, como fue el caso de la agresión y desaparición forzada de los 43 normalistas de Ayotzinapa, Guerrero, en septiembre de 2014,... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico,United States,Africa,Americas,Asia,Oceania,Europe
The Mechanics of Gun Trafficking from the United States
1 March 2016
Small Arms Survey (Geneva)
When one thinks of arms traffickers, the image that often comes to mind is of the stereotypical 'Merchant of Death' – ambitious, well-connected, globetrotting entrepreneurs who single-handedly arm warlords and insurgents across the world. While there is some truth to the stereotype, most illicit arms traffickers do not fit this profile.
The latest Issue Brief from the Small Arms Survey—Dribs and Drabs: The Mechanics of Small Arms Trafficking from the United... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Facts, Figures and Firearm Law in Burkina Faso [FR]
26 February 2016
Le Pays (Burkina Faso), Transcript
[Translated summary: Gun facts and figures in Burkina Faso: the 2009 Firearms Decree; Consequences of the August 1983 Revolution; Arms trafficking in the region; Importance of the illegal manufacture of home-made guns; In Ouagadougou alone: 1,246 permits to carry firearms were issued in 2015, 1,270 in 2014, and 1,190 in 2013]
INTERVIEW
Propos recueillis par Michel NANA en collaboration avec Afronline (Italie)
Le Colonel Christophe Raoul Tapsoba est le secrétaire... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico's Gun Dealers Are Unfazed by Obama
26 February 2016
Global Post (Boston)
MEXICO CITY — Javier scoots onto a plastic stool in a courtyard. He reaches beneath his shirt and pulls out a shiny Smith & Wesson semi-automatic pistol. He deftly spins it through his hands, ejects the magazine, and holds it out for inspection.
"This one's new, straight from its packaging," he says.
It will cost 15,000 pesos with a box of ammo, around $810.
Javier, who only gave his first name, operates this illicit little gun mart in Tepito market, a famed... (GunPolicy.org)
El Salvador Govt Turned Blind Eye to Official's Arms Trafficking
16 February 2016
InSight Crime (Bogota)
A recent report points once again to the role high-ranking El Salvador military officials play in driving that nation's illicit arms trade, helping fuel rampant gang violence and bloodshed.
Since 2010 El Salvador's National Civil Police (Policía Nacional Civil - PNC) and several other state institutions bought over $500,000 worth of guns, munitions, and bulletproof vests from the arms businesses of retired army major Miguel Ángel Pocasangre Escobar, reported La... (GunPolicy.org)
Restricted Guns Up 82% in Canada Under Tory Government
11 February 2016
iPolitics (Canada)
The number of restricted firearms across Canada rose more than 82 per cent while Prime Minister Stephen Harper was in power, with the sharpest increase after the Conservatives formed a majority government.
The increase is found in calculations made by iPolitics from statistics found in several reports of the federal Commissioner of Firearms, which released its 2014 report last month.
One of the biggest increases was in Alberta, where the number of restricted guns rose... (GunPolicy.org)
A Comment on Canada and the UN Arms Trade Treaty
2 February 2016
Upfront Ottawa, Opinion
The Arms Trade Treaty was approved by the UN General Assembly on 2 April 2013
United Nations Office of Disarmament Affairs – Strengthening Peace and Security through Disarmament
Trudeau-Dion Foreign Policy is more than formally agreeing to the UN Arms Treaty or seeking seats on the UN Security Council. It requires principled action on the "World Stage."
The United Nations, according to its mandate, is working "worldwide" to try and improve the lives and livelihoods... (GunPolicy.org)
New Report on Firearms Trafficking from US to Mexico
11 January 2016
US House of Representatives, Committee on Foreign Affairs - Democrats, Media release
WASHINGTON -- Representative Eliot L. Engel, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, today welcomed the release of a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report he commissioned on U.S. efforts to halt illegal firearms trafficking to Mexico. Representative Engel requested the report in May 2014.
"With at least 70 percent of firearms recovered at Mexican crime scenes coming from the United States, our Congress has a responsibility to do much more to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: US House of Representatives, Committee on Foreign Affairs - Democrats
German Shooting Clubs Lobby Against EU Gun Control
21 December 2015
Deutsche Welle
German gun club lobbyists were invited to the German Interior Ministry (BMI) last week to discuss something that has been bothering them for a while - the European Commission's proposed plans to tighten Europe's gun laws, which were suddenly revived from legislative stagnation in the wake of the "Islamic State" attacks in Paris in November.
By all accounts, the visit was a success. "The proposal contains things that the BMI said would be difficult for them, and where... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil Congress to Consider Bill Loosening Gun Control
24 November 2015
Americas Society / Council of the Americas (AS/COA)
A measure that would loosen gun control in Brazil—home to one of the largest absolute number of homicides globally—is wending its way through Congress. Supported by the so-called "bullets, beef, and bible" caucus, the legislation could dismantle the country's landmark 2003 disarmament legislation.
Where does the bill stand?
On November 3, a congressional committee approved the bill, which now heads to the Chamber of Deputies floor. Called the Gun Control Statute,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Americas Society / Council of the Americas (AS/COA)
European Union,Albania,Bosnia & Herzegovina,Bulgaria,Croatia,Greece,Kosovo,Macedonia,Montenegro,Serbia,Turkey
European Commission Tightens Gun Control Across the EU
18 November 2015
European Commission - Press release
The European Commission today adopted a package of measures to make it more difficult to acquire firearms in the European Union, better track legally held firearms, strengthen cooperation between Member States, and ensure that deactivated firearms are rendered inoperable. The proposals presented today were foreseen in the European Security Agenda adopted in April 2015, but have been significantly accelerated in light of recent events. The Commission is hereby supporting... (GunPolicy.org)
France,Bosnia & Herzegovina,Croatia,Kosovo,Macedonia,Montenegro,Serbia
How Did the 13 November Paris Killers Get Their Guns?
17 November 2015
Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO)
How Did the 13 November Paris Killers Get Their Guns?
Full details of the arms used in the 13 November massacres will emerge in time. This post provides some information on illicit automatic weapons, such as the Kalashnikov, in France, and how they reach illicit markets.
Overall, it appears that there is a pool of several thousand illicit military style firearms in France and relatively small numbers are trafficked in from abroad. Such quantities mean that terrorists... (GunPolicy.org)