Gun Policy News
Gangs, firearms and armed conflict
Brazil Armed by Bolsonaro and His Legacies
22 September 2022
Monde (Brazil)
Until 2019 the FAL rifle, produced by Imbel, was only used in the Brazilian Armed Forces, and in a few elite police units. In automatic mode, it is capable of firing bursts with up to 700 shots per minute. It also launches projectiles at 840 metres per second, and can hit a target with great effectiveness from up to 600 metres away. Because of its power to pierce armour, it has always been coveted by organised crime and bank robbery gangs. Before the Bolsonaro... (GunPolicy.org)
Five Killed in Gun Attack and Explosion in Port City in Ecuador
14 August 2022
Independent (Ireland)
Gunfire and a subsequent explosion has left at least five people dead, 15 injured and several others missing, as well as damaging homes, in the Ecuadorian port city of Guayaquil.
Ecuador's Prosecutor's Office said its agents were gathering evidence to establish the cause and motive for the attack in the Cristo del Consuelo neighbourhood.
Interior minister Patricio Carrillo tweeted that organised crime in Ecuador is now attacking with explosives.
Sunday's violence "is... (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)
El Salvador Arrests Thousands but Gangs Keep Their Guns
22 July 2022
InSight Crime
Almost four months into a nationwide crackdown, El Salvador's government has failed to disarm its notorious street gangs.
It started at the end of March, when President Nayib Bukele revealed the government's official hashtag: #GuerraContraPandillas, or the 'war against the gangs.' The government boasts it has already arrested more than 45,000 so-called "terrorists," claiming these are almost all suspected members of the infamous Mara Salvatrucha (MS13) street gang, or... (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)
Jamaica,Venezuela,Honduras,Trinidad & Tobago,Colombia,Belize,Mexico,Brazil,El Salvador,Guatemala,Guyana,Ecuador,Haiti,Panama,Costa Rica,Dominican Republic,Uruguay,Paraguay,Nicaragua,Peru,Chile,Argentina,Bolivia
InSight Crime's 2021 Homicide Round-Up
1 February 2022
InSight Crime
In 2021, most countries in Latin America and the Caribbean experienced a marked increase in murders. Resurgent violence was to be expected after some of the world's longest COVID-19 lockdowns were lifted.
Much of the population found themselves sinking deeper into poverty. With schools late to reopen, teenagers returned to the streets with little to do, making them prime targets for recruitment.
The pandemic also made law enforcement more difficult. Police were... (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)
Gun crime is on the rise in Sweden
24 July 2021
Economist
In late may a throng of a hundred or so young men, most of them from African or Middle Eastern minorities, started fighting in a square in Hjallbo, a suburb of Gothenburg, Sweden's second city. Members of rival gangs seem to have started the scrap over the theft of a moped. Two days later a man in a nearby grocery shop was shot in the back of the head, thought to be as an act of revenge for the gangland battle. Then a policeman in Biskopsgarden, another suburb of the... (GunPolicy.org)
26 June 2021
Spectator (Sweden)
The shots were fired at 1pm on a Sunday, in spite of a heavy police presence at the scene. A 44-year-old shop owner was killed by a bullet to the head. The murder victim was a hard-working man who was trying to make a better life for his family. Now he is dead: another victim of Sweden's gun-violence epidemic.
On 28 May, two days before the shooting, riots had broken out in the same neighbourhood, the immigrant area of Hjällbo (pronounced 'Yel-boo') in Gothenburg, as... (GunPolicy.org)
Sweden's Gun Violence Rate Has Soared Due to Gangs,
26 May 2021
Guardian
Sweden is the only European country where fatal shootings have risen significantly since 2000, leaping from one of the lowest rates of gun violence on the continent to one of the highest in less than a decade, a report has found.
The report, by the Swedish national council for crime prevention (BRA), said the Scandinavian country had overtaken Italy and eastern European countries primarily because of the violent activities of organized criminal gangs.
"The rate in... (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)
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)
25 Years of Danish Shootings Mapped to the Smallest Detail
23 March 2021
Videnskab (Denmark)
Bang!
A man aged between 20 and 24 shoots and kills another with a shotgun or a pistol. He shoots the victim from the front, hitting him in the head or chest, and the killing takes place indoors.
If the victim is a man, it is probably gang-related; if it is a woman, it is probably the killer's wife or girlfriend.
The above is not a murder mystery, but an attempt to reproduce what the average shooting in Denmark might look like. The macabre facts about shooting... (GunPolicy.org)
South African Women Turn to Fight Rape, Murder Scourge
7 February 2021
Guardian
For the dozens of women training at a shooting range near Johannesburg, learning how to use a gun has become a means of protection in a country where a woman is murdered every three hours.
For the first time in her life, Ntando Mthembu holds a revolver in her hands. Without hesitating, she fires 10 bullets towards a cardboard target.
Last November Mthembu's cousin, left alone in a house for several hours, was gang-raped and murdered.
"Before it happens to me, I want... (GunPolicy.org)
Jamaica,Venezuela,Haiti,Honduras,Trinidad & Tobago,Mexico,Belize,Colombia,El Salvador,Brazil,Puerto Rico,Guatemala,Pakistan,Panama,Costa Rica,Nicaragua,Uruguay,Dominican Republic,Peru,Ecuador,Paraguay,Argentina,Chile,Bolivia
InSight Crime's 2020 Homicide Round-Up
29 January 2021
InSight Crime
While unrest gripped much of Latin America in 2019, it was the coronavirus that took center stage and ripped through the region in 2020, upending everything from commercial trade to the operations of local gangs and transnational criminal organizations.
It's too early to tell with any degree of certainty how exactly the pandemic may have impacted levels of violence, but there were notable developments, including significant reductions in El Salvador, Guatemala,... (GunPolicy.org)
The 2019/20 Crime Stats and Post-Covid19 Violence Prevention in South Africa
4 August 2020
Saferspaces
If it had not been for the national socioeconomic crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the emerging corruption scandals associated with funding for relief measures, there most likely would have been a public outcry following the release of the 2019/2020 crime statistics last week. Many South Africans were hoping that with the deployment of the South African Defence Force alongside the South African Police Service (SAPS) on the Cape Flats from 2019, as well... (GunPolicy.org)
Jamaica,Honduras,Trinidad & Tobago,El Salvador,Belize,Mexico,Colombia,Guatemala,Puerto Rico,Brazil,Panama,Costa Rica,Uruguay,Dominican Republic,Peru,Nicaragua,Ecuador,Argentina,Chile,Bolivia,Paraguay
InSight Crime's 2019 Homicide Round-Up
28 January 2020
InSight Crime
Unrest gripped much of Latin America and the Caribbean throughout 2019. From record violence in Mexico that recalled the darkest days of the drug war, to increased fighting among armed groups in Colombia vying for control in the absence of the FARC and a rise in massacres in Honduras, the region was again one of the world's most homicidal last year.
In its annual Homicide Round-Up, InSight Crime looks into the country-by-country murder rates and the factors... (GunPolicy.org)
The Wave of Explosions Rocking Sweden's Cities
25 January 2020
Guardian
The first thing Daniel Georén registered was a cacophony of car alarms. It was 2am, and everyone in the attractive cobbled street where he lives in Malmö, Sweden, had been jolted awake by a giant explosion.
"The blinds shot up because of the pressure, and straightaway there was a small crowd of neighbours outside," the 40-year-old wine merchant told the Observer a week after the blast.
The damage was still there to see: the door to his backyard had been blown off,... (GunPolicy.org)
What Do We Know About Violent Crime In Sweden?
28 October 2019
Local (Sweden)
Has there been a rise in the number of explosions and shootings? Here's a look at what we do and don't know about violent crime in Sweden.
How much violent crime happens in Sweden?
In 2018, statistics from the National Council on Crime Prevention (Brå) showed there were 108 cases of deadly violence, a slight decrease from 2017 when there were 113 cases. The 2018 figure worked out as 1.06 incidents of deadly violence per 100,000 inhabitants of Sweden, and since 2002... (GunPolicy.org)
Rise In Gang Violence Across Sweden
4 July 2019
Local (Sweden)
Honour, debts, and prestige are serving as the pretext for an increasing number of deadly shootings that challenge the ideals of equality and social harmony on which modern Sweden was built.
"You strengthen your own gang by eliminating an external threat and you gain prestige," Eddy Paver, a reformed former member of a biker gang, told AFP.
Paver was long willing to pay the ultimate price in order to "belong" to a criminal gang which required absolute loyalty from its... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Violence in Homicide Report Database
13 May 2019
Stuff (New Zealand)
An unprecedented Stuff investigation has identified every homicide in New Zealand in the past 15 years, revealing the vast majority of those who kill with guns are unlicensed and their weapon of choice is often a .22 calibre rifle or shotgun.
The Homicide Report, which has been nearly three years in the making, is the country's first publicly searchable database of homicides. It encompasses 1068 men, women and children killed from January 2004 to March 31, 2019.
The... (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)
1 May 2019
Stuff (New Zealand)
The Homicide Report relies on information from more than 800 coronial findings, hundreds of court documents, police sources and news stories from Stuff's archives.
We categorised each case according to the victim's age and gender, their relationship to the killer, cause of death, location and a host of others.
We then analysed them to look for significant groupings of homicides with similar characteristics that might reveal some underlying problem or cause.
The... (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)
150,000 Illicit Guns in Circulation in Japan
20 April 2018
News Post7
…In fact, it is estimated that 150,000 guns, hundreds of times more than the amount seized, are in illegal circulation. In recent years, the crackdown has become stricter and this figure is still decreasing. A long time ago, it was said that 200,000 guns were in circulation. Most of the owners are... (GunPolicy.org)
Tougher Gun Laws Pass Vic Upper House
6 February 2018
Australian Associated Press
Tougher gun laws targeting gang members, bikies and terrorists have passed Victoria's upper house.
Under the laws, police will be able to impose a firearm prohibition order on someone as young as 14, banning them from acquiring or carrying a gun and meaning they can be searched without a warrant.
The orders would target those with a history of crime, criminal association or who posed a risk to public safety.
The Andrews Labor government bill passed the Legislative... (GunPolicy.org)
Cambodian Authorities Destroy Homemade Guns from Amnesty
14 June 2017
Khmer Times
Police in Preah Vihear province have collected 378 homemade rifles since launching a gun amnesty at the start of the year.
Deputy provincial police chief Colonel Sam Sameoun said officers had spoken to people in the area to educate them about illegal weapon possession, warning that homemade guns often malfunction, injuring or killing their owners.
Following the outreach work, he said officers managed to convince many residents to hand in their homemade rifles,... (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)
2,300 Guns Seized This Year in Honduras [ES]
25 November 2016
La Prensa (Honduras)
[Translated summary: 2,300 guns were seized since the beginning of 2016 in Honduras. Most illegal firearms belong to gangs, including AK47 and AR15 rifles. The majority of homicides are committed with pistols and rifles.]
San Pedro Sula -- El tráfico y uso de armas ilegales es uno de los delitos que más afecta al país, la mayoría de homicidios son cometidos con pistolas y fusiles de guerra.
El mayor número de armas ilícitas están en manos de grupos criminales... (GunPolicy.org)
604 Homicides in Canada in 2015
24 November 2016
Highbury Clock (UK)
According to a report issued Wednesday by Statistics Canada, Saskatchewan reported the highest homicide rate in the country in 2015, with 3.79 per 100,000 people.
Saskatoon came in second with a rate of 3.22.
Quebec is among the provinces with the lowest provincial homicide rate - 0.93 per 100,000 people - while Saskatchewan has the highest rate: 3.79 per 100,000 people.
Despite this increase over 2014, the homicide rate in Canada in 2015 remains below the average... (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)
British Police Fear Stolen Guns May Fuel Terrorist Attacks [ES]
31 October 2016
ABC News (Spain)
[Translated summary: British Police fear a terrorist attack with firearms in the UK. With 800 licensed firearms lost each year, these guns could be sold by gangs to Jihadist terrorists. During the last two years, police disrupted 10 attempted attacks, and in half of them terrorists were going to use firearms.]
La policía británica, en una rara declaración, ha reconocido que teme un ataque islamista con armas de fuego en ciudades del país, al modo de los que sufrió... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns-and-Terrorism Links Worry British Police, Crime Authority
31 October 2016
East Lothian Courier (UK), Press Association (UK)
Half the foiled terror plots in the UK in the past two years involved a plan to buy guns, police have said, amid a surge in the number of weapons found in major British cities.
Concerns about firearms falling into terrorist hands are running high after a record level of gun seizures in London and similar spikes in Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds and Liverpool.
Authorities fear that links between street gangs and terrorists could give extremists access to weapons and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: East Lothian Courier (UK), Press Association (UK)
Police Seized 250 Guns During a Single Raid in Cape Town
28 October 2016
IOL (South Africa)
Tshwane - The South African Police Service on Friday seized over 250 firearms, ammunition and an undisclosed amount of money at a premises in Valhalla Park, Cape Town, acting National Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Khomotso Phahlane said.
Addressing media in Pretoria on Friday evening, Phahlane said crime scene experts were still at the area, and processing the seized items.
"We would like to congratulate the Western Cape police who, during an intelligence-led... (GunPolicy.org)
NYPD Has Seized 15,000 Crime Guns in New York Since 2013
26 October 2016
New York Post
This mountain of nearly 2,000 guns was amassed by the NYPD during a collection of street stops, gang takedowns, search warrants and other forms of old-fashioned police work.
The heaving pile of pistols, rifles and shotguns that cops showed off Wednesday at One Police Plaza represents just a fraction of the approximately 15,500 firearms seized or confiscated since 2013.
"To my left is obviously a lot of guns," Police Commissioner James O'Neill said at a press... (GunPolicy.org)
Wanted Criminals Arrested, Arms Seized in Pakistan
22 October 2016
Business Recorder (Pakistan)
Police on Friday claimed that they have arrested 115 wanted criminals and recovered huge cache of arms and ammunition from their oppression during ongoing strike and search operations against anti-social elements in various areas of district Mardan.
Addressing a news conference in district Mardan, superintendent police (SP)- Operation, Shafiullah Khan Gandapoor said that on the special directives of district police officer (DPO) Fasial Shahzad, several crackdown team... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia Agrees to First National Gun Amnesty in 20 Years
21 October 2016
Associated Press
Australia will allow gun owners to hand in illegal firearms without penalty next year as concerns grow over gun crimes involving such weapons, a federal minister said Friday.
Australia's police and justice ministers agreed at a meeting to start a nationwide gun amnesty from the middle of 2017, Justice Minister Michael Keenan said.
"Australia is world-renowned for the strength of our firearm laws, but illegal firearms do remain a deadly weapon of choice for organized... (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)
Three Million Legal, 300-600,000 Illegal Guns in Australia?
20 October 2016
Herald Sun (Melbourne)
Australians are now armed with almost three million legal firearms and up to 600,000 illegal ones.
The alarmingly high number of illicit weapons has triggered the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission to signal it is time for a crackdown.
It has used a new report on illicit firearms to give support to the creation of a national program to encourage gun toting Aussies to surrender or register their illegal weapons.
Justice Minister Michael Keenan will be leading... (GunPolicy.org)
Hidden Handguns a Risky Option for Civilians in Mexico [ES]
19 October 2016
Excelsior (Mexico)
[Translated Summary: An expert sociologist, René Jiménez Ornelas, notes that firearm possession in shops and legal hidden handguns in private vehicles will only generate more violence among civilians in Mexico. In an environment where firearms are common,"there will be more aggression, fights and incidents with guns"; similar to what happens in the US.]
René Jiménez Ornelas, integrante del Instituto de Investigaciones Sociales de la UNAM, destacó que la iniciativa... (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)
Ottawa Gangs Responsible for Half the Shootings This Year [FR]
16 October 2016
Ici Radio Canada
[Translated summary: According to police sources, there are 435 gang members in Ottawa and they are responsible for 25 of the 54 shootings that happened so far this year. Police say most of them use hunting rifles or poor quality guns that can be used only once. Some revolvers and automatic weapons are imported from the US and resold on the streets.]
Certains sont de petits voleurs à peine sortis de l'adolescence. D'autres, des criminels de carrière, qui dirigent des... (GunPolicy.org)
NSW Police Credit Lower Gun Crime to Warrantless Searches
16 October 2016
Sydney Morning Herald
Whether it was driving to university or down the road with his wife, odds were Youseff Hamze was about to be pulled over.
The sports science graduate lost count of the amount of times his car was searched during the several months he was subject to a wrongfully-issued firearms prohibition order (FPO).
"Where ever I would go, I would be pulled over," said the 26-year-old, whose relatives included members of the now-defunct Brothers for Life gang.
"They searched my... (GunPolicy.org)
One US Gun's Journey: 42 Bullets Fired, 2 Killed, 5 Wounded
7 October 2016
Chicago Tribune
The young woman arrived home to find a footprint still visible on her front door.
Her South Shore apartment had been broken into, and the small safe she kept under her bed was missing, along with the black .40-caliber Glock handgun she kept inside.
Over the next year, that Glock would fire 42 bullets, leaving shell casings scattered on walkways, porches and side streets. In the hands of a street gang, the gun was used in at least five separate shootings that left two... (GunPolicy.org)
2,075 Firearms Seized by Police in El Salvador This Year [ES]
4 October 2016
El Mundo (El Salvador)
[Translated Summary: El Salvador Police have seized 2,705 firearms in 2016. In this cache, there were 318 rifles (AK-47 and G3), 279 shotguns, 1,872 handguns and one M 60 machine gun. 474 of them were seized from gangs during police operations. There has been an increase of 77% in the seizure of firearms in relation to last year.]
La Policía Nacional Civil (PNC) ha incautado 2,705 armas de fuego en el 2016, de las cuales 318 son fusiles AK 47, M16, G-3 y de otros... (GunPolicy.org)
Most of the Seized Firearms in Mexico Come From US [ES]
2 October 2016
La Opinión (USA), EFE News Agency
[Translated Summary: Firearms can easily enter Mexico and be smuggled to Central America; there aren't any control measures on the borders. According to a federal report, by the 31st of July, 2014, 8,540 rifles had been seized and over 70% of these came from the US.]
La llegada de armas de fuego y de dinero negro son dos grandes peligros provenientes de Estados Unidos que impactan a México, fortaleciendo los cárteles de la región y su estela de violencia, y probando... (GunPolicy.org)
Costa Rica Police Seized 1,340 Firearms So Far this Year [ES]
28 September 2016
Teletica (Costa Rica)
[Translated summary: 1,340 illegal firearms were seized by Costa Rica police so far this year, or five guns each day. San José is the province where most of these seizures occurred. The guns are sent to the Security Ministry to be destroyed. Last year, 1,712 firearms were confiscated, most of them from organized crime.]
San José es la provincia donde se decomisan más armas en condición irregular.
Según el Ministerio de Seguridad, solo de enero a setiembre de... (GunPolicy.org)
South African Police Seized 85 Guns in Anti-Gang Campaign
28 September 2016
Herald Live (South Africa)
A massive police bust has netted 29 suspected gangsters – among them alleged gang bosses – and more than R1-million worth of drugs
The two-day operation saw a series of raids on drug hotspots across Port Elizabeth and other towns.
It involved 250 police officials and 26 K9 unit members and was part of the anti-gang campaign Operation Lockdown, which has been in full swing since March.
Police top brass hailed the operation yesterday as a success.
They also... (GunPolicy.org)
Ottawa Logs 49th Shooting, 13th Homicide so Far this Year
27 September 2016
CBC News (Canada)
With three months left in 2016, the number of shootings in Ottawa has already reached 49, matching the record-breaking tally set in 2014.
The record was matched early Monday morning, according to police. Twenty-five of the 49 shootings have involved victims who were struck by bullets, and charges have been laid in 11 of the 49 cases, according to guns and gangs unit Staff Sgt. Ian McDonell.
Meanwhile there have been 13 homicides so far in 2016, two of which occurred... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia Prepares New Gun Amnesty as City Shootings Rise
26 September 2016
Nikkei Asian Review
SYDNEY -- A crazed gunman shot dead 35 people at Port Arthur, a historic tourist site in the Australian island state of Tasmania in April 1996, prompting then-Prime Minister John Howard to outlaw military-style assault weapons and introduce a gun buyback scheme as part of a tough set of national firearm laws.
Australia's gun homicide and suicide rates have both fallen markedly in the intervening 20 years and there have been no mass shootings (defined as five or more... (GunPolicy.org)
South America,Central America,Mexico
Latin America Recent Seizures Reveal Thriving Gun Trade [ES]
22 September 2016
InSight Crime (Bogotá)
[Translated summary: A series of recent raids and reports highlights the thriving arms trade in Latin America which continues to disrupt countries and entire regions. For example, a report by Prensa Libre found the 9mm pistol has been the weapon most commonly confiscated by Guatemala's National Police.]
Una serie de redadas e informes recientes ponen de relieve el floreciente negocio de armas en toda Latinoamérica, lo que sirve tanto para beneficio de los grupos... (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)
Guatemala Why 9mm and .38 Illicit Handguns Proliferate [ES]
19 September 2016
Prensa Libre (Guatemala)
[Translated summary: The most common guns used in crimes in Guatemala, for their cheap prices and their characteristics, are the 9 mm pistol and the .38 revolver. According to the experts, the 9 mm can be disassembled in 5 pieces that are interchangeable with other pistols, as long as they are the same brand and calibre. Criminals use them so they can hide evidence by changing the barrels.]
Armas utilizadas en crímenes son desarmadas y sus piezas vendidas en mercado... (GunPolicy.org)
El Salvador,Central America,United States
M16, AK Assault Rifles Often Used By Gangs in El Salvador
12 September 2016
InSight Crime (Bogotá), El Faro
The government of El Salvador's militarized campaign against the country's street gangs has been met by an increasingly heavily armed reaction. El Faro's investigation indicates that the gangs' growing use of assault rifles is an echo of the civil war that ended almost 25 years ago.
"Our presumption is that many are from the civil war," responds Mauricio Ramírez Landaverde, the Minister of Public Security, when questioned on the origin of the weapons that Salvadoran... (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)
El Salvador Criminal Gang Uses Mostly US-Made Rifles [ES]
7 September 2016
El Faro (El Salvador)
[Translated summary: "Maras" gangsters in El Salvador use assault weapons. The authorities, former soldiers, experts and even gang members confirm that most of them come from the civil war of the 80's. Police seize at least one rifle every 3 days and the most common are the M-16, the AK-47 and the Galil.]
El gobierno del FMLN combate contra mareros equipados con fusiles de asalto. Autoridades, excomandantes, excombatientes, académicos, expertos y los propios... (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)
Chicago Sees Deadliest Month of Gun Violence in 10 Years
1 September 2016
New York Times
In a city wrestling with a rise in gun violence and turmoil in its police department, August seemed like the longest month. By midnight on Wednesday, 90 murders had occurred in August alone, making it the deadliest month in Chicago in about 20 years.
Chicago, the nation's third-largest city, has experienced more homicides this year than the bigger cities of Los Angeles and New York combined.
The number of deaths here this year, 471, is about 50 percent higher than the... (GunPolicy.org)
Chicago Had 78 Homicides and 400 Shootings in August [ES]
30 August 2016
Chicago Tribune
[Translated summary: Chicago registered at least 78 homicides and 400 shootings in August, making it the most violent month in 20 years. 487 homicides have been committed so far this year, while 2015 had a total of 491. Authorities blame the constant flow of illegal firearms and fights between gangs for the increase in violence.]
CHICAGO — En las semanas después de que Tavon Tanner fuera herido de bala en la espalda, el niño de 10 años de edad ha sido sometido a... (GunPolicy.org)
Chicago Police Shot, Killed 92, Fired 2,623 Shots in Six Years
27 August 2016
Guardian
After threatening to sue the city's police department, the Chicago Tribune has obtained official data tracking every time an officer has opened fire in the city over the past six years. The vast majority of those shot, the newspaper found, were black men or boys.
According to the data, there were 435 police shootings in Chicago from 2010 through 2015, in which officers killed 92 people and wounded 170. In all, officers fired 2,623 bullets.
"While a few of those... (GunPolicy.org)
Delhi's Authorities in a Fix Due to Illegal Firearms Market
21 August 2016
New Indian Press (India)
As it grapples with rising gun crime, procuring a firearm in Delhi is as easy as ordering takeaway. AK-47s, Chinese Star pistols, Walther PPKs and more are available for the gangster or terrorist who shops with ease in the city's gun bazaar. Incidents of gun-related deaths have gone up in Delhi.
A Delhi Police constable was shot dead over the weekend by bag snatchers, a first of its kind. Earlier, Delhi Police's Anti-Terror Unit busted an international gang of gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Venezuela Destroys 2,000 Guns, Plans Bullet Registry - NYTimes
17 August 2016
New York Times
Venezuelan police crushed and chopped up nearly 2,000 shotguns and pistols in a Caracas city square on Wednesday, as the new interior minister relaunched a long-stalled gun control campaign in one of the world's most crime-ridden countries.
Interior Minister Nestor Reverol said the event marked the renewal of efforts to disarm Venezuelans, through a combination of seizures and a voluntary program to swap guns for electrical goods.
Venezuela has the world's second... (GunPolicy.org)
At Mexico's Lone Gun Store, Even the Boss Discourages Sales
17 August 2016
Times-Union (Florida), Associated Press
MEXICO CITY — There's just one place in all of Mexico where you can legally buy a gun. It's tucked away in an anonymous building on an army base in the capital, staffed by soldiers.
Those who enter must surrender any cellphones, tablets or cameras, remove caps and pass through a metal detector. Weapons are kept in locked glass cases, unlike many of the 50,000-plus U.S. gun shops where used-gun racks on showroom floors allow easy access and clerks are happy to let you... (GunPolicy.org)
Want to Reduce Gun Violence? Halt the War on Drugs
16 August 2016
Newsweek (USA), Opinion
Every December 5, American beer, wine and spirit enthusiasts celebrate Repeal Day. It was on this day in 1933 that the United States officially passed the 21st Amendment, effectively ending the failed "noble experiment" known as Prohibition.
This was not only a good day for liberty and libations; it also marked the end of a violent era in American history.
The transport and sale of illicit booze became a prolific criminal enterprise backed by well-armed, violent... (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)
New Hampshire Woman Supplied Guns to Boston Gangs
12 August 2016
Union Leader (New Hampshire)
WARNER – A gun used to shoot a Boston police officer in January was bought by a New Hampshire woman whom police believe was supplying them to gang members in Boston, according to an affidavit unsealed Friday.
The Glock 27 that wound up in the hands of Grant Headley is one of an estimated 30 to 63 firearms purchased by Sara Johnson of Manchester, according to authorities.
"At least four of the firearms purchased by Johnson were subsequently recovered on the streets... (GunPolicy.org)
Romanian Mafia Gang Sells Guns 'Bound for Western Europe'
7 August 2016
Sky News (UK)
As Britain's security services warn of potential Paris-style terror attacks in the UK, Sky News has been told by eastern European mafia gangs that demand for their military grade weapons across Europe has rocketed in two years - and they will supply to anyone.
Security analysts say Islamist terror cells and "lone wolf" killers now consider automatic weapons the best way to bring mass murder to our streets.
Europe's open borders mean that weapons like the AK-47 can be... (GunPolicy.org)
One Million Illegal Guns, 6,700 Seized in Honduras [ES]
4 August 2016
Radio HRN (Honduras)
[Translated summary: Honduras confiscated 6,700 firearms in the last two years, most of them from gangs. Types include AK-47 and AR-15 rifles, .45, .38 and 9 mm handguns, shotguns and handmade guns. It is estimated that the cost of the arms seized since 2014 exceeds 100 million lempiras (4.38 million USD). About 1 million illegal firearms circulate in Honduras and 400,000 are legally registered.]
En lo que va del año van más de 1,400 armas de fuego incautadas lo que... (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)
5,586 Homicides by Firearm in Mexico So Far This Year [ES]
27 July 2016
Milenio (Mexico)
[Translated summary: Mexico's Public Security National System revealed that there were 5,586 homicides this year committed with a firearm, a number that represents 60% of the total. 5,284 of all homicides were linked to organised crime.]
El grupo no gubernamental Semáforo Delictivo reportó que una de cada dos muertes violentas ocurridas durante el primer semestre de 2016 están vinculadas a la delincuencia organizada.
Mexico - Seis de cada 10 homicidios en este... (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)
New Irish Taskforce Targets 'People Running Around With Guns'
15 July 2016
Irish Examiner (Dublin)
A 50-strong taskforce to tackle gangland crime will be unveiled by the Government next week
The gardaí, drawn from experienced crime investigators, will be appointed to the Special Crime Task Force on a full-time basis.
Plans for the taskforce were announced by Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald and Garda commissioner Nóirín O'Sullivan on May 31 as part of their response to organised crime and the murderous Kinahan-Hutch feud.
Seven people had been killed by that... (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)
Three Gun Homicides in Toulouse, France in 16 Days [FR]
5 July 2016
La Depeche (France)
[Translated summary: In 16 recent days there were three gun homicides in Toulouse. Gangs use hunting rifles, 9 mm handguns and pistols in fights for territory. Police say that an increase in the number of policemen and a video-protection program increases security in the city.]
Les armes à feu ont déjà tué trois personnes en 16 jours à Toulouse. Dans un tout autre contexte, leur utilisation devient régulière dans les cités où l'on assiste à des épisodes... (GunPolicy.org)
Gang Wars in Japan Trigger Surge in Black Market Gun Prices
20 June 2016
Asahi Shimbun (Japan)
A war between the nation's largest yakuza crime syndicate and a breakaway gang has apparently led to a spike in black market firearm prices, according to several sources close to organized crime groups.
Using language unique to gangs, a leader of one group affiliated with Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi said in early June: "I cannot feel safe unless I have 'a heavy one' with 'children' close by me. But the prices have increased by several times."
In yakuza lingo, "a heavy one"... (GunPolicy.org)
Gang Converted Blank-firing Pistols to Crime Guns in Spain [ES]
16 June 2016
El Periódico de Aragón (Spain)
[Translated summary: The Spanish Civil Guard has dismantled a criminal organization dedicated to the purchase of firearms, seizing 123 guns and over 8,000 metal cartridges. The organization smuggled blank firearms into the country, then converted them to fully functional weapons in clandestine workshops.]
La operación, que se ha desarrollado en dos fases, se ha saldado con la detención de 13 personas y la incautación de 123 armas de fuego y más de 8000 cartuchos... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Crime Remains Almost Unknown in Japan
13 June 2016
Japan Times
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga has vowed to tighten security to protect Japanese citizens both at home and abroad after a gunman killed scores at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida. But exactly how at risk of a mass shooting is Japan?
Statistics show that Japan, known for its strict gun-control laws, is one of the safest countries in the world as far as gun violence is concerned.
According to GunPolicy.org, a website run by the University of Sydney, Japan... (GunPolicy.org)
Toronto Confronts Worst Gun Death Toll in More Than a Decade
8 June 2016
Toronto Star (Ontario)
Toronto is on track to record its worst year for gun deaths in more than a decade.
Not since 2005, dubbed "The Year of the Gun," have more Toronto residents died by a bullet at such a pace.
This year's first homicide came on Jan. 4, when 17-year-old Joseph Petit was shot dead minutes after beginning a conversation with two men who showed up at his home in the Victoria and Danforth Aves. area.
His mother, Ana Pavao, found her son lying on the street near their... (GunPolicy.org)
Since 1934, US Gun Lobby Created Fear of the 'Slippery Slope'
8 June 2016
The Trace (USA)
For the first time in a decade, the firearms industry has become a primary target in the gun debate. The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton regularly hammered Bernie Sanders during the primaries over his vote for a 2005 law that grants gun manufacturers and retailers broad immunity from liability lawsuits. And the families of Sandy Hook victims are now challenging that legislation in a lawsuit against Remington, the parent company for the... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Seizures at US-Canada Border Rose 42% in Past 4 Years
7 June 2016
Global News (Canada)
The number of guns seized at the Canada-U.S. border have increased steadily over the last four years, statistics provided by the Canada Border Services Agency show.
The count of total firearms seized and the number of total seizures (which can involve multiple firearms) all rose between 2011 and 2016.
Total seizures were up 42 per cent over the four-year period, and seizures of individual guns up 18 per cent.
Over the same period, Toronto has seen an alarming rise in... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico's Public Security Forces Lost 13,000 Guns in 10 Years
7 June 2016
InSight Crime (Bogotá)
Nearly 13,000 guns have been lost or stolen from Mexico's public security agencies over the last ten years, according to a recent report, a telling reminder that the country's black market weapons don't just come from north of the border.
The majority of the 12,878 weapons that went missing or were stolen during that period disappeared in Mexico City, Mexico State, Chihuahua, Guerrero and Jalisco, according to documents from Mexico's National Institute of Transparency,... (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)
Organised Criminals Target Australian Rural Gun Owners
29 May 2016
Sydney Morning Herald
Organised criminals and bikies are using associates to steal from country gun owners to bolster weapon caches, with more than 90 per cent of all stolen firearms in NSW now coming from rural areas.
In one case in the past 18 months, people infiltrated a gun club in northern NSW to work out who had firearms at their home before stealing them.
More recently, police uncovered 28 guns at a man's house in Sydney's west that had been allegedly stolen from several properties... (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)
US Gun Violence: 'Ordinary' 4-Shot Shootings Alone Killed 462
26 May 2016
New York Times, Editorial
Only in America: A computer algorithm about guns has been created to predict who is most likely to be shot soon, or to shoot someone.
The Chicago Police Department, desperate to reduce gun violence by street gangs, authorized this unusual tool three years ago and has been using it to track and caution the most likely offenders.
It is a remarkable state of affairs that local governments must resort to such an approach to deal with the reality of gun mayhem. Yet it is... (GunPolicy.org)
Armed Police to Patrol Six of London's Gun Crime Hotspots
25 May 2016
BBC News
Armed police patrols will target London's gun crime hotspots such as Hackney, Lambeth and Southwark after a rise in the number of shootings.
Met Police chiefs say there are more guns on the streets which have fuelled a "significant" rise in the number of shootings in the past three months.
There were 226 shootings in 2015. So far this year there have been 122, with a particular rise since March.
Newham, Haringey and Brent were also highlighted as shooting... (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)
Ecuador Police Dismantle Gang that Rented Firearms [ES]
11 May 2016
El Tiempo (Ecuador)
[Translated summary: Ecuador national police dismantled a criminal organisation that rented firearms to hitmen, drug dealers and thieves. They found 20 revolvers.]
La Policía nacional a través de la Unidad de Inteligencia Antidelincuencial, UIAD, desarticuló una presunta organización criminal que se dedicaba a alquilar armas de fuego para cometer varios delitos.
El Ministerio del Interior en su cuenta de Twitter informó que tomó tres meses a los agentes de la... (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)
Police Seize 348 Illegal Guns in Philippines Election Run-Up
4 May 2016
Sun Star Zamboanga
The Police Regional Office (PRO)-Zamboanga Peninsula has confiscated 348 illegal firearms, 21 grenades and 2,286 rounds of ammunitions in the past three months.
PRO-Zamboanga Peninsula director Miguel Antonio Jr. said they confiscated the said items because of their strict implementation of the election gun ban and "One Time Big Time" operations from January 10 until April 30, this year.
"One Time Big Time" is Philippine National Police's anti-criminality campaign... (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)
Gang Members Can Get Gun Licences in New Zealand
27 April 2016
New Zealand Herald
Being a gang member is not enough to stop someone getting a gun licence in New Zealand under current law.
The Herald today revealed how a patched Headhunter was able to legally buy $30,000 worth of high powered rifles between 2012 and 2015, before police revoked his firearms licence in January.
When police went to revoke the licence, the man had legally on-sold the weapons and they were unable to be retrieved.
The case has raised a number of issues with current... (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)
More Than 2,700 Gang Guns Seized in El Salvador [ES]
13 April 2016
Terra (Argentina), EFE News Agency
[Translated summary: El Salvador police seized 2,759 firearms from gangs between 2014 and 2016, 96 of them classified as military weapons. According to official numbers, most of the homicides in El Salvador are inflicted with firearms.]
La policía salvadoreña incautó 2.759 armas de fuego a las pandillas entre el 2014 y febrero de 2016, más del 49 % del total de decomisos, de acuerdo con información oficial a la que Efe tuvo acceso hoy.
De esa cantidad, 96 fueron... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Amnesty Follows Spate of Shootings in Manchester
4 April 2016
BBC News
Four police forces are staging a two-week firearms amnesty after a spate of shootings in Salford.
There has been a spike in tit-for-tat attacks since Salford "Mr Big" Paul Massey was murdered in July 2015.
People are being urged to "give up the gun" during the firearms and ammunition surrender in Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Cheshire and Lancashire.
During the last amnesty almost two years ago hundreds of weapons were handed in, mostly antique firearms.
Greater... (GunPolicy.org)
El Salvador,Honduras,South America,Mexico,Venezuela,Central America
Different Approach to Reduce Violence in Latin America
29 March 2016
Americas Quarterly, Opinion
Reducing violence is not about controlling violent neighborhoods or even about controlling violent people. It is about inducing people to control themselves. That's it. The best policing comes when no police are required.
The question is how to achieve this in Latin America, the most violent region in the world and home to countries like El Salvador, Honduras and Venezuela, each with homicide rates similar to war zones.
The answer may be unsettling. Many instances of... (GunPolicy.org)
England: More than 1,500 Children Suspected of Gun Crimes
29 March 2016
BBC News
Children as young as 10 were among hundreds of youngsters arrested for suspected gun crimes in the last three years, new data has revealed.
More than 1,500 children were held over alleged firearm offences between 2013 and January 2016.
Among the figures, the Metropolitan Police made 679 arrests, while seven children aged under 11 were held in Nottinghamshire.
The number of arrests rose by 20% last year, the Press Association said.
The data, obtained under the... (GunPolicy.org)
Police, UK City Ban 18 Men for Links to 'Gun or Gang Crime'
23 March 2016
BBC News
The names of 18 men banned from parts of Birmingham for what police say are their links to "gun or gang crime" can be revealed by the BBC.
Interim injunctions were obtained by West Midlands Police, but the force had declined to reveal the men's identities until permanent orders were granted.
However, details were revealed in County Court documents seen by the BBC.
Labour MP Khalid Mahmood criticised police using civil action to tackle gun crime rather than criminal... (GunPolicy.org)
Gang Members Linked to 26% of El Salvador Homicides
21 March 2016
Insight Crime
Just over 26 percent of people convicted of murder in El Salvador in 2015 were gang members, according to new statistics that undermine the government's assertions about what is driving violence in the country.
According to Public Ministry figures obtained by EFE, a total of 739 people were convicted of murder in 2015, 650 of them on aggravated charges. Of these, 193 people, were recognized as gang members, of which 172 were convicted of aggravated homicide.
In... (GunPolicy.org)
Where, How US Criminals Get Their Guns
20 March 2016
Albuquerque Journal
When a computer check on the loaded 9mm Ruger pistol found near the body of 23-year-old Edgar Camacho-Alvarado after he was shot and killed by a deputy U.S. marshal came back showing it was stolen from a car almost a year ago, police were not surprised.
Nor were they shocked when a computer check on the handgun found near the body of 19-year-old Jose Rodriguez, who was shot by Albuquerque police officers in December, showed it was stolen from a car parked in the... (GunPolicy.org)
UK: Northampton Police Seized 2,700 Guns in Past 5 Years
17 March 2016
BBC News
Gangs, turf warfare and drugs have been blamed for the growing number of firearms in Northamptonshire.
In the last five years county officers responded to more than 1,100 incidents involving a firearm and seized more than 2,700 of the weapons.
Police said guns have become more available online and there are a number of gangs using guns in the county.
The force said it is currently working hard in towns like Northampton and Wellingborough to reduce gang... (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)
Africa,Americas,Asia,Europe,Oceania
13 March 2016
GunPolicy.org
With apologies for being absent so long, Gun Policy News bulletins are back. At least for now.
Beginning in 1997, our dozens of regional E-mail and RSS news feeds delivered daily bulletins of small arms-related mass media articles up to June, 2014. From today we'll try to do so again, at least until the end of 2016.... (GunPolicy.org)
New Zealand: Police Have No System to Track Stolen Guns
11 March 2016
Stuff (New Zealand)
Thousands of guns stolen each year in New Zealand are ending up in the arms of gang members but police have no systems in place to track guns or what has been stolen.
Owner of Timaru's Gun City Wayne Golightly said police have told him that more than 100 firearms have been stolen in South Canterbury in the past year and about 2000 across New Zealand.
But police were unable to supply information under the Official Information Act about the number of burglaries... (GunPolicy.org)
What's Behind Honduras' 30% Drop in Murder Rates?
19 February 2016
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Honduras' homicide rate has reportedly fallen by 30 percent over the past four years, but there are worrying signs organized crime violence remains widespread in this Central American nation.
Honduras' murder rate went from 86.5 per 100,000 residents in 2011 to 60.0 per 100,000 residents in 2015, representing a 30.6 percent decrease, according to statistics recently presented by the National Autonomous University of Honduras (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras... (GunPolicy.org)
A Look at Thailand's Fervent Gun Culture
19 February 2016
Deutsche Welle
Widely known as a welcoming tourist destination, Thailand is also a country awash with easily obtainable firearms, featuring one of the highest gun homicide rates in Asia. DW examines why gun ownership remains so high.
Thailand has the highest reported rate of gun-related deaths in Southeast Asia - almost 50 percent more gun homicides than the Philippines. And with 7.48 registered violent gun deaths per 100,000 people, the figure is also twice as high as that of the... (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)
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)
How Many US Mass Shootings Are There, Really?
3 December 2015
New York Times, Opinion
On Wednesday, a Washington Post article announced that "The San Bernardino shooting is the second mass shooting today and the 355th this year." Vox, MSNBC's Rachel Maddow, this newspaper and others reported similar statistics. Grim details from the church in Charleston, a college classroom in Oregon and a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado are still fresh, but you could be forgiven for wondering how you missed more than 300 other such attacks in 2015.
At Mother... (GunPolicy.org)
Only Six Gun-related Deaths in 2014 for Japan
16 September 2015
CNN
TOKYO - Last month, Japan's largest crime group, the Yamaguchi-gumi, split into two main factions, potentially creating a gang war that may ultimately involve all 21 designated crime groups in Japan.
The new group, which was formally created in early September, is calling themselves the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi and is already setting up alliances with other organized crime groups. The National Police Agency says they have had an emergency meeting to discuss how to handle... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Yemen,Switzerland,Finland,Serbia
US Has 5% of World's Population, 31% of Mass Shootings
23 August 2015
EurekAlert! The Global Source for the Science News (USA) - American Association for the Advancement of Science
Chicago - Despite having only about 5 percent of the world's population, the United States was the attack site for a disproportionate 31 percent of public mass shooters globally from 1966-2012, according to new research that will be presented at the 110th Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association (ASA).
"The United States, Yemen, Switzerland, Finland, and Serbia are ranked as the Top 5 countries in firearms owned per capita, according to the 2007 Small... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia New National Firearms Database by 2015
21 May 2015
Age (Melbourne)
A national firearms database has been fast-tracked in the wake of concerns about how Martin Place shooter Man Haron Monis had access to guns.
The tracking system will aim to stop the trafficking of firearms across Australia, with authorities convinced that the vast majority of weapons used in organised crime are circulated across the country, rather than imported from overseas.
A meeting of the Law, Crime and Community Safety Council on Friday will be told that the... (GunPolicy.org)
Honduras Seized 4,192 Weapons in 2014 [ES]
28 January 2015
La Prensa Libre (Honduras)
[Translated summary: In 2014, Honduras confiscated 3,392 firearms from criminal gangs.]
La Fuerza de Seguridad Interinstitucional Nacional (Fusina) de Honduras informó hoy de que en el último año ha decomisado más de 41 toneladas de drogas, 12,8 millones de dólares y detuvo a 13.649 personas por diversos delitos, informó hoy una fuente oficial.
En lo que va del Gobierno de Juan Orlando Hernández, que inicio el 27 de enero pasado, la Fusina se ha incautado de... (GunPolicy.org)
Nicaragua,Peru,Haiti,Dominican Republic,Cuba,Mexico,Honduras,Guatemala,Turkey,El Salvador,United States,Russia,Austria,Belgium,Colombia,Brazil,Czech Republic,Germany,Israel,Venezuela,Italy,Spain
16 January 2015
Los Angeles Times, Opinion
During the 1980s, El Salvador was the single largest recipient of U.S. military hardware and weaponry in the Western Hemisphere. Although the Central American country's civil war ended in 1992, the guns, grenades and bullets linger, as do their murderous effects. In September, a U.S. official from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives estimated that half the weapons available on El Salvador's vibrant black market were made in the United... (GunPolicy.org)
Colombia on Track for Least Violent Year in 3 Decades
8 January 2015
InSight Crime (Bogota)
While the official number of homicides hasn't yet been released by authorities, the statistics available thus far indicate that conflict-ridden Colombia may have just registered its most peaceful year in decades. However, the data doesn't tell the whole story.
According to police statistics accessed by El Tiempo, between January and December 1, 2014, Colombia saw over 11,600 murders. Added to more recent police figures showing 1,155 murders in the month of December,... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia Toughens Firearm Trafficking Sentences
25 November 2014
Herald Sun (Melbourne)
Gun traffickers will face a minimum of five years in jail after tough new laws were introduced by the Federal Government.
At present criminals caught dealing firearms face no minimum sentence.
The new laws, passed on Monday night, also establish new international trafficking offences and will make dealing in individual gun parts an offence.
Michael Keenan, the Minister for Justice, said the new laws would "better reflect the gravity of firearms trafficking".
Mr... (GunPolicy.org)
Caribbean Concerns Over Increase in Illegal Firearms, Gang Membership
29 June 2014
Jamaica Observer
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - There has been an increase in the number of illegal firearms and gang membership in the Caricom region executive director of Caricom Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) Francis Forbes has said.
Describing it as "more than a cause for concern" while addressing the regional workshop on the Arms Trade Treaty at the Trinidad Hilton hotel last week Forbes said: "Only last year there were 2,143 homicides committed in 11 Caricom... (GunPolicy.org)
Three Cops Held Over Gun Licence Racket in South Africa
27 June 2014
Independent/IOL Daily News (South Africa)
CAPE TOWN - Police have cracked a fake gun licensing racket – arresting three police members and three civilians, one of them alleged to be a senior leader of the 28s gang.
National police spokesman Lieutenant-General Solomon Makgale said on Thursday night that the racket involved fraud at every step of the process – "from the initial application to the firearm training facility involved, to the police stations where the applications are lodged and the head office... (GunPolicy.org)
Big Demand for Crime Guns in Canada
22 June 2014
Windsor Star (Ontario), Blog
The men hugging each other in a Windsor bar looked like old friends catching up, but the police trailing them knew better.
Investigators say they were at Rack n' Roll Club on Forest Glade Drive for a gun sale, one of many that supplied Toronto gangsters with firepower as they peddled drugs, settled scores and waged a bloody power struggle.
The salesman was Windsor's Lamar Porter, who already had more than 20 criminal convictions. The buyers were Siyadin Abdi, also... (GunPolicy.org)
Unsuspecting Canadian Drivers Drawn into World of Weapons Smuggling
20 June 2014
Windsor Star (Ontario), Blog
The gun smugglers called him "fool" – one of many Windsorites they used to unwittingly mule firearms over the border.
Buried in volumes of recently released Toronto police documents is the frightening revelation that Windsor gun runners hide firearms and GPS devices in the cars of unsuspecting Canadians to sneak them through customs.
For Windsor's Lamar Porter, who police say was the main source of guns for Toronto's murderous Dixon City Bloods, it appeared to be... (GunPolicy.org)
El Salvador's Military Suspected of Dealing Firearms to Gangs
16 June 2014
InSight Crime (Bogota)
El Salvador's street gangs have been ambushing police with military-grade weapons, leading to fears the gangs, for the first time, have police outgunned. Is the Salvadoran military the source of their firepower?
In recent months, gangs have shot at police with M-16 and AK-47 assault rifles in multiple lethal attacks, raising questions about the source of their weaponry. Now, an investigation has unearthed evidence that the military itself is trafficking guns, and El... (GunPolicy.org)
Study: Most Guns Seized in 8 US Cities are Handguns, Not Assault Rifles
16 June 2014
Reuters
Most of the guns seized from gang members, felons and drug traffickers in eight U.S. cities over a decade were handguns, not the automatic assault rifles often depicted in Hollywood crime stories, according to a study published on Monday.
In the sample of 10,435 weapons seized by police in cities that included Los Angeles and Washington, 77 percent were handguns, and seven out of 10 of those were semi-automatic, according to the Geneva-based research project Small Arms... (GunPolicy.org)
Opinion: Pistorius and the Unfinished Gun Ownership Debate in South Africa
12 June 2014
Mail & Guardian (Johannesburg), Opinion
When Oscar Pistorius first entered the courtroom where he stood accused of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, the case raised great interest. It was followed online, on radio and even watched on TV, where it received a lot of coverage. While some see the spotlight put on gun ownership by the trial as nothing but the "negligent actions of but one famous public figure", recent headlines evidence that the problem is much deeper than that.
Some of the headlines... (GunPolicy.org)
As UK MP Suggests Relaxing Laws, Secret Life of Britain's Guns Uncovered
7 June 2014
Voice of Russia, Audio
The leader of the UK Independence party, Nigel Farage, has suggested in an interview that Britain's gun laws should be relaxed. He said it was party policy for hand guns to be legalised and licensed in the UK. They've been banned for the last 18 years following the Dunblane School shooting in 1996.
VoR's Juliet Spare hosts a discussion.
Recent statistics from London's ambulance service reveal paramedics were called to 973 victims under the age of 25 suffering a gun or... (GunPolicy.org)
Indian Police Shocked to Find 'Sophisticated' Locally Made AK-47, Handguns
7 June 2014
Times of India
NEW DELHI - Had he been still alive, Mikhail Kalashnikov may have been surprised to witness such informal transfer of technology from Russia to a small town in Bihar. Even sleuths of Delhi Police's special cell were taken back when their operation to bust a gunrunning racket in northeast Delhi led them to recover an AK-47 made in Munger.
Though police first thought an international arms dealer was involved, a brief interrogation of the three suspects arrested along... (GunPolicy.org)
Are Gun Seizures Why Homicides Are Falling in Nicaragua?
5 June 2014
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Authorities in Nicaragua have identified the seizure of thousands of firearms over the past several years as the main reason for a large drop in the country's homicide rate, but experiences around the region suggest the issue is unlikely to be so simple.
According to Nicaragua's National Police, the seizure of 19,000 illegally owned firearms between 2008 and 2013 has played a critical role in reducing the country's homicide rate from 11 homicides per 100,000 residents... (GunPolicy.org)
Children in Jamaica Injured, Killed by Guns in Rising Numbers
2 June 2014
Trinidad and Tobago Express
KINGSTON - The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) says 60 children were murdered here during the period January 2013 to May this year.
The JCF said, in addition, 99 children were shot and injured by criminals during the same period.
According to the statistics released by the JCF, over the last two months, seven children between the ages seven and 17 years were murdered while one was shot and injured.
As a result, the police are calling on all citizens to redouble... (GunPolicy.org)
Eight Blacksmiths Arrested for Unlicensed Gun Making in Ghana
30 May 2014
Spy Ghana
Eight persons were on Wednesday remanded by an Accra Circuit Court for manufacturing firearms without lawful authority and abetment of crime.
One of them, Daniel Forfoe, was charged for manufacturing firearms while the remaining seven Andres Nyanney, Richard Armah, Stephen Asamani, Daniel Akakpo, Issac Annor, Samuel Appiah and Emmanuel Armahon, were charged for abetment of crime.
Prosecuting, Police Inspector Isaac Agbemehia, told the court that the accused persons... (GunPolicy.org)
The Best Reporting on Guns in America – A Collection from ProPublica
28 May 2014
ProPublica
Are Mass Shootings Increasing? Depends on How You Count Them
Criminologists have made the same point again and again: the number of mass shootings in America is not increasing. Experts told the Los Angeles Times that mass shootings represent only a small fraction of the annual deaths due to gun violence, and that police data indicate that the overall count of mass shootings per year has not shown any significant increase over time. This conclusion is based on the FBI's... (GunPolicy.org)
China Claims Most Smuggled Guns Arrive in Courier Packs from US
27 May 2014
China Daily
Cooperation with other countries is being intensified to combat arms smuggling, according to an official at the General Administration of Customs.
Last year, Chinese customs officials investigated 50 cases of smuggling involving firearms and ammunition, an increase of 16.3 percent from the previous year.
Authorities confiscated 5,916 guns, 882 gun parts and 13,000 rounds of ammunition in these cases.
"The smuggling of drugs or firearms poses serious threats to... (GunPolicy.org)
Large Arms Cache Found in South Africa, Including 300 Handguns
23 May 2014
South Africa Government News Agency
PRETORIA — Police say they are following up on leads to track down one of South Africa's most wanted criminals who managed to escape when police raided a home in Norwood last night.
Police raided the house following a community tip off and discovered more than 300 guns, ammunition and detonators, a machine used to manufacture ammunition, packaged dagga and explosives used for ATM bombings.
National Police Commissioner Riah Phiyega, who visited the house last night,... (GunPolicy.org)
Untraceable Homemade Assault Rifles Exploit US Gun Law Loophole
16 May 2014
Portland Press Herald (Maine) / Washington Post
SAN FRANCISCO — It was John Zawahri's failure to pass a background check that prevented him from buying a firearm in California several years ago.
So the 23-year-old obtained an "unfinished receiver," the metal piece that holds the critical mechanisms that allow guns to fire, and built an assault rifle himself. Last summer, he went on a rampage at a college in Southern California, firing about 100 rounds and killing five people before police fatally shot... (GunPolicy.org)
Crime, Conflict and Illegal Mining Fuel Ecuador Arms Trafficking
13 May 2014
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Illegal mining, Colombian armed criminal groups and common crime are the three main markets for Ecuador's illegal arms trade, according to authorities, as the black market continues to be a headache for both that country and its neighbor Colombia.
During 2013 and the first three months of 2014, Ecuador's Armed Forces seized 4,530 illegal firearms, and 457,310 rounds of ammunition, reported El Comercio. An unnamed top police official told the newspaper that some of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Maine Drug Gang 'Straw Purchased' Pistol to Boston Marathon Killer
12 May 2014
Los Angeles Times
When police confronted Tamerlan Tsarnaev four nights after the Boston Marathon bombing last year, he leaped from his car with a 9-millimeter semiautomatic pistol and opened fire.
He critically wounded one officer and, despite being shot himself, kept firing until the gun emptied or jammed. In a final act of defiance, he threw the pistol at police before he was killed.
The tale of that handgun, a black Ruger P95, Serial Number 317-87693, offers new insights into the... (GunPolicy.org)
Firearms Traded for Drugs in Papua New Guinea
9 May 2014
West Papua Daily
Jayapura, (Jubi) – The Papua Police said a marijuana syndicate from Papua New Guinea often exchanged their products with the firearms from Ambon for a transaction around six hundred thousand rupiah.
"This inter-state syndicate often used the route of Jayapura, Serui, Sorong to Ambon and Makassar," the Director of Narcotics Crime and Investigation Department, the Commissionaire Senior Police Tornagogo Sihombing told in the press conference on Thursday (8/5).
In the... (GunPolicy.org)
Ecuador Captures Crime Suspects, Seizes Assault Weapons, Handguns
2 May 2014
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Authorities in Ecuador have captured members of what they call the "most dangerous" group dedicated to bank robbery at a national level, in an example of an apparently well-organized and sophisticated homegrown criminal operation.
In an operation labeled "Quimera," Ecuadorean police carried out 24 raids in three western cities in which they arrested 10 men and seized weaponry including assault rifles, shotguns, pistols, revolvers, bulletproof vests and an explosive... (GunPolicy.org)
NZ Man Arrested After Being Found Modifying Guns, Selling to Crime Gangs
29 April 2014
New Zealand Herald
An unemployed Auckland man spent $50,000 on firearms then sold them to gang members and other criminals.
Peter James Edwards purchased 74 rifles and shotguns in just 18 months, then "pimped" the weapons by cutting down the barrel or stock and adding pistol grips and silencers.
The pistol-sized firearms, which are easily carried and concealed, are highly prized in the criminal fraternity and the case has highlighted how easily guns can fall into the wrong... (GunPolicy.org)
Violent Gun Crime Down in Canada in 2012, Most Gun Homicides Gang-Linked
23 April 2014
Globe & Mail (Toronto)
New data from Statistics Canada show the rate of firearms-related crime in Canada and the number of victims are declining. Incidents involving firearms accounted for 2 per cent of all victims of police-reported violent crime in 2012, Statscan reported. Police reported approximately 5,600 victims of violent crime where a firearm was present in 2012, about 1,800 fewer victims of firearm-related violent crime than 2009. Quebec is excluded from the report due to... (GunPolicy.org)
Lawsuit Against US Gun Dealer Settled After Straw Purchase Results in Death
22 April 2014
Republic (Indiana)
CHICAGO — The parents of a slain Chicago police officer and a Mississippi gun shop they sued for selling the gun used to kill their son to a straw buyer said Tuesday that they reached a settlement.
Carolyn and Thomas Wortham III and Ed's Pawn Shop & Salvage Yard in Byhalia, Mississippi, said in a joint statement that they resolved the dispute "to the satisfaction of all parties."
The pawn shop agreed to increased vigilance on gun sales.
"The agreed policies will... (GunPolicy.org)
Gangs Use 'Antique' Guns Loophole to Import Banned Guns into UK
17 April 2014
London Evening Standard
Criminals are using a legal loophole to import guns into Britain for use in street shootings and robberies, the Standard can reveal.
They are exploiting legislation allowing people to own firearms legally if the weapons are classified as "antiques", according to police and officials.
The guns — which detectives say are lethal weapons — are brought from Europe, where they are easily and legally bought at antique arms fairs. Police say they are also being traded in... (GunPolicy.org)
15,000 Guns Taken From Gang in Record Illegal Gun Seizure in China
14 April 2014
Xinhua
GUIZHOU - Police in southwest China's Guizhou Province have seized a record number of illegal guns and knives in a cross-province raid that also captured 15 suspects, China Daily reported on Monday.
The police busted a gang involving in manufacturing and selling weapons and confiscated about 15,000 guns and 120,000 controlled knives.
It was the largest such seizure ever in China, the newspaper said.
The police found out after a four-month investigation that the... (GunPolicy.org)
Smuggling of Firearms Up in Nepal
12 April 2014
Himalayan Times (Kathmandu)
KATHMANDU - Smuggling and illegal trade of small arms continues unabated in the Kathmandu Valley despite the law enforcement agency's efforts to curb crimes.
The rise in smuggling of small arms into the valley has resulted in surge of crimes like murder‚ extortion, death threats, abduction and robbery. A team from the Armed Police Force arrested three suspects, including two women, with a USA made automatic pistol, nine bullets and two magazines from Boudhha-based... (GunPolicy.org)
Something Doesn't Add Up as Mexican Gun Homicide Rate Stays Steady
11 April 2014
InSight Crime (Bogota) / Animal Politico
The government of Mexico's declarations of a dramatic reduction in homicides linked to organized crime does not correspond with the figures produced by the National System of Public Security. Someone is counting poorly.
Michoacan in flames. The State of Mexico in crisis. Kidnappings at historic levels. Extortion at epidemic levels.
But, good, homicides have diminished. That is what the government brags about with the least provocation. On February 21, Interior... (GunPolicy.org)
IRA Florida Gun-Running Case is Reopened
9 April 2014
BBC News
Police are to reinvestigate claims that the Provisional IRA bought guns from America and smuggled them into Northern Ireland in the late 1990s.
It follows a BBC Spotlight programme that alleged a senior member of Sinn Féin was involved in a gun-running operation from Florida.
A self-confessed gun-runner told the programme Sean 'Spike' Murray was involved in smuggling guns before and after the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.
Mr Murray has denied the allegations.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
Doubts Over Cameroonian Claims of Arms Cache Find in Nigeria
9 April 2014
Deutsche Welle
The announcement of the discovery in Cameroon of a large cache of arms and ammunition intended for Boko Haram insurgents in Nigeria is regarded in some quarters as government propaganda.
There was alarm in northern Cameroon when it was announced in early April that two Italian priests and a nun had been kidnapped by suspected members of the Islamist sect Boko Haram, which is waging an insurgency in neighboring Nigeria.
The whereabouts of the three are still unknown.... (GunPolicy.org)
Ghost Boat Smuggles Weapons into India from Pakistan
8 April 2014
Daily Mail (UK)
A large consignment of weapons has reportedly been smuggled into India from Bangladesh after being shipped from Pakistan, backing the Home Ministry's apprehensions that sea routes could be used for arms trafficking ahead of the polls.
Indian intelligence agencies tracked a boat named Padma that was docked at Kutubdia port in Bangladesh about two weeks ago.
The vessel was used to transport the consignment of weapons, which was offloaded at the port before being... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Seizures Fail to Stop Shootings in Germany
7 April 2014
Local (Germany)
Gothenburg police efforts to clean up guns in the western city have not seen a direct effect on the number of gang-related shootings.
Sveriges Radio (SR) reported on Monday that eight people have been shot so far this year in the greater Gothenburg metropolitan area. The police have not been able to bring anyone to justice for the attacks.
Local police remained hopeful that their gang-focused Operation Trygg (Safe) would have a positive effect in the longer term.
"I... (GunPolicy.org)
Several Assault Weapons Seized from Suspected Kidnappers in Nigeria
5 April 2014
Premium Times (Nigeria)
The Anambra State Police Command on Saturday paraded 19 suspected kidnappers.
The command also displayed arms and three bags of cannabis recovered from the hoodlums.
The arms include five AK-47 rifles; a barrater pistol, six pump action guns, 9,000 live cartridges; eight AK-47 magazines and a locally made pistol.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Usman Gwary, paraded the suspects at the Special Anti-Robbery Squad Office in Awkuzu, near Onitsha in Anambra.
Mr.... (GunPolicy.org)
Slovenia,Malta,El Salvador,Denmark,Croatia,Hungary,Finland,Estonia,France,Spain,Italy,Bulgaria,United Kingdom,Germany,Slovakia,Ireland,Latvia,Romania
Methodists Welcome 18 Countries Ratifying Arms Trade Treaty Including UK
3 April 2014
Christian Today
The Methodist Church has praised the government's ratification of the UN's Arms Trade Treaty.
The President of the Methodist Conference, the Reverend Ruth Gee, hailed it as a "legal milestone that should help to protect those who are abused and oppressed".
Countries that ratify the treaty will be required to establish national arms regulators to control the exporting of conventional weapons and weapons components, and to properly regulate arms brokers. Domestic weapon... (GunPolicy.org)
Peru,Colombia,Jordan,Mexico,Guatemala,Honduras,Uruguay,Argentina,Brazil
Gun Thefts From Peru Army Supplies Points to Possible Corruption, Trafficking
3 April 2014
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Authorities in Peru say the majority of arms used by criminal groups are stolen from private owners and security forces, highlighting a common regional phenomenon that is often facilitated by corrupt officials.
Specialists consulted by El Comercio said the majority of pistols and shotguns used by criminal groups in Peru were stolen from legitimate owners, rather than acquired through the black market. Authorities reported that 1,767 firearms were declared lost or... (GunPolicy.org)
Opinion: Do We Have a Gang Problem or a Gun Problem in the US?
3 April 2014
Huffington Post (USA)
In a scathing critique of ABC's recent report "Young Guns," Dana Loesch stated that most gun deaths were the result of gang violence; therefore, America has a gang problem, not a gun problem. Her claim appears to be supported by sites positing that "a staggering 80 percent of gun homicides are gang-related." As it turns out though, not only is her statement factually incorrect, as the majority of gun deaths are suicides, but there is not a shred of evidence to support... (GunPolicy.org)
Italy,United Kingdom,Slovakia,Germany,Romania,France,Spain,Bulgaria,Croatia,Malta,Denmark,El Salvador,Estonia,Finland,Hungary,Ireland,Slovenia,European Union,Latvia
18 Countries Ratify UN Arms Trade Treaty
2 April 2014
Associated Press
UNITED NATIONS — Eighteen countries, including five of the world's leading arms exporters, ratified a landmark treaty regulating the multibillion-dollar global arms trade on Wednesday, giving a significant boost to the campaign for the treaty's entry into force.
The ambassadors of the 18 countries handed over the documents at a U.N. ceremony on the first anniversary of the General Assembly's adoption of the Arms Trade Treaty, which is aimed at stemming the global... (GunPolicy.org)
Cameroon Arrests Two Weapons Suppliers to Nigerian Terror Group
1 April 2014
Premium Times (Nigeria)
The Cameroonian security forces have succeeded in capturing two suspected arms suppliers to terrorists in Nigeria, an official has said.
According to a statement by the Director of Defence Information, Chris Olukolade, over 288 rifles, 35 Rocket Propelled Guns and 35 improvised Explosive Devices, IEDs, were recovered from the suspects by the Cameroonian forces.
Mr. Olukolade said the recovery was made after a fierce encounter at Abugasse, Cameroon, close to the... (GunPolicy.org)
Kenya Authorities Issue Gun Amnesty Ultimatum to Criminals
27 March 2014
Capital FM
NAIROBI — Mombasa County Commissioner Nelson Marwa has issued a one week amnesty to criminal gangs to surrender or face the full force of the law.
Marwa stated that those in possession of illegal firearms should surrender them before the expiry of the amnesty.
Speaking after a meeting with Muslim leaders, Marwa said the recent incidents of security are scaring away potential investors.
"All criminals in this county who are harbouring illegal weapons should... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Farms Targeted for Guns by Crime Gangs
27 March 2014
The Conversation (Australia), Blog
Revelations of the theft of firearms from Victorian MP Peter Crisp's farm draws attention to a genuine but often overlooked link between farm crime and criminal events in urban communities.
Discussions with farm communities and Victoria Police over recent months show there is a growing trade in firearms stolen from farms across rural and regional areas by criminal elements. Police in Western Australia are also aware of the link between guns stolen from rural properties... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil Bust Exposes Paraguay to Rio Gun Trafficking Route
24 March 2014
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Police in Brazil have dismantled a gang dedicated to trafficking arms and drugs between Paraguay and Rio de Janeiro, further evidence of Paraguay's status as South America's contraband hub.
The operation, named "Sao Domingos," involved a 10-month investigation and saw the seizure of at least $4 million of drugs (436 kilos of cocaine and 6.5 tons of marijuana) as well as arms (including rifles and ammunition). A total of 21 people were arrested, reported G1. Estadao... (GunPolicy.org)
Toddler, Mother Gunned Down in Italian Mafia Assassination
18 March 2014
Local (Italy)
The killing of a three-year-old toddler along with two adults in an apparent fight for territory in a violent drug war has sparked reactions of horror in Italy.
The victims - a convicted murderer on day release from prison, his partner and her young son - were killed in southern Italy late on Monday after the car they were travelling in was forced off the road by gunmen in a second car, who then fired more than 15 bullets through the windscreen.
Investigators said the... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazilian Police Crack Down on Guns in Favelas Ahead of World Cup
14 March 2014
Bloomberg (USA)
Rio de Janeiro state's security forces occupied another slum today following a surge in crime in the favelas where it has expanded policing.
Heavily armed police moved into the Vila Kennedy neighborhood in the west of the city this morning, making it the 38th favela taken over since 2008, according to the state security secretariat. There were no reports of gunfire in what culminated six days of operations in other communities.
Brazil's biggest tourist destination is... (GunPolicy.org)
Kyrgyzstan Police Seize Guns from Gang
13 March 2014
Central Asia Online
BISHKEK – Authorities in southern Kyrgyzstan detained and prosecuted 12 suspected organised-crime ring members in the first two months of 2014, the Interior Ministry (MVD) said in a statement March 12.
The anti-organised crime police in the south, during January and February, solved 48 crimes, including multiple counts of illegal drug possession and other offences, the MVD said. The police also seized various illegal weapons and reminded the public that citizens who... (GunPolicy.org)
Three People Shot Each Day in South Africa's Western Cape
13 March 2014
Independent/IOL Daily News (South Africa)
CAPE TOWN - At least 236 people have been fatally shot in the Western Cape so far this year. This means an average of three people are murdered with a firearm each day in the Western Cape.
These figures are based on the number of bodies admitted to mortuaries. An average of 18 people are shot dead a day in the country, according to Gun Free SA's Adele Kirsten.
While police say they are concerned about shootings and murders in the province, mayoral committee member for... (GunPolicy.org)
Colombia,Peru,Argentina,Mexico,El Salvador
Investigation Shows Colombia Military-Criminal Firearms Trafficking Ties
4 March 2014
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Prosecutors in Colombia have issued a warrant for a high-ranking army official who stands accused of leading a ring that sold military weapons to narco-paramilitary group the Urabeños, highlighting a common source of weapons for armed groups across the region.
Lieutenant Colonel Robinson Gonzalez del Rio led a group of four active members of the military, four retired members, two police and several private citizens that acquired guns, munitions and explosives for... (GunPolicy.org)
Latest Crime Statistics Show Failure of Gun Control in Turks & Caicos
3 March 2014
TCI News Now (Turks & Caicos)
The police have issued their annual report on the numbers of crimes committed in the Turks and Caicos and the picture is not encouraging. The number of crimes has increased by about 50%, with robbery the crime of greatest concern.
Some residents are blaming the disappointing figures on the return to elected government, with nine residents interviewed saying that the younger people committing the crimes had expected jobs and contracts that had been the hallmark of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Six Indians Arrested in Nepal for Alleged Arms Smuggling
27 February 2014
Himalayan Times (Kathmandu)
KATHMANDU - Six Indian nationals have been arrested at Biratnagar in eastern Nepal and arms and ammunition seized from them, Nepal Police said Thursday.
Muralidhar Das, Bikas Kumar Paswan, Nitesh Kumar Yadav, Pramod Kumar Tanti, Phantus Tanti and Subodh Paswan of Bhagalpur district in India's Bihar state, who entered Nepal in a Tata Indica car, were arrested Wednesday evening.
Morang district's Superintendent of Police Bishworaj Pokharel said five 7.65 mm and 9 mm... (GunPolicy.org)
China Charges Former Mining Magnate with Murder, Gun-Running
20 February 2014
Reuters
China unveiled dramatic details of charges against a former mining magnate on Thursday, accusing him of crimes ranging from murder to gun-running and extortion as part of a "mafia-style" gang he led.
In an announcement carried by the official Xinhua news agency, prosecutors in central China said they had laid charges against the former chairman of Hanlong Mining, which had tried to take over Australia's Sundance Resources Ltd.
Police last year announced the detention... (GunPolicy.org)
Greek MPs May Testify in Firearms, Organised Crime Trial
20 February 2014
Athens Macedonian News Agency
Examining magistrates for Golden Dawn (Chryssi Avghi) case requested on Thursday from the Greek parliament to lift the immunity of the Golden Dawn MPs not pending trial.
The two magistrates, Ioanna Klapa and Maria Dimitrokali, ask the lifting of the deputies' immunity in order to testify on the charges of participating and running a criminal organisation.
Moreover, they estimated that additional charges should be pressed against the already accused MPs Giorgos... (GunPolicy.org)
8 Dead, 12 Injured After Day of Gun Violence in Guatemala
16 February 2014
Latin American Herald Tribune (Venezuela)
GUATEMALA CITY – At least eight people died and about a dozen were wounded, including four children, in violence around Guatemala over the past 12 hours, authorities and emergency services personnel reported Sunday.
A spokesman with the National Civil Police, or PNC, told reporters that the eight victims were shot in several incidents in the Guatemalan capital and vicinity.
In Villa Nueva, one of the capital's southern suburbs, the bodies of two men were found, both... (GunPolicy.org)
Albania Arrests Six for Arms Trafficking
14 February 2014
Balkan Insight (Sarajevo)
Six suspects, including a police officer and an employee of the Ministry of Interior, were arrested on Thursday, accused of arms trafficking between Albania and Kosovo.
During the arrest of the suspects, police sequestered four AK-47 automatic rifles, 12,780 rounds of ammunition and a number of spare parts for automatic weapons.
"The operation for their arrest was finalized outside the Kalimash tunnel, [on the highway that connects Albania with Kosovo] while the... (GunPolicy.org)
Kenyan Cop Shot, Gun Stolen After Weapon Seized From Gang
10 February 2014
Shabelle Media Network (Mogadishu)
A traffic police officer was Monday morning shot and wounded in the head before he was robbed of his AK-47 rifle by gunmen on a motorbike in Kombani, Kwale County.
Police suspect the attackers were followers of Somalia's Al-Shabaab gang. Another female officer was slightly injured after she was wrestled by the gunmen who escaped after the incident along the Lunga Lunga highway.
Area police boss Richard Muguai said police have launched investigation and a hunt to... (GunPolicy.org)
Paraguay Gun Seizure Linked to Brazilian Crime Gangs
10 February 2014
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Police in Paraguay have arrested three Brazilians after finding a cache of high-powered firearms, including a heavy machine gun, in a case highlighting both the migration of Brazil's criminals into Paraguay and the escalating conflict in that important trafficking corridor.
In a house in Ciudad del Este - located in the country's Triple Frontier region with Brazil and Argentina - Paraguayan police found the Brazilians, one of them an escaped convict, along with 8... (GunPolicy.org)
Man Arrested After Huge Firearms Seizure From UK House
6 February 2014
Dockland & East London Advertiser
Police have seized one of the largest hauls of firearms recovered in a 24-hour period in London.
The haul was found in a flat at Stepney in London's East End following a minicab being stopped by officers in Battersea yesterday and the seizure of a vehicle in Hornchurch.
Detectives from Trident Gang Crime Command found a black bag on the back seat of the minicab next to the passenger, a 22-year-old man, which contained a Colt 45 loaded with six bullets.
Officers later... (GunPolicy.org)
China,Bangladesh,South Asia,India,Nepal,Myanmar,Thailand
Smuggling of China-Made Weapons Highlights Bangladesh as Transit Point
4 February 2014
al Jazeera
A recent court verdict in Bangladesh in a case almost 10 years old has brought into focus the continuing scourge of weapons-smuggling from China into South Asia.
A judge in the Bangladesh port city of Chittagong last week sentenced 14 men to death for their role in what was an aborted bid to smuggle in 1,500 boxes of weapons that needed ten trucks to carry.
Among those sentenced were a prominent Bangladesh opposition leader, Motiur Rahman Nizami, several top... (GunPolicy.org)
Bangladesh,India,Hong Kong,Singapore
14 Sentenced to Death in Bangladesh Arms Smuggling Case
30 January 2014
Washington Post
DHAKA, Bangladesh — The head of the main Bangladeshi Islamist opposition party was among 14 people sentenced to death on Thursday on charges of smuggling weapons to a rebel group in neighboring India.
Security officials had seized more than 4,000 firearms and 1 million bullets and other military equipment in April 2004 when they were being unloaded from fishing boats. According to case documents, the weapons and ammunition were destined for a former Indian insurgency... (GunPolicy.org)
US Pot Calls the Kettle Black - Criminologists Mount Spirited Defence of Cambodia
22 January 2014
Phnom Penh Post, Letter
We started our study of crime and violence in Cambodia in 1998, and after 15 years of research have completed a manuscript titled 'Violence and the civilising process in Cambodia', which should be published at the end of the year.
The book documents and discusses the types, patterns and trends of crime and violence in Cambodia since the mid-19th century. Based on official police statistics, media reports and crime victims surveys, our findings show a dramatic and... (GunPolicy.org)
Colombia,Russia,Venezuela,Israel
'Lord of War' Arrest Shines Light on Colombia Arms Trade
22 January 2014
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Police in Colombia have captured an arms dealer whose operations reached across continents and whose criminal contacts spanned the spectrum of Colombian armed groups.
According to police, Gustavo Velasquez, alias "El Señor de la Guerra" (the Lord of War) sourced assault rifles through contacts in Israel and Russia and moved them through Venezuela and into the department of Norte de Santander in Colombia.
Police say the arms were then sold on to the narco-guerrilla... (GunPolicy.org)
NGO Survey Shows 2 Million Unregistered Guns in Chile [ES]
19 January 2014
Terra (Chile)
[Translated summary: NGO Activa says there are around 2 million unregistered firearms in Chile and only 758,593 registered firearms, after a survey done in 2013. The study showed 9.22 weapons on average are seized each day in the country and 3.25 weapons per day in urban areas.]
Según la ONG Activa, en el país circularían cerca de 2 millones de armas de fuego no inscritas, frente a las 758.593 que se encuentran registradas por la policía.
La directora de la... (GunPolicy.org)
Illegal, Homemade Guns in Hands of South African Youth
18 January 2014
Independent/IOL Daily News (South Africa)
CAPE TOWN - Teenage hitmen as young as 14 are terrorising the streets of Mitchells Plain, and while police battle to curb the rampant gun trade, the increasing use of homemade firearms threatens to further derail any chance of controlling gang violence.
Mitchells Plain's worst areas, such as Beacon Valley, have at least one illegal gun on every street, according to police.
Gangs are using the bravado of youths as a means to eliminate their rivals, sometimes with crude... (GunPolicy.org)
Swedish Police Nab Balkan Gun Shipment
17 January 2014
Local (Sweden)
Prosecutors are set to charge four people with ties to the illegal import of weapons, believed to hail from the Balkans, following a raid on a delivery van in Gothenburg carried out earlier in the week.
Prosecutor Thomas Eliasson told Sveriges Radio (SR) on Friday that the weapons probably come from the Balkans and their intended recipients were likely members of organized crime gangs in the western port city of Gothenburg.
"Because they've been smuggled here you can... (GunPolicy.org)
Homicide Rate Rising in El Salvador, Guns Used in Over 1,600 Murders
14 January 2014
InSight Crime (Bogota)
El Salvador's overall 2013 homicide rate fell slightly in comparison to 2012, but the steady rise of recent months has continued in 2014, undermining the gains made as a result of the truce between the country's main gangs.
According to figures released by El Salvador's forensic institute Medicina Legal (IML) there were a total of 2,492 murders in the country in 2013, at an average of 6.83 murders per day. This represents a 4 percent drop on 2012, when IML recorded a... (GunPolicy.org)
Over 19,000 Colombians Arrested for Illegally Carrying Weapons
13 January 2014
Prensa Latina (Havana)
BOGOTA - More than 19,000 Colombians were recently arrested for illegal carrying of weapons, which was described by the national police chief, Rodolfo Palomino, as a blow against illegal gangs involved in murders and theft.
Palomino said they seized 34,155 guns without licenses and 18 percent of the detainees claimed that the seized weapon was not theirs.
Palomino explained that early this year, 17 minors and 15 women were arrested for that offense (in 2013 the figure... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazilian City Registers 10 Gun Homicides in One Night
13 January 2014
Latin American Herald Tribune (Venezuela)
SAO PAULO – The Brazilian city of Campinas, the second-largest in Sao Paulo state, on the night of Sunday and Monday registered at least 12 murders, some of which appear to be linked, authorities said.
Police told Efe that 10 people were shot to death in two of the city's neighborhoods and at least two others died in hospitals where people wounded in the shootings were taken.
The shootings happened within a span of four hours, according to media accounts.
At a... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Gun Dealer Linked to Gangs, Breaches of Gun Permits
9 January 2014
Herald Sun (Melbourne)
EXCLUSIVE - An arms dealer who supplies high-powered guns to the Australian Defence Force has been questioned over weapons permit breaches and suspected underworld connections.
The dealer, who has been allowed to import lethal weapons for more than a decade, has links with a group of ex-soldiers whose associates include underworld figures and bikies.
For six years, the dealer's firm has been the subject of multiple probes by state and federal authorities, including... (GunPolicy.org)
Finnish Police Worried as Gangs Amass Guns
9 January 2014
YLE (Finland)
According to Finnish police local underworld groups appear to be amassing more firepower each year and seem to be placing more emphasis on arming their members. Detective Inspector Tapio Kalliokoski of the National Bureau of Investigation said that the development is worrying.
"Firearms aren't toys. They are acquired for a certain purpose, whether it be self defence against other gangs or then as a precaution. For years police have been concerned about whether we are... (GunPolicy.org)
Fatal Shooting May Be Linked to Gun Thefts From Indonesia Police Station
7 January 2014
Jakarta Globe
JAYAPURA - An unidentified armed group fatally gunned down an ojek driver in the Wuyuneri hamlet, located in the Puncak Jaya district of Papua, on Tuesday morning.
Abdul Halil, a 43-year-old motorcycle taxi driver, originated from Makassar, South Sulawesi. He was taking a customer from Mulia to Wuyuneri. As they arrived at state high school SMU 1, someone shot him in the face.
It's not yet clear how many people were involved in the shooting.
Sr. Comr. Pujo Sulistyo,... (GunPolicy.org)
Guatemala,Russia,Italy,United States,Honduras,El Salvador,South Korea,China,Belgium
Majority of Legal Guns in El Salvador Traced Back to US [PT]
6 January 2014
Vermelho / El Pais
[Translated summary: Around 60% of legal guns traced in El Salvador originate in the US according to ATF data. The US has a similar tracing system in place with Honduras and Guatemala. 70% of El Salvador's homicides are committed with firearms. Many of these guns are bought legally in America and trafficked to El Salvador.]
Cerca de 60% das armas legais rastreadas em El Salvador têm sua origem nos Estados Unidos. O dado, obtido graças a um programa de colaboração... (GunPolicy.org)
Judge Rejects Chicago's Ban on Gun Shops
6 January 2014
New York Times
CHICAGO — This city's ban on gun shops violates the Constitution, a federal judge ruled on Monday, dealing the latest setback to politicians here who had put in place some of the nation's strictest limits on firearms.
"The stark reality facing the city each year is thousands of shooting victims and hundreds of murders committed with a gun," the judge, Edmond E. Chang, of Federal District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, wrote. "But on the other side of... (GunPolicy.org)
Colombian Armoury Missing Half Its Weapons as Count Begins
6 January 2014
InSight Crime (Bogota)
An arms inspection at a military barracks in Cali, Colombia, has found 500 weapons missing out of 1,000 counted, with another 15,000 still to be checked, as a major investigation into weapons trafficking between security forces and criminal groups begins.
The inventory check at the barracks of the Colombian Army's Third Brigade, where weapons recovered by security forces in the country's third-largest city are stored, is being carried out by the country's Prosecutor... (GunPolicy.org)
Authorisation to Carry Guns Full-Time in Uniformed Irish's Gardai
1 January 2014
Independent (Dublin)
This is the first time that uniformed gardai have been given permission to carry guns full-time since the foundation of the force almost a century ago. The move has been sanctioned after a review of the operation of the five regional support units (RSUs) since their introduction in 2008.
Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan has ordered that all the regional response units will be permanently armed after a rise in the number of incidents requiring garda firepower.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun-Related Deaths Down in Ireland
30 December 2013
Independent (Dublin)
Murders linked to organised crime have dropped significantly in the past year, even though the overall death toll has only dropped slightly.
After a big jump in the number of murders committed in 2012, this year's total of 51 is down just one on the same period last year.
Knife and gun-related deaths have decreased this year - but there has been a rise in the use of physical violence by killers.
Statistics compiled up to yesterday show that eight murders are being... (GunPolicy.org)
Second Shooting in Two Days in Japan
20 December 2013
Japan Today
TOKYO — Police said the head of a fishermen's union was shot dead Friday, the second fatal shooting in as many days in a nation unaccustomed to gun crime.
Tadayoshi Ueno, 70, was found lying in the street in the southern city of Kitakyushu after residents nearby heard what was believed to be the sound of gunfire.
Local police said he was confirmed dead at hospital, with reports suggesting he had been shot multiple times.
Gun crime is rare in Japan, and incidents... (GunPolicy.org)
Moroccan Authorities Seize Suspected Homicide Gun From Crime Gang
18 December 2013
Morocco World News
CASABLANCA - Last August, the police managed to arrest Chinese criminals who attempted to assassinate a Chinese citizen at Casablanca's Derb Omar. Recently, the police announced the dismantling of a mafia network, which is this time originally from Europe.
According to MAP, the National Team of Judicial Police managed, with the assistance of the Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (DST), to dismantle criminal networks active in the field of cross-border organized... (GunPolicy.org)
Luck, Police Collaboration Nail Long-time US-Canada Gun Runners
17 December 2013
Windsor Star (Ontario), Blog
The biggest Windsor-Detroit gun-smuggling ring ever busted came crashing down because of a seatbelt.
One unbuckled belt. One routine traffic stop. A bunch of odd answers. And 16 illegal firearms hidden in a trunk.
Special Agent Brian Beardsley with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, knew he had something big the night he took a call in March 2005 from the Monroe County Sheriff's Department saying officers found 16 handguns with serial... (GunPolicy.org)
Saudi Arabia,Libya,India,Georgia,Egypt,Yemen,Vietnam,Turkey,Syria,Germany,Bahamas
Questions Asked Over Germany's Arms Exports
16 December 2013
Deutsche Welle
For a long time, arms exports to regions in conflict were taboo for the German government. However, the growing number of arms deals with Middle Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia or Qatar, or with Asian countries like India and Indonesia suggests that these could soon become a pillar of German foreign and security policy.
This, at least, is the warning expressed in this year's weapons exports report published in Berlin on Monday (16.12.2013) by the Joint Church and... (GunPolicy.org)
Gang Shooting Shocks Swedish Christmas Shoppers
15 December 2013
Local (Sweden)
A man was gunned down in central Örebro in eastern Sweden on Saturday in full view of shoppers out in the middle of the Christmas rush, with police reporting a gangland connection.
The man, who is reported to be in his twenties, was shot in the torso on Drottninggatan in Örebro's main shopping area on Saturday afternoon, according to a report in the local Nerikes Allehanda daily.
According to the police the man is connected to a gang known as Romanos and it is... (GunPolicy.org)
Stiffer Penalties for Firearms Smuggling Sought in Philippines
13 December 2013
Philippine Star
MANILA - A lawmaker has filed a measure that would impose stiffer penalties for firearms smuggling.
Under House Bill 2696 or the proposed "Anti-Firearms Smuggling Act of 2013," smugglers of firearms will face 12 to 20 years or even life imprisonment and fines of one to five million pesos.
"Smuggling of firearms is a dangerous but profitable criminal enterprise. It not only threatens public safety and national security but also endangers and oftentimes, results in loss... (GunPolicy.org)
Bibles for Guns Program in Dominican Republic Nets 1300 Weapons
10 December 2013
Global Dispatch (Florida)
Dominican Republic officials and evangelicals are asking residents of violent DR neighborhoods to trade in their weapons for a Bible.
Santo Domingo authorities recovered more than 1,300 firearms, knives, and machetes in communities known for corruption and violence, in a guns-for-Bibles program, aimed at reducing the country's crime rate.
Church leaders went into some dangerous neighborhoods to spread the word of God to gangsters and other criminals as part of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Nigerian Catholic Priest Investigated Over Illegal Guns
7 December 2013
Vanguard (Lagos)
Police authorities in Imo State are investigating a Roman Catholic priest (names withheld) for unlawful possession of firearms. The priest, said to be in-charge of one of the prominent Parishes in Dikenafai, Ideato South Local Government area, Imo State, was arrested for allegedly being in possession of three unlicensed guns with which he threatened the lives of his parishioners.
Crime Guard reliably gathered that the guns which include one pump action riffle, one... (GunPolicy.org)
Behind the Bloodshed - The Untold Story of America's Mass Killings
4 December 2013
USA Today, Web page
Since 2006, there have been more than 200 mass killings in the United States.
Well-known images from Newtown, Aurora and Virginia Tech capture the nation's attention, but similar bloody scenes happen with alarming frequency and much less scrutiny.
USA TODAY examined FBI data - which defines a mass killing as four or more victims - as well as local police records and media reports to understand mass killings in America.
They happen far more often than the government... (GunPolicy.org)
DRC Votes on New Law to Regulate Gun Possession, Trafficking [FR]
4 December 2013
Digital Congo
[Translated summary: The Democratic Republic of Congo government has voted to accept a draft law on the control of firearms and ammunition and the prevention of firearms trafficking. The law includes licence requirements and works to meet the DRC's obligations under the Nairobi Protocol.]
KINSHASA - La Chambre haute du Parlement s'est appesantie sur la réglementation de la détention et du trafic d'armes légères en RDC en votant à sa séance plénière de mardi un... (GunPolicy.org)