Gun Policy News
Small arms imports and the international firearm trade
Dominican Gun Dealers Scoff at Import Ban
25 July 2022
Dominican Today
Santo Domingo -- In four years, the Ministry of the Interior and Police issued 57 permits to import firearms, although a decree prohibits doing so.
The entity does not know how many weapons have been introduced into the national territory despite the that the law empowers it to establish the maximum and amount that must be imported by each gun shop.
With an unreliable database, as admitted by the deputy minister of weapons, Aníbal Amparo García, the institution... (GunPolicy.org)
What Weapons Will Us Give Ukraine - And How Much Will They Help?
19 March 2022
BBC
The burnt-up wreckage of a Russian tank lies in the dirt, while in an accompanying photo next to it, a Ukrainian soldier carries the armaments said to have caused the destruction.
The images posted to Twitter by the Ukrainian Armed Forces are labelled with a triumphant caption, declaring that this was the result of "hits from Javelins on [Russian] military equipment".
The Javelin, a shoulder-held anti-tank weapon that shoots heat-seeking rockets hurtling towards... (GunPolicy.org)
Ukraine,United States,Russia,Turkey,Germany,United Kingdom,Poland
What Weapons Have Other Countries Supplied to Ukraine?
17 March 2022
Guardian
The US president, Joe Biden, has announced an $800m (£610m) package of arms to Ukraine as the west steps up military aid against invading Russia forces.
The west's military assistance to Ukraine began cautiously with helmets and flak jackets but now includes drones that can destroy Russian tanks and artillery from 50 miles away.
The west has repeatedly refused to enforce a no-fly zone over Ukraine but is now supplying a range of powerful weapons. They... (GunPolicy.org)
Morocco Approves Draft Law to Regulate Firearms
12 March 2022
Hespress
The Government Council, chaired by Aziz Akhannouch Head of Government, approved, in its session of Thursday on March 10, the draft law No. 86.21 on firearms, their parts, components, accessories, and ammunition, put forth by the Minister of the Interior Abdelouafi Laftit.
The project aims to fortify the kingdom's legislation with international conventions against all forms of illicit firearms trafficking.
At a press conference after the meeting of the Government... (GunPolicy.org)
Panama Seeks to Curb Proliferation of Long Arms in the Country
27 September 2021
Ministerio de Seguridad Publica (DIASP)
The adoption of Resolution 048, dated 13 September 2021, seeks to prevent the proliferation of long arms in the country, as well as their detailed verification, said the head of the Institutional Directorate for Public Security Affairs (Diasp), Roger Mojica.
Resolution 048 suspends for a period of one year the importation of firearms (rifle type) with a semi-automatic firing mechanism, with the exception of .22 calibre rifles. The measure was adopted in view of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Nigeria's Buhari Transmits Bills on Gun Control,
15 September 2021
Daily Trust (Nigeria)
President Muhammadu Buhari has transmitted to the senate two bills that seek to control the proliferation of arms and regulate the importation and exportation of explosives in the country.
They are: the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons Bill 2021; and Explosives Bill 2021.
Buhari transmitted the bill in two separate letters dated the 26th and 27th August 2021 and read during the commencement of plenary by Senate President Ahmad Lawan on Tuesday.
Buhari, in the... (GunPolicy.org)
Training on Arms Control for Liberian Border Security Officers
10 August 2021
Analyst (Liberia)
State Security Officers assigned at the Ganta-Guinea and Loguotou-Ivory Coast Borders, Nimbia County and Toe-Town (B'hai)-Ivory Coast Border, Grand Gedeh County are expected to benefit from specialized Training on Small Arms and Light Weapons control, Arms trade, Transfer and Trafficking as well as Gender in Arms Control.
According to a release signed by Thomas Mulbah, Communication and Outreach Officer, following the specialized training at the targeted border sites,... (GunPolicy.org)
Nigerian Reps Move to Tighten Gun Control Laws
13 July 2021
Premium Times (Nigeria)
In a bid to address the proliferation of arms and ammunition in the country, the House of Representatives on Tuesday passed for second reading a bill seeking to amend the Firearms Act.
The bill, which also seeks to provide strict penalties for illegal possession of firearms and to allow the production of arms and ammunition by private entities, was passed for second reading on Tuesday.
The sponsor of the bill, Adejoro Adeogun (APC, Ondo), said in his legislative... (GunPolicy.org)
Liberia Amends Domestic Firearms Control Legislations
12 July 2021
All Africa (Liberia)
The Liberia National Commission on Small Arms (LiNCSA) continues to make significant gains to ensure the domestication of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) in Liberia.
Of recent, and having attracted funding and technical assistance from Expertise France, the leadership of the Small Arms Commission has been meeting, in constructive sessions with influential government institutions, mainly relevant Committees of the national legislature, civil society stakeholders and the... (GunPolicy.org)
Togo Conducts Heavy Weapons Firing Campaign
3 June 2021
TogoWeb (Togo)
He who wants peace prepares for war. Faure Gnassingbé seems to have understood this quote from Julius Caesar. After the promulgation of the law on military programming and the acquisition of military equipment in Togo, the Togolese head of state has seen fit to test his weapons.
If the information does not appear on any official government website, it is rather abundantly relayed on the web. On one of the photos published by some news sites, we can see the Togolese... (GunPolicy.org)
Liberia to Amend the Firearms and Ammunition Control Act of 2015
31 March 2021
Liberia National Commission on Small Arms (LiNCSA)
Liberia is leading the reform efforts within in West Africa to conform to provisions of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) by ensuring the validation to amend the Firearms and Ammunition Control Act of 2015 and the Act creating the National Small Arms Commission of Liberia.
The new Arms Commission Act when enacted by the National Legislature will expand its mandate to regulate all categories of conventional arms including small arms, light weapons their ammunition and related... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Liberia National Commission on Small Arms (LiNCSA)
Nigeria: Tackling Insecurity with Cargo Tracking Note
26 March 2021
This Day (Nigeria)
Over the years Nigeria has been bedeviled by insecurity and the problem has become worse in the last five years.
The situation seems to have defied all effort by the federal government to check the menace. Apart from banditry and kidnapping for ransom, piracy in the nation's waters is at an all-time high.
Also, the country has been besieged by the outbreak of violence and conflicts, which have claimed thousands of lives and property.
For instance, Boko Haram has, in... (GunPolicy.org)
Colombia Firearm Imports 2011-2020
2 March 2021
El Tiempo (Bogotá)
Importacion de armas no letales supera ampliamente a las de guerra
Ano: armas de guerra - armas de aire - armas de fogueo - total
2020: 1,146 - 15,130 - 175,576 - 191,852
2019: 1,295 - 123,561 - 69,546 - 194,402
2018: 954 - 23,678 - 41,229 - 65,861
2017: 2,480 - 24,910 - 35,262 - 62,652
2016: 1,834 - 30,747 - 29,684 - 62,265
2015: 538 - 46,368 - 19,526 - 48,432
2014: 2,956 - 46,105 - 19,050 - 68,111
2013: 49,829 - 28,628 - 9,784 - 88,241
2012: 14,876 - 665,932 - 274 -... (GunPolicy.org)
Azerbaijan,Armenia,Russia,Israel,Turkey,United States,United Kingdom
Arms Supplies to Armenia and Azerbaijan
17 February 2021
EVN
Armenia and Azerbaijan have been embroiled in an intense and violent ethnic conflict over Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) for over three decades. The conflict is at the very core of the modern statehoods of both countries. It has resulted in two full-scale wars in 1992-94 and 2020 and regular skirmishes, with the most significant one being the 2016 Four Day April War. The conflict has led to both countries becoming among the most militarized countries in the world. A 2019... (GunPolicy.org)
Faeroese Police Gain Easier Access to Gun Information
18 January 2021
Kringvarp Føroya (Faeroe Islands)
It will now be easier for the police to find information about firearms.
A new directive on registration of firearms grants the police direct remote access to the weapons register for preventive, investigative and prosecutorial purposes in connection with gun-related crimes.
The directive on overseas transportation of firearms and how these should be stored has also been amended.
A so-called firearms passport will now be required for imports and exports of... (GunPolicy.org)
Online Database to Increase Transparency on EU Arms Exports
26 October 2020
European Union
Today the European External Action Service has launched an online database on its website that will allow everyone to consult and analyse the data on Member States' arms exports in a user-friendly manner.
The database contains information on the value, destination and type of arms export licenses and actual exports from Member States, covering the years 2013-2019. The database will be updated on an annual basis.
All data in the annual reports and in the database is... (GunPolicy.org)
Democratization of Gun Ownership in Uganda
4 October 2020
Daily Monitor (Uganda)
On November 12, 2016, Mr Matthew Kanyamunyu was arrested on suspicion that he drew a pistol and fatally shot Kenneth Akena after the social worker sideswiped his car at Forest Mall in Lugogo, Kampala.
In the shooting's aftermath, questions continue swirling around crime, punishment, impunity and even tribalism. Predictably, these questions obviate other questions about gun ownership.
Even though government has increased license fees for individuals and companies... (GunPolicy.org)
Illicit Arms Sales: Togo Receives Help From France to Combat Illicit Trafficking
7 January 2020
TogoWeb (Togo)
[Translated content]
Togo, through the National Commission for the Fight against the Proliferation, Circulation and Illicit Trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons, has been receiving technical support from France in the area of controlling the illicit arms trade since Monday 6 January 2020. At the end of the meeting, the participants will formulate recommendations to strengthen Togo's legal arsenal in terms of controlling the international arms trade.
"This... (GunPolicy.org)
Ex-Firearm Dealer Gets 11 Years for Smuggling 'Mass Kill' Guns
14 May 2019
Australian Associated Press
A Victorian man who imported "mass killing machines" has had years added to his prison sentence after an appeal.
Paul Robert Munro, 65, was originally ordered to serve at least six years behind bars for importing a dozen Thureon machine guns, capable of firing 1000 rounds a minute.
But on Tuesday the Court of Appeal revealed it had increased his non-parole period to 11 years.
The maximum 10-year sentence handed down by the County Court last May was also increased to... (GunPolicy.org)
Trump ATT Decision Was Built On an NRA Lie
29 April 2019
Washington Post, Opinion
President Trump announced on Friday — during a speech that pandered to special-interest groups and was symbolic of his administration's disdain for multilateral agreements — that the United States would "unsign" the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), a landmark agreement that regulates the international trade in conventional arms.
It took more than five years of negotiations to develop the ATT, and I spent those years as a consultant in the treaty process, working with... (GunPolicy.org)
Liberia Tackles Trafficking of Illicit Small Arms
17 February 2019
New Republic (Liberia)
In the midst of rumors, claims and counter claims regarding assassination plot of President George Weah, the chairman of the Liberia National Commission on Small Arms (LINCSA), Marvin Sarkor has assured Liberians that the country's borders will not be used for trafficking of illicit small arms and light weapons.
According to Sarkor, the people of Liberia have no reason to fear as the commission, he noted, is working tirelessly with her international partners to include... (GunPolicy.org)
ISIS Links to Gun Smuggling in Malaysia
20 November 2017
Straits Times (Singapore)
With the rise of extremists in Malaysia, a new insidious form of smuggling has emerged - sneaking in guns for militants.
Malaysian police have increased raids against local terror cells in recent years, but the inflow of arms has not been eradicated due to the many Malaysia-Thai cross-border smuggling routes, officials say.
Asked whether firearms were among the smuggled goods commonly seized, Malaysian Border Security Agency director-general Mohamad Ismail told The... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia Ranked Among World's Major Gun Importers, Exporters
21 September 2017
Sydney Morning Herald
Australia is now ranked as one of the world's major gun importers, coming sixth in the United Nations-sponsored annual global Small Arms Survey, high enough to see it categorised in the top tier of gun importers.
Australia was also revealed to be the 13th-largest exporter in the world and ranked 25th in the transparency of its arms trade, scoring 12 out of a possible 25 in the survey's transparency barometer.
As an importer Australia came in behind the United States,... (GunPolicy.org)
Malaysia Shuts Down North Korean Arms Trafficking Firms
28 February 2017
Reuters
KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia's authorities were aware that two North Korea-linked companies operated an arms business in the country and both were being struck from the Company Registry, the police chief said on Tuesday.
Reuters reported on Monday that North Korean intelligence ran an arms operation out of Malaysia called Glocom, and two companies linked to the trade were International Global System and International Golden Services.
Confirming details of the story,... (GunPolicy.org)
Most Illegal Guns Smuggled to Australia Arrive as Parts
6 February 2017
Australian (Sydney)
Sophisticated arms smuggling involving sending individual components of guns through regular international mail and reassembling them here has become the conduit of choice for Australian criminals engaged in the illicit trade.
The Australian Border Force revealed to The Australian two major busts of alleged illegal firearm operations in recent days, in Queensland and NSW, one involving semi-automatic weapons.
The border watchdog says the arrests demonstrate its... (GunPolicy.org)
West Africa Terror Groups Get Guns from Syria and Iraq - Study
17 November 2016
PJ Media (US)
A report issued this month tracking the flow of weapons across Libya and the Sahel revealed that terror groups operating in West Africa are getting much more than just inspiration from terror hubs in Iraq and Syria.
The study by UK-based Conflict Armament Research, an independent organization that tracks the flow of conventional weapons and materiel, found that weapons stockpiles remaining from the nearly 42-year dictatorship of Moammar Gadhafi have migrated as far as... (GunPolicy.org)
Over 1.5 Million Legal, 4 Million Illicit Guns in Argentina [ES]
31 October 2016
Noticias y Protagonistas (Argentina)
[Translated summary: There are 1,541,497 registered firearms and 979,508 licensed gun owners in Argentina. The country has four gun factories that manufactured 74,983 firearms between January and August 2016. 13,940 firearms were imported and 45,836 exported in the same period. It is estimated that there are between 1.5 million and 4 million illicit firearms. Between 1997 and 2013 there were 38,002 gun homicides and 13,672 suicides. In 2013, 71.1% of homicides were... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia Justice Minister Said Consulting Only With Gun Lobby
24 October 2016
Guardian
A group of 30 domestic violence groups, gun control advocates, politicians and prominent Australians has criticised the federal justice minister, Michael Keenan, for holding "one-sided" meetings in 2015 with the firearms lobby on changes to Australia's gun laws.
Minutes from the firearms reference industry group obtained by Guardian Australia show Keenan told firearms lobby groups in a private meeting in September 2015 that the government wanted to cut "red tape" from... (GunPolicy.org)
Recent Gun Figures from Australia's CrimTrac Lack Credibility
21 October 2016
University of Sydney Media Release, Media release
University of Sydney gun policy expert, Associate Professor Philip Alpers has questioned the accuracy of registered
firearms data published by CrimTrac, the federal agency responsible for counting gun owners and their firearms.
In Table 2.23 at page 63 of its 2015-16 Annual Report, the following conclusions seem to lack credibility:
- An increase of 1.2 million registered firearms in Australia in the past three years
- A sudden decrease of 900,000 registered... (GunPolicy.org)
Licensed Gun Owners Stockpiling Extra Weapons in Australia
21 October 2016
Advertiser (Adelaide)
Licensed gun owners are stockpiling extra weapons and more than a million guns have been registered since 2012 – about the same number that were destroyed in the wake of Port Arthur, The Advertiser can reveal.
The official figures come amid fierce debate on guns in Canberra yesterday, where embattled Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull strongly rebuked his predecessor, Tony Abbott.
Senator David Leyonhjelm threw a grenade by saying he had a deal with the Coalition to... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia,Afghanistan,Russia,Central Asia,Pakistan,China,Turkey,Brazil
UN Rule of Thumb Suggests 600,000 Illegal Guns in Australia
21 October 2016
Age (Melbourne)
As many as 600,000 illegal guns could be circulating in the Australian underworld, but national efforts to control the spread is being hampered by inconsistencies between states, a firearms intelligence report has found.
The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission report on guns - to be released on Friday, the same day as state and federal government representatives meet to thrash out a way to combat illegal firearms - also backs a national amnesty.
Chris Dawson,... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia Extends Ban on Adler Rapid-fire Lever Action Shotgun
20 October 2016
ABC News (Australia)
Police ministers met in Melbourne this morning to consider a new classification for the lever-action shotgun.
There is currently a ban in place on Adler shotguns that have a magazine capacity of more than five rounds.
The ABC understands concerns were raised that tightened restrictions on the seven-shot Adler would struggle to pass Parliament in certain states.
The Australian Federal Police and Justice Minister Michael Keenan said there was a "majority" view but that... (GunPolicy.org)
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)
New Australian Gun Ban Hits Rapid-fire Shotgun - NY Times
19 October 2016
New York Times, Associated Press
Australia's tough gun controls will be further tightened to restrict access to new rapid-fire shotguns, the prime minister said Wednesday.
But a pro-gun independent senator warned Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull that the move will add to the government's difficulty in getting legislation through the Senate.
Turnbull was commenting on the fate of the Adler A110 shotgun, a Turkish-manufactured lever-action weapon that was banned from importation last year as an... (GunPolicy.org)
Adler Shotgun Explainer: Lever Actions and the Law in Australia
19 October 2016
Guardian
Gun control in Australia has been thrust into the political spotlight once again as reports emerge that Malcolm Turnbull may be willing to consider relaxing Australia's firearms laws.
The reports appear to focus on softening restrictions on lever-action shotguns in exchange for support from the Liberal Democrat senator David Leyonhjelm to pass industrial relations legislation.
National firearms laws created after the Port Arthur massacre in 1996 set out how weapons... (GunPolicy.org)
Tough Gun Laws Averted Massacres - Another Ex-Australia PM
19 October 2016
Guardian
Tony Abbott has challenged Malcolm Turnbull directly on gun regulation, warning Australia has avoided a mass casualty event because "it is very hard to get guns".
Abbott's intervention came as the West Australian premier, Colin Barnett, said he did not support lifting the ban on the Adler lever-action shotgun, putting him at odds with New South Wales, which is backing a push to allow the importation of a seven-shot version of the firearm.
The persistent standoff... (GunPolicy.org)
Winding Back Gun Laws a Risk to Australia, Says Foundation
19 October 2016
Guardian
One of Australia's most prominent children's charities has urged the attorney general, George Brandis, and police ministers across the country not to wind back gun restrictions that could allow people to obtain an "unlimited" number of pump action or semi-automatic shotguns.
The Alannah & Madeline Foundation, which was established by Walter Mikac in memory of his two children Alannah and Madeline who were killed in the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, has written an... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian PM Under Fire As 'Guns For Votes' Row Explodes
19 October 2016
Australian (Sydney)
A political storm over "guns for votes" has forced Malcolm Turnbull to rule out weakening import bans on lethal weapons after the release of emails showing the government raised the prospect of phasing out a ban on a controversial shotgun in return for a key vote in the Senate.
The damaging row overshadowed Mr Turnbull's push in parliament for curbs on union power as Labor accused the government of destroying the legacy of John Howard's tough gun controls, imposed two... (GunPolicy.org)
Saudi Arabia Biggest Weapon Buyer in US Proxy War [ES]
18 October 2016
Hispan TV (España)
[Translated Summary: Since 2010, Saudi Arabia has acquired arms worth US$1 billion to be used in the US Middle East proxy war. In 2014, Saudi Arabia became the biggest arms importer by buying military equipment, mainly from the US, with a total value of US$6.4 billion.]
Un alto cargo militar iraní dice que la venta de armas a Arabia Saudí se produce en el marco de la guerra subsidiaria de EE.UU. en Oriente Medio.
"Desde 2010 hasta hoy, Arabia Saudí ha adquirido... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Industry Wakes Up, Begins to Fear Trump Threats
17 October 2016
Guns (USA), Opinion
On the opening night of recent gun writers' conference in Orlando, Jason Wilson, founder and CEO of Wyoming-based Lucid Optics, made a statement that would be brought up in quiet, side discussions for the duration of the event.
"No matter who wins, it will cost the industry," said Wilson, whose once-small business now has distributors in 14 countries. He might be onto something.
Wilson isn't shy about saying that some components of his products are made overseas.... (GunPolicy.org)
Eyes on Armenia, Azerbaijan Builds Its Own Gun Industry
14 October 2016
Eurasianet.org (EU/Asia)
With an array of new, domestically produced weapons, including sniper rifles, machine guns, armed drones, and armored vehicles, Azerbaijan is showcasing its arms industry amid growing tensions with neighboring Armenia.
Much of the attention on Azerbaijan's growing military has focused on the country's weapons purchases from abroad, notably from Russia and Israel. But the country also has been steadily building up its indigenous production capabilities. The new wares... (GunPolicy.org)
UN Approved Arms Imports: Guns Resold in Somalia Markets
11 October 2016
New York Times, Reuters
Many guns imported by the Somali government with U.N. approval are being resold by arms dealers on the black market in the nation's capital Mogadishu, two Western diplomats said.
Such sales violate a three-year-old deal which exempted government weapons imports from a U.N. arms embargo. The U.N. Security Council partially lifted it in 2013 to equip government forces fighting al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab militants.
The United Nations imposed a blanket arms embargo on... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Owner Licensing Soars 71% in Puerto Rico [ES]
9 October 2016
El Nuevo Dia (Puerto Rico)
[Translated summary: In Puerto Rico, there are 210,438 registered firearms among civilians and another 15,628 in gun shops. Ownership licences increased 70.9% between 2011 and 2015 while concealed carry licences rose 18.7%. Police also observe that firearm possession incremented among women, with 747 licences in 2011 and 1,980 en 2015.]
Se reporta un incremento en la expedición de licencias y permisos de portación, así como en el valor de las importaciones de este... (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)
New National Gun Amnesty to Be Announced in Australia
13 September 2016
Age (Melbourne)
State and federal ministers and attorney-generals requested an amnesty be considered by senior officials in the National Justice and Policing Senior Officials Group last year.
These officials gave a unanimous in-principle support for an amnesty last month.
State ministers must agree to proceed, however, support for an amnesty is strong and it is understood the timing will be settled before the end of the year.
Victoria's Police Minister Lisa Neville said the state... (GunPolicy.org)
Tory Minister's Secret Directive Lifted Gun Bans in Canada
9 September 2016
CBC News (Canada)
Former public safety minister Steven Blaney issued a secret directive in the dying days of the Conservative government that opened the door for firearms to be classified according to a gun manufacturer's suggestion, CBC News has learned.
Responding to complaints from firearms advocates and the industry, Blaney's directive gave the RCMP 180 days to evaluate a gun, decide its classification and issue the Firearms Reference Table (FRT) number needed to import that model... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Seizure in US Prevented Illegal Trafficking to #Australia
2 September 2016
Age (Melbourne)
A cache of illegal guns has been seized by state, federal and US authorities as part of an investigation to tackle an international weapons operation.
Investigations began after an armed robbery at a western suburbs McDonald's 15 months ago, where a Thureon AR-15 assault rifle was used.
That weapon was then "backtracked" by police, which helped prevent a large consignment of weapons being imported to Australia.
In June, US officials seized six fully automatic assault... (GunPolicy.org)
Main US Gun Tracing Centre Deliberately Buried in Bureaucracy
1 September 2016
Mother Jones (USA)
Two agents with suits and trim haircuts lean against a cubicle wall in the cavernous red-brick building that houses the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' National Tracing Center in Martinsburg, West Virginia. They're laughing about one of the gun lobby's favorite myths: the notion that the government has a database with the names of every gun owner in America, and that one day, maybe very soon, it will sweep across the country to confiscate... (GunPolicy.org)
Admirable People at US Federal Bureau of Way Too Many Guns
30 August 2016
GQ (USA)
Say there's a murder. Blood everywhere, a dead guy on the floor. The cops come in with their yellow tape, chalk line, the little booties, cameras, swabs, the fingerprint dust. One of them finds a gun on the floor. The gun! He lifts it with his pinkie, examines it, takes note of the serial number. Back at the station, they run a trace on the gun. A name pops up. It's the wife! Or: It's the business partner! It's somebody's gun, and this is so exciting because now they... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Former Trade Minister Proposes Gun Levy on US
25 August 2016
Australian (Sydney)
If a President Trump rips up trade agreements and takes the US out of the World Trade Organisation, Australia and other nations should retaliate by imposing a "gun safety" levy on America matched to the level of massacres there, says former trade minister Tim Fischer.
The former Nationals leader and deputy prime minister will use a speech today to warn that a Donald Trump presidency would be a disaster for world trade.
"Donald Trump spells disaster not only re world... (GunPolicy.org)
Switzerland Can Improve Gun Trade Transparency - Experts [FR]
23 August 2016
Le Nouvelliste (Switzerland)
[Translated summary: After signing the Arms Trade Treaty, Switzerland provided the first annual report. Experts think it can be improved, for example, by using more exact descriptions of the exported items, which would make them easier to trace. Switzerland softened its control of arms exports in 2014 and is now selling guns to Saudi Arabia].
Suite à la signature du Traité international sur le commerce des armes (TCA), la Suisse doit fournir un rapport annuel sur les... (GunPolicy.org)
Yemen,Syria,South Sudan,United States,Bulgaria,Czech Republic,France,Italy,Egypt,Ukraine,Moldova,Slovakia,United Kingdom,Saudi Arabia,Germany,Spain
UN: No Tolerance for States Who Flout Arms Trade Treaty
22 August 2016
Amnesty International (London)
- States Parties [countries] still engaging in unscrupulous arms transfers, putting lives and human rights at risk
- More than a quarter of States Parties are yet to meet the treaty's reporting obligations
- Some States Parties opting to reject public scrutiny of their arms transfers
States must ensure the global Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) lives up to its promise to save lives and protect human rights from the devastating effects of the international arms trade by taking... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,China,Germany,United Kingdom,France,Russia,Spain,Italy,Israel,India,Saudi Arabia,United Arab Emirates,Pakistan,Australia,Turkey,Singapore,South Korea,South Sudan,Ukraine
Killer Facts: The Scale of the Global Arms Trade, Gun Totals
22 August 2016
Amnesty International (London)
Transfers of heavy conventional weapons
The top 10 exporters of conventional arms (excluding small arms/ light weapons – SALW) 2010-15
USA: US$55.006 billion
Russia: US$42.404 billion
China: US$9.943 billion
Germany: US$ 9.467 billion
France: US$ 8.932 billion
UK: US$ 7.627 billion
Spain: US$ 5.310 billion
Italy: US$ 4.360 billion
Ukraine: US$ 4.156 billion
Israel: US$ 3.280 billion
The top 10 importers of conventional arms (excluding SALWs) 2010-15
India:... (GunPolicy.org)
India Relaxes Regulations, Now Welcomes Global Gun Makers
15 August 2016
Asia Sentinel
Driven partly by its developing rivalry with China, India is welcoming global gun manufacturers to set up shop to produce small arms including handguns, rifles, carbines, sub-machine guns, light machine guns and grenade launchers.
New investment rules allow private players to establish manufacturing units, sell to Indian defense forces and even cater to export orders. Forty-nine per cent foreign ownership will be permitted automatically but up to 100 percent FDI can... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Makers See Rush in Demand, Production and Exports
10 August 2016
Guns (USA)
New data released this week by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives shows FFL numbers rebounding, over 9 million firearms produced and healthy import and export activity.
The statistics are part of the agency's 2016 Annual Statistical Update of Firearm Commerce in the United States.
The report includes data drawn from ATF's Annual Firearms Manufacturing and Exportation Report (AFMER), which runs a year behind due to protections accorded under the... (GunPolicy.org)
Eastern Europe,Syria,Jordan,Saudi Arabia,Turkey,Germany,United Arab Emirates
Eastern Europe and the Lucrative Middle East Arms Trade
9 August 2016
Deutsche Welle
War-torn Syria is full of arms: thousands of AK47 assault rifles, machine guns, mortar shells, rocket launchers and anti-tank weapons, aging T-55 and T-72 tanks. Most are believed to come from the following countries: Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Montenegro, Serbia and Romania. They reach Syria via a circuitous route. First, they are sent by air or sea to Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates or Turkey – then on from there to the... (GunPolicy.org)
Adler Shotgun Ban Must Be Broader, Gun Control Australia Says
1 August 2016
Guardian
An extended government ban on the Adler A110 shotgun won't stop use of "DIY kits" to enhance the firepower of similar weapons that have been approved, leading to renewed calls for the ban to be broadened.
Last week the justice minister, Michael Keenan, announced an extension of a one-year ban on the importation of the Adler A110 shotgun.
The ban was initiated in 2015 amid growing concerns about rapid-fire weaponry into Australia, as the state and federal governments... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia Targets 'Darkweb' Gun Sales With $25.4 Million Fund
27 July 2016
Gizmodo (Australia)
The Federal Government has announced a $25.4 million funding injection into the detection and seizure of illegal firearms, including "specialised intelligence software tools" aimed at boosting intelligence collection on international firearms trafficking.
The software will and allow the Australian Federal Police to search, analyse and map intelligence data to identify previously unknown links between firearms traffickers and their suppliers, customers and illegal... (GunPolicy.org)
South America,United States,Central America,Mexico
USA Floods Mexico with 200,000 Illegal Guns Every Year [ES]
17 July 2016
RT (Moscow)
[Translated Summary: According to a Peruvian journalist, the abundance of firearms in any Latin American country is almost always directly proportional to its proximity to the local superpower. In 2014, over 28,000 American firearms valued at US$21.6 million entered legally to Mexico, but every year an average of 212,000 firearms enter illegally.]
En América Latina se registran 76.000 muertes por año vinculadas al uso de armas de fuego. Sobre este total la mayoría... (GunPolicy.org)
Ethiopia,Kenya,Burundi,Tanzania,Rwanda,Uganda
Kenya's Private Gun Ownership the Largest in East Africa
11 July 2016
East African (Nairobi)
Kenya has the largest number of guns in civilian hands in eastern Africa amid rising gun attacks while Rwanda has the least, a global survey shows.
Data from Sidney-based GunPolicy.org, a website backed by the United Nations, puts the estimated number of guns possessed by Kenyan civilians at about 680,000, comprising licit and illicit firearms.
Tanzania has 550,000 guns in private hands, Uganda (400,000), Ethiopia (320,000), Burundi (100,000) and 58,000 for... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil,South America,Argentina,Central America,Mexico
Handgun Trade Worth US$699 Million in Latin America [ES]
30 June 2016
Gestion (Peru)
[Translated Summary: According to a survey by a research team in Geneva, in the past year the three Latin American countries that exported most handguns were Brazil, Mexico and Argentina. The countries that imported most handguns were Mexico, Chile and Colombia. The US was the main buyer.]
La encuesta de armas pequeñas del 2015 reveló cifras de los principales países latinoamericanos exportadores e importadores de armas de fuego autorizadas. La encuesta fue... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Sale to Mexico Increase Human Rights Violations [ES]
27 June 2016
Hoy Los Angeles (California)
[Translated Summary: According to the NGO American Friends Service Committee, the sale of guns from the US to Mexico increases Human Rights violations and homicides. In 2009/2010 alone, the volume of the total business -- public and private -- rose to $1.2 billion, and in the next two years the deaths exceeded 25,000.]
La venta de armas del Gobierno de EE.UU. a su homólogo de México, sumado a una falta de control sobre su posterior uso y fin, repercute en un aumento... (GunPolicy.org)
Over 450,000 Dominicans Have Guns Despite Firearm Law [ES]
22 June 2016
Listin Diario (Dominican Republic)
[Translated Summary: 20,455 people have been shot dead in the Dominican Republic in the past 15 years. Guns, parts and ammunition worth US$40.3 million have been imported in the past seven years. Also, there are 878 rifles, 55,360 shotguns and 165,315 handguns held legally by the civilian population, but more than 300,000 illegally.]
El auge de la delincuencia, cada vez más violenta y asesina, es uno de los graves problemas que acusa a la sociedad dominicana en estos... (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)
Australia is the World's Sixth Largest Importer of Firearms [FR]
18 June 2016
Les Nouvelles Calédonies (Nouméa)
[Translated summary: Australia is the sixth biggest importer of rifles, handguns and ammunition, according to a report by the Small Arms Survey. Australia doesn't manufacture many firearms, so they must be imported. Most are used for hunting, farming and sport.]
D'après le rapport de Small Arms Survey, l'île-continent serait le sixième plus gros importateur de fusils, de revolvers, de pistolets et de munitions.
L'Australie est le sixième pays importateur d'armes... (GunPolicy.org)
Lebanon,Iraq,Jordan,Oman,Egypt,Saudi Arabia,Croatia,Israel,Kuwait,Germany,Spain,United Arab Emirates,Italy,Qatar,Switzerland,United States
World's Small Arms Trade Reached US$5.8 Billion in 2013
17 June 2016
Israel Homeland Security
The Small Arms Survey (SAS) released its annual Transfers and Transparency trade update for 2016, which reveals that the world's top and the largest of the smaller arms exporters conducted trade to the tune of $5.8bn in 2013. This represents an increase of 17 percent in small arms trade on 2012, which came in at $5bn flat.
The United States alone, the world's largest arms manufacturer and exporter, exported a record breaking $1.1bn worth of small arms in 2013. In a... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia's Gun, Ammunition Imports Rank Sixth in the World
14 June 2016
Sydney Morning Herald
The United States has once again broken its own record as the top importer of small arms, according to new research that ranks Australia sixth among the world's biggest importers of weapons including rifles, revolvers and pistols.
American purchases alone made up more than 42 per cent of all small arms imports in 2013, according to the 2016 update of the Small Arms Survey, the most comprehensive record of the global trade in small arms and light weapons. The survey was... (GunPolicy.org)
Another Rapid-Fire Shotgun Brings Gun Control Call in Australia
13 June 2016
Guardian, Australian Associated Press
A new rapid-fire shotgun has hit the Australian market, prompting fresh calls from gun control advocates for the nation's firearms laws to be tightened.
As federal and state law enforcement officials prepare to meet in Sydney this week to discuss firearm regulation, the Pardus LAX is being billed as "the new entrant" in the lever action market. More than 7,000 Adler rapid-fire shotguns have been sold in Australia in just six months.
A 12-month ban on a version of the... (GunPolicy.org)
United Arab Emirates,United States,Italy,Germany,United Kingdom,Netherlands,South Africa,Iran,North Korea,Saudi Arabia
Gun Trade Still Growing at Expense of Development - Study
8 June 2016
Inter Press Service News Agency
UNITED NATIONS - A report released by The Small Arms Survey here Monday shows the alarming rate at which the trade of small arms and light weapons has been increasing.
Under Goal 16 of the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the UN last September, UN member states have agreed to significantly reduce illicit arms trade flows by 2030.
"The Sustainable Development Agenda puts a clear emphasis on arms as one of the elements that will need to be taken into account for... (GunPolicy.org)
Saudi Arabia,Italy,Germany,United Kingdom,Netherlands,United States,Iran,North Korea,United Arab Emirates
Global Gun Trade Leapt 17 Percent in Aftermath of Arab Spring
7 June 2016
Deutsche Welle
Global trade in small arms hit $6 billion (5.3 billion euros) in 2013, a jump of 17 percent over the previous year, according to a non-profit arms-tracking organization, which released its results at a UN conference in New York on Monday.
The report, which was produced by the Swiss-based Small Arms Survey, again found that the United States was, by far, both the largest exporter and importer of small arms and light weapons, exporting a record $1.1 billion worth of... (GunPolicy.org)
North Korea,Iran,United Kingdom,Switzerland,Germany,Saudi Arabia,United Arab Emirates,United States,Italy
Switzerland Loses Top Slot in Gun Trade Transparency Ranking
7 June 2016
SwissInfo
For the first time since 2007, Switzerland gave up the top spot in the Small Arms Survey's latest evaluation of the most transparent small arms exporters.
"Its lower score in comparison with previous years reflects less complete reporting to United Nations Comtrade [UN Commodity Trade Statistics Database] and a lack of information on licence denials," the authors said in the 2016 bulletin published on Monday.
Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab... (GunPolicy.org)
West Asia,United States,South Asia
Gun Imports to Middle Eastern Countries Doubled - Study
6 June 2016
New York Times, Associated Press
Annual sales of small arms and light weapons to Middle Eastern countries nearly doubled in dollar terms in 2013 over the year before, as conflicts heated up across the region, according to a study released Monday.
Meanwhile, the U.S. was both the biggest exporter and importer of weapons ranging from pistols and military firearms to hunting rifles, ammunition and anti-tank guns, according to the report.
"Trade Update 2016: Transfers and Transparency," a study by the... (GunPolicy.org)
Global Gun Control at the UN: Africa Needs New Goals
6 June 2016
Institute for Security Studies (Pretoria)
This week, from 6-10 June, United Nations (UN) member states are convening in New York for the Sixth Biennial Meeting on the UN Programme of Action on small arms and light weapons (UNPoA). The meeting will review the progress made in implementing the UNPoA, and will also focus on the International Tracing Instrument (ITI), which was adopted in 2005.
The UNPoA, adopted in 2001, outlines steps governments must take to prevent, combat and eradicate the illicit trade in... (GunPolicy.org)
Almost 60% of Jamaica's Confiscated Firearms Come from USA
6 June 2016
Jamaica Gleaner
A steady stream of guns continues to flow from the United States into Jamaica despite a raft of measures implemented by local law-enforcement authorities.
In the last two years, the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has traced the history of 991 guns seized in Jamaica over the period and found that 567, or nearly 60 per cent, were "sourced in the US".
The term "sourced in the US" refers to guns manufactured in or legally imported into the... (GunPolicy.org)
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)
Gun Sales Rising Sharply in Czech Republic
4 May 2016
Radio Prague
Gun sales in the Czech Republic have been rising fast in recent months, while the number of Czechs applying for licenses is also growing. Experts suggest this is a response to worries over terrorist attacks and the migrant crisis.
In the last five years over 100,000 guns have been sold in this country, bringing the total number owned by private citizens to more than 800,000, according to the newspaper Hospodářské noviny.
After a period of decline, applications for... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia's National Gun Laws Have Weakened - Opinion
28 April 2016
Sydney Morning Herald, Opinion
Twenty years ago, a lone gun man armed with high-powered gun opened fire at the historic site of Port Arthur in Tasmania, killing 35 people, wounding 18 others and traumatising so many more.
In response to this massacre Australia introduced strong national uniform gun laws. It was an event that not only radically shaped Australia's gun laws, but our cultural landscape. Australia is now known as the country that heroically stood up for public safety by making gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Australians Now Own More Guns Than Ever Before
28 April 2016
Sydney Morning Herald
Australians now own more guns than before the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, according to new research that shows firearm imports hit a record high in 2014-15.
[Charts, tables in the original]
The surge in gun-buying over the past 16 years, which has seen 1.02 million guns brought into the country, has been largely a "gun swap", according to Philip Alpers, a University of Sydney public health researcher, gun control expert and founding director of GunPolicy.org.
"The... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia's PM Says Strict Gun Laws Are 'Non-Negotiable'
28 April 2016
Guardian
Malcolm Turnbull has defended the integrity of Australia's gun laws in Hobart ahead of a commemorative service marking the 20th anniversary of the Port Arthur massacre, saying that maintaining a strong stance on firearms was "non-negotiable".
Thirty-five people were killed in the massacre which centred around the Port Arthur former convict site on 28 April, 1996. It is the largest massacre by a lone gunman in Australia and prompted a massive overhaul of the country's... (GunPolicy.org)
Mauritius: Firearms Amendment Supports Arms Trade Treaty
28 April 2016
Government of Mauritius
The Firearms (Amendment) Bill which provides for amendments to the Firearms Act to implement the provisions of the Arms Trade Treaty to which Mauritius is a signatory, was presented by the Prime Minister, Sir Anerood Jugnauth, in the National Assembly. The Bill was voted with amendments on 26 April 2016.
In his presentation, Sir Anerood Jugnauth expressed confidence that the accession of Mauritius to the Arms Trade Treaty and the amendments to the Firearms Act will... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Gun Dealer Subverts Ban on Rapid-fire Shotgun
28 April 2016
ABC News (Australia)
An Adelaide gunsmith has attracted controversy after his decision to legally modify a shotgun to match the ammunition load of a higher capacity version which was banned from importation last year.
Importation of the eight-shot Adler lever action shotgun was suspended for 12 months in July because it could fire up to eight shells before needing to be reloaded.
Nik Halliwell runs a gun modification workshop in the Adelaide suburbs and is one of the few people in... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia's Gun Numbers Climb as Imports Hit Historic High
28 April 2016
The Conversation
The proud claim of some Australians that their country has "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 5 million in the same period, so... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia Vulnerable as States Flout 1996 Gun Control Accord
28 April 2016
Australian (Sydney)
Australia is again vulnerable to mass shootings because of a failure to fully enforce the 1996 national firearms agreement, say gun control advocates.
As the nation prepares today to commemorate 20 years since its worst modern mass shooting, Gun Control Australia and those who lost loved ones in the attack, are gearing up for a renewed fight to restore the spirit and intent of the 1996 National Firearms Agreement.
Gun Control Australia vice-president Roland Browne... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Advocates Ask for Tighter Regulation of Firearms
27 April 2016
Sydney Morning Herald
Gun control advocates have called for tighter regulation of firearms on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the Port Arthur massacre, saying that landmark gun control measures passed in its wake have since been eroded.
"We don't want laws regressing but that is what I see in NSW and that is why my sister was able to access a firearm," said Michelle Fernando at NSW Parliament on Wednesday.
Ms Fernando's father, Vincent, was shot dead six years ago after his daughter -... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia Destroyed, then Re-imported a Million Guns [ES]
27 April 2016
Globovision, EFE News Agency
[Translated summary: Australia commemorates the 20th anniversary of the Port Arthur gun massacre in which 35 were shot dead. Although in 1996 the country destroyed a million guns and enacted much tougher gun control laws, Australia has since re-imported more than a million firearms.]
Australia conmemora este jueves el vigésimo aniversario de la masacre de Port Arthur, que se saldó con 35 muertos y 23 heridos, con la determinación de mantener su "fuerte y... (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)
United States,Sweden,United Kingdom,Australia,Japan,Switzerland,Israel,South Africa
Americans Face Extreme Difficulty Exporting Their Guns
27 April 2016
Wall Street Journal, Blog
When American Tom Heberlein tried to import his firearms to Sweden, he got as far as his transfer in the U.K. before it started to become complicated. There, despite having the correct paperwork, a U.K. customs official said: "You can't have these guns."
And thus began Mr. Heberlein's global gun education.
Although Mr. Heberlein did, after a lot of negotiation, finally get his guns through U.K. customs and in to Sweden, the entire experience created a hassle he hadn't... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia Gun Numbers Climb, Imports at Historic High [ES]
27 April 2016
Terra (Argentina), EFE News Agency
[Translated summary: Twenty years after the massacre of Port Arthur, Australia is determined to maintain "strong and responsible" gun control policy. The government is allowed to regulate private possession, decide who can and cannot have firearm licences and keep a record of each firearm. Nevertheless, Australia has imported more than a million firearms in the last 16 years.]
Australia conmemora hoy el vigésimo aniversario de la masacre de Port Arthur, que se saldó... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Control Laws Changed Australia, says PM John Howard
26 April 2016
Sydney Morning Herald
Just six weeks into the job, Prime Minister John Howard was pottering at Kirribilli House when he received a call from his press secretary, Tony O'Leary, alerting him to the tragedy unfolding at Port Arthur.
"I turned on the television and within minutes others from my office and the Federal police Commissioner rang me to explain what was happening," Mr Howard recalled this week, on the eve of that fateful day on April 28,1996.
Thirty-five people, mostly tourists... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada Still Needs to Ratify the Arms Trade Treaty
25 April 2016
Open Canada, Opinion
Canada's leadership in banning landmines greatly impacted the international community. As a young adult, Amani Saini witnessed the effect first hand. Now, she asks: can we regain our role in the fight against illicit arms?
One August, more than 10 years ago, back when I was in secondary school, I sat on a stage in an auditorium in Kyoto, Japan, as a representative of Canada, at the closing ceremony of the international Ban Landmines! conference.
After delivering his... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia: Gun Debate Flares 20 Years After Mass Shooting
24 April 2016
Washington Post, Associated Press
PORT ARTHUR -- Carolyn Loughton still carries a bullet in her shoulder from one of the world's worst mass shootings that killed her daughter 20 years ago and galvanized Australia to drastically clamp down on guns.
Loughton threw her body over her 15-year-old daughter Sarah, but could not save her from a gunman with two semi-automatic assault rifles who methodically took headshots in a Port Arthur, Tasmania, cafe on April 28, 1996, killing 35 people.
In response, the... (GunPolicy.org)
Panama Gun Owners Say Import Ban Incites Smuggling [ES]
18 April 2016
Telemetro (Panama)
[Translated summary: The Panama Firearm Owners Association claims that the current firearm import ban encourages smuggling. They say that after five years of the ban, illegal firearms are still being seized in the streets, even military weapons.]
A dos meses para que culmine la prórroga que ordenó el Ministerio de Seguridad para la suspensión de importación de armas de fuego, la Asociación de Propietarios expresó este lunes, una vez más su malestar por esta... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Gun Dealers Modify Shotgun to Get Around Ban
15 April 2016
SBS (Australia), Australian Associated Press
Gun dealers are converting the controversial Adler rapid-fire shotgun so it can shoot twice as many rounds, sidestepping an import ban on a previous version of the weapon.
Plans to import the seven-shot lever-action shotgun were halted last July when it was banned by former prime minister Tony Abbott for six months, later extended to 12 months, only for a modified version that instead fires five shots in rapid succession to be introduced.
It has now emerged gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Dealers Work Around Rapid-fire Shotgun Ban in Australia
13 April 2016
Sky News (Australia), Australian Associated Press
The Australian Greens have called on the Turnbull government to do more to uphold the spirit of post-Port Arthur gun laws after it emerged firearms dealers are using a loophole to modify a controversial rapid-fire shotgun so it can shoot more rounds.
Plans to import the Adler A110 lever-action shotgun, which has a magazine capacity of seven rounds, were halted last July when it was banned by former prime minister Tony Abbott for six months, later extended until August... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sky News (Australia), Australian Associated Press
Australia: Gun Laws May Weaken on Massacre Anniversary
11 April 2016
9 News (Australia)
A Port Arthur massacre survivor is urging the federal government to maintain restrictions on the controversial Adler A110 shotgun as the expiry date for a temporary ban on the weapon's sale looms.
Twenty years since the 1996 massacre, which saw gunman Martin Bryant kill 35 people and injure 23, Australia's strict gun control laws could soon be weakened if a review of a fast action-lever shotgun is not finalised.
Carolyn Loughton, who lost her 15-year-old daughter... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Campaign Aims to Curb Flood of Rapid-fire Shotguns
7 April 2016
Herald Sun (Melbourne)
A flood of new rapid-fire shotguns into Australia has prompted a landmark petition to ban the semi-automatic-style weapons.
Gun control experts fear the proliferation of the Adler A110 model due to loopholes will have deadly consequences, with more than 600 registered in Victoria since September.
The Alannah and Madeline Foundation is launching the petition, almost 20 years on from the Port Arthur massacre, which saw 35 people shot dead.
Its "Keep Australia safe from... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia Dealt with Mass Shootings, Gun Death Fell 60%
13 March 2016
CBS News (USA)
In the wake of a deadly shooting rampage back in 1996, the Australian government reacted quickly and decisively to ban certain guns. So did it make a difference? Seth Doane takes a look:
"It's said that when you lose your parents, you lose your past. When you lose your child, you lose your future," said Carolyn Loughton.
She'd flung herself on top of her daughter when a gunman started shooting, but it was not enough to save Sarah's life. "She had just turned 15,"... (GunPolicy.org)
Illegal Guns Flooding Nigeria, Fuelling Violence
12 March 2016
Daily Trust (Abuja)
In the last 10 years, the number of deaths as a result of violence in different parts of Nigeria has been spiking steadily. The fifth report of the Nigeria Watch Project released early this year indicates that between June 2006 and December 2015, a total of 94,470 deaths were recorded from fatal violence across the country. The country attained the climax in terms of number of deaths recorded from violence in the last 10 years in 2014 and 2015, accounting for 24 per... (GunPolicy.org)
World's Most Violent Country Registers 30 New Guns a Day
10 March 2016
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Between 2010 and 2015, Salvadorans were registering firearms at a rate of 11,000 per year. This suggests 30 new firearms were registered every day in a country where the vast majority of crimes are committed with guns. In a market that had sales of almost $2 million in 2014, four firms dominated gun imports.
The inhabitants of the world's most violent country have been spending more than $1.5 million on guns annually. Although the market's total size and the number of... (GunPolicy.org)
Imports of Controversial Adler Shotgun Pouring Into Australia
4 March 2016
Australian Associated Press
SYDNEY - Thousands of Adler rapid-fire shotguns have flooded into Australia over the past six months, sidestepping a ban on a previous version of the controversial weapon imposed following the deadly Sydney siege.
As commonwealth and state ministers and attorneys-general were undertaking an urgent review of national gun laws following the siege, orders for a five-round version of the Turkish-made Adler A110 were already pouring into gun dealers across the... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico's Gun Dealers Are Unfazed by Obama
26 February 2016
Global Post (Boston)
MEXICO CITY — Javier scoots onto a plastic stool in a courtyard. He reaches beneath his shirt and pulls out a shiny Smith & Wesson semi-automatic pistol. He deftly spins it through his hands, ejects the magazine, and holds it out for inspection.
"This one's new, straight from its packaging," he says.
It will cost 15,000 pesos with a box of ammo, around $810.
Javier, who only gave his first name, operates this illicit little gun mart in Tepito market, a famed... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico,Venezuela,Brazil,United States,Spain,France
Mexico Weapons Imports Increased 331% since 2011
23 February 2016
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Mexico's arms imports grew by 331 percent over the last five years, compared to 2006-2010, raising more concerns over the government's reluctance to scale back the militarization of the drug war.
The report (pdf), compiled by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), notes that arms imports to the Americas decreased by 6 percent from 2011-2015 versus 2006-2010. Despite this, Mexico, Venezuela, and Brazil all saw a rise in imports.
According to... (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)
European Union,Albania,Bosnia & Herzegovina,Bulgaria,Croatia,Greece,Kosovo,Macedonia,Montenegro,Serbia,Turkey
European Commission Tightens Gun Control Across the EU
18 November 2015
European Commission - Press release
The European Commission today adopted a package of measures to make it more difficult to acquire firearms in the European Union, better track legally held firearms, strengthen cooperation between Member States, and ensure that deactivated firearms are rendered inoperable. The proposals presented today were foreseen in the European Security Agenda adopted in April 2015, but have been significantly accelerated in light of recent events. The Commission is hereby supporting... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Ownership per Person Has Doubled in Past 20 Years
21 October 2015
Washington Post
There are nearly twice as many guns in the average gun-owning household today as there were 20 years ago, according to new Wonkblog estimates based data from surveys and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. In 2013, there were an estimated 8.1 firearms in the typical gun-owning household, according to these data. In 1994, the average gun-owning household owned 4.2 guns.
These numbers comport with what survey research has shown for several years now:... (GunPolicy.org)
There are Now More Guns than People in the United States
5 October 2015
Washington Post
It's tough to know exactly how many guns we have in the United States. Most estimates of the number of guns in the U.S. use federal tallies of the firearms manufactured, imported and exported by U.S. gunmakers.
A 2012 Congressional Research Service report published exactly one month before the Sandy Hook school shooting put the number of civilian firearms at 242 million in 1996, 259 million in 2000, and 310 million as of 2009.
If that 310 million number is correct, it... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Australia,Turkey
Weakening Australia's Gun Laws a 'Huge Mistake' - Ex-PM
10 September 2015
ABC News (Australia)
The Federal Government has agreed to allow the importation of the Adler lever-action shotgun in a year's time, pending a review into the system.
Gun control advocates say the rapid-fire weapon from Turkey should be permanently banned because of its fast firing rate and its eight-round capacity.
Mr Howard, who introduced a ban on automatic and semi-automatic weapons following the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, said he did not believe Australians wanted to see weaker... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Control Australia Says Adler Shotgun Threatens Safety
14 July 2015
ABC News (Australia)
A Turkish-made shotgun soon to be imported by one of Australia's leading gun lobby figures has become the latest front in a 20-year battle between the lobby and gun control activists.
The Adler shotgun is being imported by Robert Nioa, the son-in-law of maverick independent federal MP Bob Katter, and has the appearance of a technological throwback to the American wild west.
It uses a lever action to load cartridges in the barrel.
But Samantha Lee, the chair of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Ban on Firearms Imports Extended in Panama
9 July 2015
CentralAmericaData.com
From a resolution of the Ministry of Public Security:
It is resolved:
To extend the suspension of the import of weapons allowed in the country by companies duly authorized to apply for licenses from the Ministry for importing such goods. State Security and the security services of state institutions are excepted.
This Resolution is legally binding for a period of one (1) calendar month.
IT IS ADVISED that appeals in opposition to this resolution Resolved may appeal... (GunPolicy.org)
Disagreement About Origins of Illegal Firearms in Australia
26 May 2015
ABC News (Australia)
Tracing the source of guns used in crime across Australia is difficult, and the origins of illegal firearms is the subject of significant disagreement among federal lawmakers.
A recent Australian Crime Commission report on organised crime said a new database being developed will track the full life of a gun, something law enforcement agencies have never been able to do. But for now, where illegal guns come from remains a hotly debated topic.
A Senate inquiry into... (GunPolicy.org)
Sydney Siege Inquest: Gunman Secretive, Defiant Narcissist
25 May 2015
Washington Post / Associated Press
SYDNEY — The man who took 18 people hostage at a Sydney cafe last year was educated and erratic, secretive about his own life and public about his many grievances, and a self-obsessed fabulist whose life was spiraling downward in the lead-up to his deadly attack, lawyers told an inquest Monday.
The details of Man Monis' life and death are being examined at a coroner's inquest into December's siege at the Lindt Cafe, in which a shotgun-wielding Monis took customers... (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)
Armed Violence, Youth and New Caledonia's Future
22 October 2014
Le Centre pour le Destin Commun (New Caledonia), Blog
Good morning, my name is Daryl Morini. I am delighted to be here today representing the Centre for a Common Destiny, the first think and do tank in New Caledonia, which I founded last year with a team of young New Caledonians. We provide high-quality, non-partisan policy research and advocacy, specialising in conflict prevention reconciliation and arms control in a local context.
Today, I will talk about the background of political tensions, small arms issues and the... (GunPolicy.org)
South America,Central America,Caribbean,Cuba,United States,Russia,Nicaragua,Israel,El Salvador,Honduras,Europe,Belgium,Czech Republic,Germany,Italy,South Africa,Spain,Colombia,Mexico,Venezuela,Brazil,Argentina,Chile,Paraguay,Panama,Ecuador
Small Arms Trade a 'Dramatic Threat' to Latin America
13 October 2014
NACLA
Small arms and gun violence present the most dramatic threat to public safety in Latin America and the Caribbean. After decades of uncontrolled proliferation, at least 45 million to 80 million small arms and light weapons—that is, weapons operated by an individual or small group, including handguns, assault rifles, grenades, grenade launchers, and even man portable surface to air missiles—are circulating throughout the region.(1) Gunshots kill between 73,000 and... (GunPolicy.org)
US Man Jailed for Posting Handgun, Assault Weapons to Australia in Xbox
12 August 2014
Australian Associated Press
A US man who hid an assault rifle in a DVD player and a 9mm pistol in an Xbox console, and posted them to customers in Australia, has been jailed for two years.
Adam Joseph Bunger, 34, wept in a Bowling Green, Kentucky, court when he explained he did it to pay for his girlfriend's college education.
"Maybe you should have gotten two extra jobs instead of doing this," replied US District Judge Joseph McKinley, radio station WKU reported.
Bunger had pleaded guilty to... (GunPolicy.org)
Dominican Republic Minister Says Gun Import Ban Ineffective [ES]
29 June 2014
Listin Diario
[Translated summary: The Defence Minister of the Dominican Republic says the ban on importing firearms has done more harm than good, adding that 98% of firearm deaths and injuries are caused by illegal weapons.]
SANTO DOMINGO - El ministro de Defensa aseguró que la prohibición de la importación de armas de fuego ha hecho más mal que bien al país.
El almirante Sigfrido Pared Pérez reveló que el 98 por ciento de las muertes y heridas que se cometen son producidas... (GunPolicy.org)
Uruguay Authorities Concerned About Children with Handguns [ES]
24 June 2014
El Pais (Uruguay)
[Translated summary: Authorities are concerned about the use of handguns and other firearms by children in Uruguay. Many of the handguns come from Argentina, because they are cheaper, but it is not clear how youths are obtaining the firearms.]
"Que los menores estén bien armados, es la realidad de hoy. En el pasado usaban armas más antiguas y precarias. Ese es su comportamiento", dijo a El País la jueza de Adolescentes, Aída Vera Barreto.
Una opinión similar... (GunPolicy.org)
Tasmanian Police Launch Public Appeal to Round Up Illegal Guns
16 June 2014
ABC News (Australia)
Tasmania Police has launched a two-week effort to help rid the state of illegal firearms.
Operation Unification starts is part of a nationwide campaign that aims to curb the manufacture, importation and use of illegal firearms.
According to police, most illegal firearms were once legal and had either been stolen or were unregistered.
In the last financial year, 192 firearms were stolen and just 23 recovered.
Detective Senior Sergeant Craig Joel said some weapons... (GunPolicy.org)
UN - Liberia's Refusal to Enact Firearms Law Dampening Embargo Lift
10 June 2014
Front Page Africa
MONROVIA — The United Nations Panel of Experts said in its May 2014 report to the Security Council that the government of Liberia is dragging its feet on the enactment of national firearms legislation.
The Panel said the law is critical to providing the legal framework and institutional mechanism to ensure effective small arms control in Liberia, a country that has in the past been controversial as it relates to arms trafficking in the region.
"The Panel is of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Top Ranking Filipino Policemen Accused of Selling High-Powered Firearms
6 June 2014
Gulf News (Dubai)
Manila - Nineteen top ranking policemen and 10 private businessmen have been accused of facilitating the sale of 1,000 high-powered firearms stolen from the Philippine National Police (PNP) to communist rebels.
An investigation is also ongoing for the alleged sale of government-issued firearms and ammunition to a separatist Filipino-Muslim rebel group in the southern Philippines, sources told Gulf News.
Chief Supt. Raul Petrasanta, regional director of the Philippine... (GunPolicy.org)
Bhutan Police Announce Plans to Enforce Ban on Gun, Ammo Imports
2 June 2014
Kuensel Online
The import of guns and bullets into Bhutan has been banned from this month.
The Royal Bhutan Police (RBP) made this announcement in the media and on its website, earlier this month.
In its announcement, RBP referred to section 11 of the Fire Arms and Ammunition Act 1990, which bans the import of firearms and ammunition by the general public, for its recent decision.
However, section 11 does allow for the purchase and import of ammunition for "authorised... (GunPolicy.org)
American Sentenced in Fiji Over Bribery, Gun Charges
31 May 2014
Fiji Times
An American national who attempted to bring in guns and ammunition into the country had his sentence changed after the High Court reviewed it.
Sonny Blake was convicted of bribing a Customs officer and possession of firearms without a license by the Magistrates Court.
He was given a 12-month jail term suspended for five years, fined $1000 and conviction not recorded.
In his judgment Justice Paul Madigan said in this age where commercial intercourse was paramount and... (GunPolicy.org)
Hundreds of Guns Missing from Official Storage in Philippines
16 May 2014
ABS-CBN News (Manila)
MANILA, Philippines - At least 63 short firearms imported by a private gun dealer and kept in the storage facilities of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Firearms and Explosives Office (FEO) at Camp Crame in Quezon City have been confirmed to be missing, an official said yesterday.
FEO chief Senior Superintendent Roberto Po said at least 10 FEO personnel were placed under investigation after the loss was discovered on Wednesday.
An employee of Juavi Gun Store, who... (GunPolicy.org)
United Kingdom,Russia,Germany,Thailand,Kazakhstan,Italy,United States,Canada,Norway
Kalashnikov Small Arms Production in Russia More Than Doubles in 2014
28 April 2014
RIA Novosti (Russia)
MOSCOW – The Kalashnikov Concern produced 230 percent more small arms weapons in the first quarter of this year than in the year-ago period, the company's press service told RIA Novosti Monday.
"In the first three months of the year we had a record-high volume production of small arms in the amount of 31,000 items, which makes 41 percent of the total output of similar products for 2013," the company said.
"The current results are 230 percent higher than those in the... (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)
Major Haul of Smuggled Guns Seized in Bahamas
16 April 2014
Tribune (Bahamas)
FREEPORT – Following a major firearm seizure in Exuma, a Bahamas Customs official expressed concerns about the new smuggling techniques that are being employed by gun smugglers in the Bahamas.
The illegal importation of firearms is a major challenge for Bahamian law enforcement authorities. Guns are used in about 60 per cent of violent crimes in the country.
In the Bahamas, the annual rate of firearm homicide per 100,000 population was 22.2 in 2010, according to an... (GunPolicy.org)
Germany,Bahrain,South Korea,Japan,United Kingdom,Italy,United States
Local Gun Control Laws Make Overseas US Military Bases 'Safer'
9 April 2014
Stars and Stripes (USA)
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — Strict gun laws in foreign countries mean many in America's overseas military communities feel safer than they would at home, although they're divided over whether tougher rules would reduce gun violence in the U.S.
"For the most part, I feel safer over here because we're not allowed to bring guns," Sgt. Roseann Baena, a 26-year-old soldier assigned to Europe Regional Dental Command in Sembach, Germany, said Tuesday.
Her comment was typical... (GunPolicy.org)
US Has More Guns, Fewer Owners: 5% Own Most of the Firearms
15 March 2014
Economist
WARRENTON, Virginia - Live fire crackles from the range at Clark Brothers, a gun shop in Virginia. Inside, the most striking things are the enormous gun safes. Some of these metal boxes, which cost over $1,000, can withstand hours of exposure to wildfires and being dropped from 200 feet.
They are the result of a shift in gun ownership. Surveys suggest that the proportion of American households that own guns has declined from about 50% in the early 1980s to about 35%... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Press, Arms Dealers Talk Up US/Russia 'Ammo Shortage' Sales Panic
11 March 2014
Washington Examiner
American gun owners are gobbling up cheap Russian ammunition in huge quantities, worried that President Obama's tussle with Vladimir Putin over Moscow's grab for Crimea will result in new trade sanctions cutting off imports of bullets.
"We've seen an ammo-hoarding effect," said Larry Hyatt, owner of Hyatt Gun Shop in Charlotte, N.C., one of the nation's biggest gun stores. "It's almost like milk and bread when it gets ready to snow: It's just a mass of people running... (GunPolicy.org)
Germany,Colombia,United States,Libya,Georgia,Russia,Mexico
Banned German Firearms Being Sold in Colombia
1 March 2014
Deutsche Welle
German law prohibits the export of weapons to crisis or conflict regions. But guns sporting the label "Made in Germany" are being sold in war-torn Colombia. Manufacturers have denied any involvement in illegal exports.
A person who wants to buy a gun legally in Colombia must be at least 25 years old, provide proof of income and a gun license and possess no criminal record. The arms trade in the South American country is a state monopoly run by the weapons manufacturer... (GunPolicy.org)
China,Australia,United Kingdom,United States,Japan,Russia
Japan Set to Ratify Arms Trade Treaty Despite Proposal to Relax Gun Exports
16 February 2014
Japan Times
A bill to ratify the Arms Trade Treaty, the first international pact to regulating trade in conventional arms, is scheduled to be submitted to the Diet by the end of this month, government sources said.
The measure, coming less than a year after Japan signed the treaty adopted at the U.N. General Assembly last April, underscores Tokyo's eagerness to nudge others to join the framework, the sources said Saturday.
However, the move appears incongruous with the stance of... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Police Ruling on Handgun May Widen Rifle Magazine Loophole
28 January 2014
Global News (Canada)
An RCMP decision on whether to approve an Alberta man's exotic pistol could widen a loophole doubling the legal magazine capacity for semi-automatic rifles.
Last year Edward Osborne, a Calgary gun collector and competitive target shooter, imported a Czech-made VZ58 pistol, a shortened version of the popular CZ858 rifle, from the United States.
"I like it because it's very unique," he said in an interview. "I like the VZ58 platform in general, and this is one that I'd... (GunPolicy.org)
Tanzania's New, Tough Firearm Sale, Possession Laws
20 January 2014
Tanzania Daily News
Disturbed by a recent spate of indiscriminate killings using legally owned firearms, the government will soon introduce a new legislation to strictly regulate and control importation, sales and ownership of guns.
Although it is not yet established whether the new Act will phase out the existing Arms and Ammunition Act of 2007, the legislation will address the shortcomings in the current Act used by gun owners to use them in criminal acts, kill themselves and innocent... (GunPolicy.org)
Russia's Kalashnikov Plans to Sell 200,000 Guns in US Annually
13 January 2014
RIA Novosti (Russia)
MOSCOW – Russia's Kalashnikov gun maker is planning to sell up to 200,000 hunting and sporting rifles and shotguns in the United States every year, the company said Monday.
The recently established Kalashnikov Concern, which includes Izhmash, Izhmekh and some other small-arms manufacturers under the famed Kalashnikov brand, is expected to sign an exclusive agreement with the Russian Weapon Company at the 2014 SHOT Show in Las Vegas in January.
According to... (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)
China,Egypt,United States,Turkey
Over 2,000 Rifles Seized At Egyptian Port
29 December 2013
Egypt State Information Service
Egyptian customs authorities on Saturday seized firearms and ammunition in containers coming from the United States, Turkey and China.
Two Beirut-bound containers were found at the Alexandria port carrying 2,400 rifles of different types, said the head of the Egyptian Customs Authority Mohamed el-Salhawy.
Another two shipments of fireworks arrived at Dekheila port. They were imported under a fake request of medical supplies. Meantime, four containers were seized at... (GunPolicy.org)
Farce of 'Sporting Firearms': Turkey Fudges 47 Tons of Arms to Syria
17 December 2013
Hürriyet Daily News (Istanbul)
No weapons intended for war have been exported to Syria in 2013, Defense Minister İsmet Yılmaz has said, while acknowledging that weapons "without military uses" for use in sports activities have been exported to Syria, indirectly acknowledging a recent report by daily Hürriyet.
Yılmaz, however, declined to elaborate on the addressee of the imported weaponry.
Permission for exportation of all weapons from Turkey are issued by the Defense Ministry, Yılmaz said on... (GunPolicy.org)
New Law in New Zealand Restricts Access to Imitation Guns
13 December 2013
New Zealand Herald
You can buy real-looking guns for just a fistful of dollars at a $2 shop.
The Herald did just that. The cheapest was $45 and looked like a real pistol. It doesn't fire bullets - but when cocked using the same action as a real automatic pistol, it will fire a small, plastic BB sphere.
When we took the gun to police, they explained it still had a deadly potential but instead of being potentially fatal for the target, it was the wielder of the weapon who faced the... (GunPolicy.org)
NZ Police Endorse New Law on Military Firearms, 'Restricted' Air Guns
6 December 2013
Scoop (New Zealand), Media release
Police welcome new laws coming into effect next week that place import restrictions on some airguns and clarify the definition of military style semi-automatic firearms.
The Arms (Military Style Semi-automatic Firearms and Import Controls) Amendment Act was passed in 2012 and comes into effect on 11 December 2013.
It creates a new category of airgun – the restricted airgun. A restricted airgun is an airgun (with or without any of its attachments) that either:
- has... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada Delays Gun Tracing Regulations for Sixth Time
4 December 2013
Toronto Star (Ontario)
OTTAWA — The federal Conservatives have once again pushed back regulations that would require gun manufacturers and importers to imprint the year and country of origin on their products.
It's the sixth time the federal government has punted the regulations, which are required by two international treaties, down the road for more consultations with industry. And the government is signalling the current review may result in the repeal of the regulations... (GunPolicy.org)
3-D Gun Printing: New-Wave Threat Bigger, Smaller Than Headlines
1 December 2013
OSCE
Like many technological advances that make the headlines, the technique of 3D printing, or additive fabrication as it is more properly called, is not really new. industrial manufacturers have been using it for decades, primarily as a quick way of creating prototypes.
What is new, however, is that 3D printers have become inexpensive enough to be readily available to the average person. Nowadays you can get a 3D printer for US$1,000 – although you will still pay a... (GunPolicy.org)
Imitation Guns Illegal in Malaysia, Police Give Public One Month to Surrender
26 November 2013
New Straits Times (Malaysia)
KUALA LUMPUR - All imitation firearms, including those used for sports activities and without licences, must be surrendered to police within a month.
Federal police Logistics Department director Datuk Zulkifli Abdullah said all imitation firearms, which resembled genuine ones, must be turned in.
He said the public was given until Dec 25 to do so at any district police headquarters.
Following their surrender, he said owners could apply for a "use and carry" licence... (GunPolicy.org)
Ammo Stash Found in Mongolia, Officials Worried About Smuggling
23 November 2013
UB Post (Mongolia)
Only two entities in Mongolia currently are permitted to import firearms and ammunition. However, several cases of illegal smuggling and importation of firearms were reported lately.
Customs officers in Ulaanbaatar found seven boxes of ammunition while inspecting a container delivering second-hand clothes from the U.S. The authorities found 350 pieces of ammunition in total.
Owner of the container said that he had no knowledge of the ammunitions in the container and... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Govt Launches Study of Gun Industry to Combat Crime, Smuggling
22 November 2013
Toronto Star (Ontario)
OTTAWA — The federal government is launching an "in-depth" study of the country's civilian firearms industry as part of a program to combat gun crime and weapons smuggling and trafficking.
A request for proposal seeking research bids was posted this week by Public Works.
The study, "Characteristics of the Canadian Firearms Industry Supplying the Civilian Market," is to be completed by March 31, 2014.
Public Safety Canada wants up-to-date details on who is... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Gun Importers Face Tougher Penalties Under New Anti-Gang Laws
22 November 2013
Guardian (UK)
Laws mandating five-year minimum sentences for convicted firearms importers will be introduced as part of a national police crackdown on organised crime.
Federal justice minister Michael Keenan said on Friday that the proposed laws would "send the strongest possible message that [authorities] will not tolerate gun crime".
A NSW strike team, comprising two NSW police officers, three from the Australian federal police (AFP), an Australian Tax Office (ATO) investigator,... (GunPolicy.org)
New Gun Transport Laws Proposed in Russia to Attract Hunting Tourists
19 November 2013
Moscow Times
Aiming to lure tourists to Russia for hunting trips, the Interior Ministry has proposed new legislation that could make it easier to temporarily import sporting firearms and transport them within the country.
The amendments would allow foreign citizens to carry firearms across the Russian border without certification if the purpose of their visit is to hunt or participate in shooting related events, according to a draft posted Monday on the unified government... (GunPolicy.org)
Burkina Faso Officials Meet with Gunsmiths Over Imports [FR]
18 November 2013
Le Faso (Ouagadougou)
[Translated summary: Burkina Faso officials have met with stakeholders and gunsmiths to explain the laws on importing and marketing firearms and ammunition, to address trafficking concerns.]
La prolifération des armes ainsi que la situation sécuritaire de la sous-région marquée par des crises commandent que le gouvernement surveille l'entrée et l'utilisation des armes sur le sol burkinabè. Pour ce faire, il a décidé de prendre les devants. C'est ainsi que le... (GunPolicy.org)
3D Guns Seen as Threat as 'Invisible' Gun Law Expires in US
15 November 2013
USA Today
WASHINGTON — When a decades-old law banning undetectable firearms expires less than a month from now, federal agents say a plastic weapon created on a 3-D printer could emerge as a national security threat.
The homemade plastic gun, known as the "Liberator .380" and made with a computer blueprint, a 3-D printer and plastic resin, could pass through security checkpoints without setting off metal detectors.
The gun uses only the smallest bits of metal for ammunition... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia,Guatemala,Italy,Israel
Beretta, Glock Pistols, Israeli Submachine Guns for Guatemala Police
7 November 2013
Fox News Latino (USA) / EFE News Agency
The Guatemalan government will invest some $12.6 million to buy new weapons for the National Civil Police, or PNC, a government minister said Wednesday.
Interior Minister Mauricio Lopez Bonilla said at a press conference that after 10 "failed bidding processes" to buy the weapons for the PNC held between 2005 and 2011, authorities opted to make the acquisition from three different foreign manufacturers via an "exceptional agreement."
The procedure, which is allowed by... (GunPolicy.org)
Italy,Sierra Leone,United States,India
US Security Firm's Arms Shipment Detained in India Over Lack of Papers
13 October 2013
Guardian (UK) / Reuters
India has detained an armed ship operated by a US maritime security company, including the 35 people on board, for failing to produce papers authorizing it to carry weapons and ammunition in Indian waters, the coast guard said on Sunday.
Coast Guard Commandant Anand Kumar said the ship was stopped on Friday and was being held in the southern port of Tuticorin along with its 10 crew and 25 armed guards, until required documentation is submitted.
The crew and security... (GunPolicy.org)
Billions in Legal Gun Imports to Saudi Arabia in 2012, Smuggling Rising
5 October 2013
Arab News (Jeddah)
RIYADH - The value of weapons, ammunition and their accessories imported into Saudi Arabia for personal use exceeded SR3.4 billion in 2012, according to the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA).
The Customs Department has thwarted attempts to smuggle more than 10,000 pieces of arms and ammunition into the Kingdom.
Border guards also managed to thwart attempts to smuggle more than 132,000 pieces of weaponry and ammunition during the first six months of the current... (GunPolicy.org)
Draft European Union Decision to Approve UN Firearms Protocol
12 September 2013
UK Home Office and Ministry of Justice
The Minister of State for Policing and Criminal Justice (Damian Green): The UK has opted into the draft Council Decision to approve, on behalf of the EU, the UN Firearms Protocol against the illicit manufacturing of and trafficking in firearms, their parts and components and ammunition. The Protocol supplements the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organised Crime.
The Protocol creates a legal regime for the transnational movement of firearms and contains... (GunPolicy.org)
How Empty Public Housing Hid Cache of High-Powered Guns in Australia
11 September 2013
Herald Sun (Melbourne) / Daily Telegraph (Sydney)
A public housing property was being raided by police last night after it was uncovered to be a safehouse used to hide a cache of firearms beneath its floorboards.
The Daily Telegraph was at the scene as officers from the Middle Eastern Organised Crime Squad raided the Housing NSW property on Hollywood Drive, Lansvale, uncovering eight high-powered firearms, telescopic lenses, a stash of bullets, magazines and a stab-proof vest.
The premises was unoccupied at the time... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Herald Sun (Melbourne) / Daily Telegraph (Sydney)
US Introduces Two Gun-Control Measures as New ATF Director Sworn In
29 August 2013
BBC News
The White House has announced two executive orders on gun control, after a failed legislative attempt to pass firearms regulations.
Vice-President Joe Biden announced that the administration would end the import of military surplus weapons.
The second order aims to stop criminals registering guns to corporations or trusts to dodge background checks.
The gun-control debate was revived as a gunman killed 20 schoolchildren in Connecticut last December.
Gun rights... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Sales Drop in Costa Rica, Authorities Attribute to Tough Laws
28 August 2013
Costa Rica Star
Less guns, more bullets: According to figures recently reported by Ronny Rojas of news daily La Nacion, there is a clear interest among people in Costa Rica in purchasing firearms of higher round (ammunition) capacity. In 2012, gun dealers in Costa Rica imported 4,540 semiautomatic pistols, double the annual rate since 2010. Revolvers, on the other hand, are losing favor; only 367 were imported in 2012, compared to 7,471 in 2007.
Revolvers usually hold up to eight... (GunPolicy.org)
48,000 Registered Firearms in New Caledonia [FR]
26 August 2013
Centre pour le Destin Commun, Blog
[Translated summary: Since the enactment of the 2011 Act facilitating the sale of weapons in New Caledonia, the availability, import, and sale of hunting rifles have been steadily increasing. In 2011, 4,521 new hunting rifles were bought - three times more than previous years - for a total of 48,000 officially declared firearms. Unofficially, a more accurate figure would be closer to 150,000 firearms in circulation. Consequently, if New Caledonia was a sovereign state,... (GunPolicy.org)
Bangladesh Civilian Gun Imports Dodging Taxes
26 August 2013
New Nation (Dhaka)
Some individuals are importing light guns, particularly pistol, revolver, shotgun and rifle, in the country in under invoiced price depriving the government a huge amount of revenues taking the advantage of relaxed mood of the National Board of Revenue [NBR], sources said.
The non-prohibited bore of arms mainly permitted for the civilians - point 22, point 25, point 357 and point 32 caliber - are being imported from Singapore under the baggage rule. As per the rule,... (GunPolicy.org)
Nigeria Becomes First African Country to Ratify Arms Trade Treaty
13 August 2013
Premium Times (Nigeria)
Nigeria has become the first Africa country to sign and ratify the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olugbenga Ashiru, has disclosed.
"Nigeria becomes the first African country to sign and ratify the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT).
"This landmark event represents our deep commitment to a treaty which establishes common international standards for the import, export and transfer of conventional arms.
"We remain resolute and unyielding in our efforts... (GunPolicy.org)
In Indonesia: Challenge is to Keep Out Illegal Guns
8 August 2013
Straits Times (Singapore)
Money may be the only constraint when it comes to owning a gun in Indonesia - illegally.
To own it legally, strict prerequisites apply. One must be physically and mentally fit, not bad-tempered - based on a psychology test at the national police headquarters - and between age 21 and 65, with no criminal record.
Police will also evaluate the need for owning a gun before granting a permit. High-ranking civil servants and senior managers at private firms may be... (GunPolicy.org)
India Shooter Angered Over Import Duty on Air Gun
6 August 2013
Indian Express
A Haryana resident, who is also a member of Maharashtra Rifle Association, sent a legal notice to the Customs last month, a year after he was forced at the Mumbai airport to pay import duty on a .177-calibre air rifle, an item that was made duty-free by a Customs' notification in 2005.
Amitoj Singh has argued that though air guns and pistols do not come under the purview of the Arms Act and are exempted from import duty, he was made to pay Rs 30,000 (35% of its price)... (GunPolicy.org)
Trade in Iron and Blood: Impact of American Guns on Mexican Violence
30 July 2013
Action on Armed Violence
For all the news and emotion surrounding the debate over mass-shootings and gun-control within the United States, another related tragedy has been unfolding simultaneously just across the border. But, unlike in the US, this tragedy has much greater bloodshed and much less media attention.
Since 2006, tens of thousands of people have been killed in Mexico in drug-related violence. The numbers dead are similar to a conventional war. But, in contrast to other conflicts... (GunPolicy.org)
New Philippines Gun Control Law to Licence Gunsmiths, Regulate Guns
27 July 2013
ABS-CBN News (Manila) / Philippine Star
MANILA, Philippines - A new law on gun control requires gunsmiths to have licenses for them to repair registered firearms.
This is one of the salient points in the newly approved Republic Act 10591, also known as the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act, which will take effect in September, four months after President Aquino signed it on May 29.
Chief Superintendent Raul Petrasanta, chief of the Firearms and Explosives Office (FEO) said his unit has... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Man Charged After Gun Shopping Online Delivers M4 Rifle
24 July 2013
Herald Sun (Melbourne) / Courier-Mail (Brisbane)
Police have charged a chef at a resort island off Cairns who allegedly took delivery of an M4 rifle, a gun barrel extension and laser pointer ordered on the internet.
Officers are puzzled over how a military-style assault rifle bypassed strict Australian Customs screening and landed in the hands of a chef working on Green Island.
Detectives raided the 52-year-old's Green Island Resort room and uncovered the banned M4 carbine rifle, a gun barrel extension and laser... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Permits Jump in US State Despite Falling Rates of Violence
21 July 2013
Hawaii Reporter
Hawaii firearms registrations shot up more than 70 percent in 2012, while gun violence continued a four-year decline, according to a new state Department of the Attorney General report.
"While there has been a tremendous increase in firearm registration activity in Hawaii since 2000, the annual trends for both the number of firearm-related violent crimes and the proportion of violent crimes involving firearms relative to other weapon types remained stable within a low... (GunPolicy.org)
Syria,Sudan,South Africa,Kenya
South Africa: Gun Dealer Sold Arms to Conflict Zones
20 July 2013
Independent/IOL Daily News (South Africa) / Saturday Star
JOHANNESBURG - A director of a Joburg gun shop was allegedly involved in importing military weapons for "special forces" and then selling them to countries in conflict.
This emerged in a state affidavit placed before the Lenasia Magistrate's Court on Friday.
In the bail application of Gareth De Nysschen, a director at Dave Sheer Guns, the State indicated that the business had been investigated by military intelligence for two years.
De Nysschen was arrested last week... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Independent/IOL Daily News (South Africa) / Saturday Star
Singapore,Estonia,Brazil,Italy,United States,Germany,Malaysia
Brazil Named Fourth Top Arms Exporter in the World [PT]
8 July 2013
Tribuna Hoje (Brazil)
[Translated summary - A new Small Arms Survey report shows Brazil is ranked the fourth biggest arms exporter in the world. In 2010, Brazil exported $326 million (£736 million) in arms and ammunition, behind the United States of America, Germany, and Italy. Most of the exported weapons go to the United States, Malaysia, Germany, Estonia and Singapore.]
O Brasil ocupa a 4ª posição no ranking de maiores exportadores de armamentos do mundo, segundo documento divulgado... (GunPolicy.org)
Africa,Americas,Oceania,Europe,Asia
Report: Most Armed Violence Has Nothing to Do With War
2 July 2013
Voice of America
A new report finds only a small percentage of people who die violently are killed as a direct result of war. The Small Arms Survey 2013 reports hundreds of thousands of people die every year as a result of armed violence while going about their daily activities.
The news media report daily on people killed by machine gun fire, mortars and other lethal weapons in conflicts such as Syria, Mali, and Afghanistan.
But according to the Small Arms Survey, these deaths... (GunPolicy.org)
Illegal Firearms Flood Bangladesh Amid Alleged Corruption
29 June 2013
Dhaka Tribune
In the wake of the ongoing city corporation polls around the country and the national elections due in a few months' time, illegal firearms have flooded every corner of the country.
Thanks to loose enforcement of law, these firearms, mostly smuggled across the border, are used unabated for political clashes, tender manipulation, extortion and street mugging.
Sources in law enforcement agencies have said political leaders, eyeing to flex muscles for political showdowns... (GunPolicy.org)
Bermuda Gun Clubs Upset Over Amendments to Gun Law
28 June 2013
Royal Gazette (Bermuda)
Local target shooting enthusiasts are mulling filing a complaint against Government for what they say is a law which discriminates against Bermudians.
They are also up in arms over the seizure of pistols valued at more than $70,000 by the Police Commissioner in 2011 for which they have not been compensated.
Bermuda's gun control regime began with the Firearms Act 1973, a legislative response to the murders of Police Commissioner George Duckett, the Governor Richard... (GunPolicy.org)
Officials Seize 8 Imitation Guns Illegally Imported to Malaysia
19 June 2013
Borneo Post
IPOH - Perak Customs seized eight imitation firearms which were imported without permit, at the General Post Office here on Saturday.
State Customs Department director Datuk Mohd Nasir Said said during an inspection carried out by a Customs team at about noon, they seized among others an imitation M16 gun, MP5, air rifle, Glock and automatic Colt 45 pistols.
"The five high quality imitation firearms were estimated to be worth RM2,043.90 and duties involved amounted to... (GunPolicy.org)
Taskforce Estimates 65% of Arms Imported to Nigeria Arrive Via Waterways
6 June 2013
WorldStage Newsonline (Nigeria)
The President, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) Mr. Eugene Nweke has said that Sixty five per cent of arms and ammunitions imported into Nigeria enter through the waterways, the President, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) Mr. Eugene Nweke has said.
Addressing members of the National Taskforce on Small Arms, Ammunitions and Light - Weapons who paid a courtesy visit to NAGAFF village in Lagos,... (GunPolicy.org)
Venezuela Passes New Gun Law Including Compensation for Victims
5 June 2013
Venezuela Analysis
Venezuela's National Assembly (AN) has approved a new law that restricts access to firearms and provides an amnesty for owners of illegal firearms to surrender their weapons.
The Law for the Control of Firearms, Ammunition and Disarmament was passed by the AN on Tuesday, and is set to be enacted into law next week, on June 11.
According to the chairperson of the parliamentary committee on domestic policy, Elvis Amoroso, the law is "guaranteed" to save lives.
"Every... (GunPolicy.org)
Bermuda MPs Pass Law to Ease Gun Imports for Competition
3 June 2013
Royal Gazette (Bermuda)
Parliament has approved a measure to allow importation of certain firearms required for shooting competitions — in time for the NatWest Island Games which will be held here in July.
The Opposition Progressive Labour Party opposed the measures arguing that it was prejudicial to Bermudians engaged in shooting sports and not enough consultation had been done.
But Public Safety Minister Michael Dunkley, who sponsored the bill, argued otherwise.
The Firearms Amendment... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada Not Yet Among 60 Countries Signing Arms Trade Treaty
3 June 2013
CBC News (Canada)
Canada isn't saying whether it will join more than 60 other countries in signing a landmark treaty to regulate the multibillion-dollar global arms trade.
The federal government hasn't decided whether it agrees with the UN's arms trade treaty, despite having voted to move it ahead in the first place, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said Monday.
"We believe that any treaty regarding the sale of munitions that helps move the international community closer to... (GunPolicy.org)
Saudi Arabia,Libya,Mexico,Germany
Weapons Exports Reveal Faults in German System
30 May 2013
Deutsche Welle
Germany prides itself on having "strict, even restrictive regulations" for the export of weapons of war. All the same, German weapons regularly show up in regions they should not be in.
For years, every single government coalition in Germany has stated that the country has particularly strict regulations for sales of weapons of war to foreign countries. Regularly, however, weapons used abroad but "made in Germany" get into the news. People are outraged when assault... (GunPolicy.org)
Draft Firearm Regulations Released in Australia
28 May 2013
Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Justice, Media release
Minister for Home Affairs Jason Clare today released draft regulations governing the importation of firearms for legitimate purposes.
Last year, the Government released a consultation paper and invited submissions.
90 submissions were received from industry stakeholders, law enforcement, the Commonwealth Firearms Advisory Council and the public.
The draft regulations have been approved by the Commonwealth Attorney-General's Department, the Australian Customs and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Justice
Each Year Tasmania Police Destroys Approximately 1,400 Firearms
24 May 2013
Tasmania Police, Media release
Police jurisdictions around the country are targeting illicit firearms as part of Operation Unification.
Illicit firearms are weapons that are illegally imported or manufactured in Australia, stolen from registered owners and/or may be used in criminal activities.
Operation Unification – Illicit Firearms will be conducted Australia-wide between Friday, 24 May and Friday, 7 June 2013, and aims to increase community awareness about the dangers of illicit... (GunPolicy.org)
Iranian Jailed for Illegal Arms Importation into Nigeria
14 May 2013
This Day (Lagos)
Justice Okechukwu Okeke of the Federal High Court in Lagos monday sentenced an Iranian national, Azim Aghajani, and his Nigerian counterpart, Ali Jega, to 17 years imprisonment each for their involvement in the importation of firearms into Nigeria.
Justice Okeke while delivering his judgment, held that he was not in doubt that the 13 containers loaded with arms were imported into the country, contrary to the claim by the accused persons that the containers contained... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Mexico,Guatemala
Report Traces Arms Trafficking from US to Guatemala
8 May 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
A new report sheds light on a little-studied subject: the trafficking of US weapons into Guatemala, a relatively limited phenomenon that could be far bigger than suggested by the available data and may play a role in the continuing violence and criminality in that Central American nation.
The report (pdf), from the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, reviews an analysis that the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted of... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Govt Budgets to Seize Rifles Easily Converted to Automatic
1 May 2013
Global News (Canada)
Six years after approving German-made rifles that can be converted to machine guns "in minutes" – guns that by law should have been prohibited to begin with – the federal government will spend up to $260,000 buying them from their owners.
In February 2007, the RCMP classified the SSD BD38, a semi-automatic replica of a German Second World War-era sub-machine gun, as a 'restricted' firearm, meaning that it had the same legal status as a handgun. That classification... (GunPolicy.org)
80-Yr-Old Indian Engineer Arrested for Supplying Arms Parts to Gang
1 May 2013
DNA India (Mumbai)
An 80-year-old man from Dadar was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly supplying spare parts of imported weapons, arms and ammunition to a Uttar Pradesh-based gang. A joint team of the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad and Mumbai police also recovered spare parts of imported weapons and ammunition from his flat.
Senior inspector of Dadar police station Prakash Patil said that D'Souza was arrested from his fifth floor flat at Salvation Apartments in Agar Bazaar area.... (GunPolicy.org)
Barbados Officials Warn Criminals are Stealing IDs to Illegally Import Guns
30 April 2013
Stabroek News (Guyana)
Barbadians are being advised to be careful with their identification cards as criminals are using stolen or bogus cards in their operations to import illegal drugs and guns.
Speaking to the Daily Nation yesterday, head of the Police Drug Squad, Superintendent Grafton Phillips, said that over the last year the Drug Squad had discovered that people were going to the Bridgetown Port, post offices, the cargo section at Grantley Adams International Airport and courier... (GunPolicy.org)
4,000 Air Guns Seized in Hong Kong, Cops Allege Illegal Modifications
25 April 2013
South China Morning Post (Hong Kong)
Police have arrested 12 people and seized a quantity of air guns suspected of being illegally modified on Wednesday as part of a crackdown on illegal firearms and ammunition in Hong Kong.
Officers seized 40 air guns from a shop at 224 Wan Chai Road and then raided a warehouse in Chai Wai, where they found and seized almost 4,000 more air guns.
The power of approximately 400 of the guns seized were suspected of having modified to exceed the Hong Kong legal limit of 2... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Soldier Faces Charges After Gun Smuggling Investigation
23 April 2013
CBC News (Canada)
An investigation into an international weapons smuggling operation has led police to raid an Ontario army base and lay more than 30 charges against a Quebec soldier.
Ontario provincial police say the raids conducted at CFB Borden and several locations in Quebec netted hundreds of firearms, gun enhancements and parts, including silencers and thousands of rounds of ammunition.
They say officers also seized documents related to the production of prohibited firearms parts... (GunPolicy.org)
Turkish People Spent TL 117 Million on Guns in 2012
22 April 2013
Today's Zaman (Istanbul)
Turkish people spent TL 117,922,000 on guns and bullets last year, with gun sales increasing by 54 percent, according to data from the state-owned Turkish Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation (MKE).
While a total of 19,575 handguns were sold in Turkey in 2011, the number of handguns sold last year rose to 30,207. The price of handguns ranges between TL 570 and TL 12,000. Of the 30,207 handguns, 21,464 were made in Turkey. A total of TL 57.8 million of revenue... (GunPolicy.org)
PNG Authorities Worried About Arms Smuggling
18 April 2013
Pacific Islands News Association (Fiji)
The Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC), Australian Federal Police and PNG Customs are very concerned about the high number of illegal firearms entering the country.
Former senior police officer Chief Superintendent Donald Yamasombi made this comment following a joint Police and Customs bust of a huge quantity of firearms, gun powder and accessories late last year.
Yamasombi said despite the bust involving a large quantity of illegal firearms, prominent... (GunPolicy.org)
Officials say US Gun Checks Would Stop Illegal Guns Getting to Bahamas
18 April 2013
Tribune (Bahamas)
Officials in the Bahamas had hoped that the now failed proposed measure to expand gun background checks in the United States would have assisted law enforcement here to stem the tide of illegal firearms into the country.
Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson, speaking to reporters yesterday, said any legislation that would have made it more difficult to traffic in firearms would have had a significant impact in the Bahamas.
"Very early on in our administration, the... (GunPolicy.org)
Illegal Gun Sent Through Mail in Canada Leads to Arrests
11 April 2013
CBC News (Canada)
RCMP and Canada Border Services Agency have intercepted a prohibited firearm that was being sent to someone in northern B.C. through the mail.
In late March, the CBSA found the gun in Canada Post mail destined for Dawson Creek, located in northeastern B.C.
Working with Canada Post, police tracked the alleged recipients of the package and arrested two Dawson Creek men, aged 31 and 40, who are both well-known to police.
Both men are facing charges of importation of a... (GunPolicy.org)
600,000 Unlicensed Guns in Philippines as Black Market Thrives
11 April 2013
France 24
Bespectacled and clean shaven, 37-year-old Jomari Paraas could pass for a typical office employee in the Philippines, except he has six guns in his backpack that he will soon sell.
The father-of-two is a prolific player in the country's enormous and lucrative weapons black market, which has been under scrutiny following a spate of high-profile massacres and shoot-outs this year.
"Why do I trade guns? Because there is a demand for it. And it's extra income," said... (GunPolicy.org)
India Police say Criminals Trying to Buy Guns from Students
8 April 2013
Times of India
CHENNAI - Police are worried over local criminals attempting to source guns from students from north India.
After several instances of students from Jharkhand, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh brandishing firearms and an engineering college student pistol-whipping a classmate and his friend in Maduravoyal on Thursday, police said they are keeping a close watch on students from outside Chennai.
Some students and former students from other cities have links with criminals in... (GunPolicy.org)
Bosnia & Herzegovina,Croatia,Montenegro,Slovenia,Serbia,Macedonia,Romania,Albania,Bulgaria
South East Europe Workshop Confirms Surplus Firearms a Regional Threat
8 April 2013
SEESAC (Belgrade)
On 3-5 April, the 6th Workshop of the Regional Approach to Stockpile Reduction (RASR) of Conventional Weapons and Munitions Initiative took place in Bled, Slovenia. The focus of the 6th RASR workshop were national legal frameworks regulating import, export and transit of weapons, ammunition and dual-use goods, particularly as they relate to the surplus weapons and munitions.
RASR is a regional initiative which aims to coordinate and support countries of South East... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Running into Mexico on the Rise as US Admits Lack of Data on Guns
4 April 2013
San Marco Mercury
As the gun control debate swirls around issues like background checks and mental health, a new study reveals that gun running into Mexico remains a large-scale problem.
In their report, titled "The Way of the Gun," researchers at the University of San Diego's Trans-Border Institute estimated that as many as 253,000 firearms were purchased in the United States from 2010 to 2012 for the sole purpose of being trafficked across the border into Mexico. The figure is nearly... (GunPolicy.org)
Africa: Making the Arms Trade Treaty Work in Practice is Real Challenge
3 April 2013
Institute for Security Studies (South Africa)
An outcome that does not make everyone happy is the hallmark of a successful negotiation process, to paraphrase Australian Ambassador Peter Woolcott, president of the United Nations' Final Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). He and his team certainly achieved that goal. Most states and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) agree that the treaty text does not meet the expectations that were created over the past two decades. However, mitigating this situation is... (GunPolicy.org)
China Says UN Arms Treaty Lacks Consensus
3 April 2013
South China Morning Post (Hong Kong)
There is no consensus on an international arms trade treaty, major weapons exporter China said on Wednesday, after it abstained as the UN General Assembly passed the measure by 154 votes to three.
The only votes against the first treaty on the conventional arms trade were from Syria, North Korea and Iran.
The 23 countries abstaining included Russia and China, ranked respectively as the number two and five weapons exporters by the Stockholm International Peace Research... (GunPolicy.org)
Americas,Asia,Africa,Oceania,Europe
UN Approves Global Gun Trade Treaty: NRA, Iran, N Korea, Syria Oppose
3 April 2013
Washington Post
UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. General Assembly voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to create the first treaty regulating the international arms trade, a landmark decision that imposes new constraints on the sale of conventional arms to governments and armed groups that commit war crimes, genocide and other mass atrocities.
The vote was hailed by arms-control advocates and scores of governments, including the United States, as a major step in the global effort to put in place... (GunPolicy.org)
India to Reject Arms Trade Treaty, Alleges Bias Against Arms Importers
28 March 2013
Times of India
NEW DELHI - New Delhi is set to reject a global arms trade treaty (ATT) since the agreement is heavily loaded against weapons-importing countries like India, and let exporting nations like the US and China call the shots. The treaty, meant to regulate all transfers of conventional arms around the world, is likely to be passed by the UN General Assembly next week. India's inability to establish an indigenous defence production industry may now become a strategic... (GunPolicy.org)
Corrupt Glock Police Pistol Deals Feed Philippine Crime Gun Market
26 March 2013
Investvine (Hong Kong)
Austrian gun maker Glock has been accused of supplying the black market in the Philippines with firearms in deals that were originally sealed with the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Over the past years, Glock delivered several batches of its highly demanded 9mm pistols to the PNP. The most recent deal was 12,000 pistols worth around $30 million ordered by the country's police forces as a first shipment of the biggest firearms procurement of the PNP so far, delivered... (GunPolicy.org)
Philippines,South East Asia,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
Arms Trade Treaty or What? - Opinion
21 March 2013
Philippine Star, Opinion
In the next week or so, the members of the United Nations have an opportunity to agree an historic Treaty that would make a lasting difference to people across the world. It's not front-page news most of the time, but the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) is within our grasp — and, with it, comes a chance to make a major contribution to the security of humankind. It will help to ensure that the uncontrolled movement of arms no longer threatens the security and prosperity of... (GunPolicy.org)
Caribbean Community Countries to Press for Greater Arms Trade Regulation
20 March 2013
Caribbean 360
GEORGETOWN, Guyana – Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries will be pressing for a successful conclusion to the final negotiation session of the United Nations Diplomatic Conference on an Arms Trade Treaty which began at the United Nations on Monday, according to a statement issued by the CARICOM Secretariat.
It said such an outcome to the 10-day conference is of vital importance to CARICOM, noting that at the CARICOM Inter-Sessional summit in Haiti last month,... (GunPolicy.org)
Romania,Burkina Faso,Poland,Russia,Latvia,Tunisia,Guinea,Senegal,Bulgaria,China,Africa,Europe,Côte d'Ivoire
Arms Proliferation and Abuse Shatter Communities in Côte d'Ivoire - AI
20 March 2013
Amnesty International (London)
Reckless and illegal arms supplies from Europe, Africa and China to the warring parties in Côte d'Ivoire over the past decade continue to fuel grave human rights abuses and violent crime in the country, Amnesty International said in a detailed report launched at the United Nations (UN) headquarters.
The 33-page report, Communities shattered by arms proliferation and abuse in Côte d'Ivoire, documents how a handful of states and a network of multinational arms... (GunPolicy.org)