Gun Policy News
Kalashnikov and variants mentioned in mass media
How the AR-15 Became The Most Popular Rifle In America
14 December 2017
CNN
Larry Hyatt had never seen such a frenzy.
The lines at Hyatt Guns, his shop in Charlotte, North Carolina, snaked out the door. The deep, green-walled warehouse bills itself as the largest gun shop in America, but even then Hyatt had to stretch to meet the demand.
At one point, he dispatched 37 salespeople to man the cash registers. He put up velvet ropes and hired a police officer. He even put a hot dog stand outside.
It was just after the Sandy Hook massacre -- and... (GunPolicy.org)
1.5 Million Firearms Estimated to be in NZ
4 October 2017
Stuff (New Zealand)
As the United States comes to terms with one of its deadliest mass shooting in modern history after 59 people massacred at a Las Vegas music festival, the bitter argument about gun control will be a talking point yet again. Brad Flahive and Andy Fyers take a look at the gun debate in New Zealand.
The small seaside town of Aramoana was the site of New Zealand's worst mass murder in modern history. After an argument with his neighbour, David Gray shot and killed 13... (GunPolicy.org)
Firearm Smuggling on the Thai-Cambodian Border
20 June 2017
ASEAN Today
Cambodia's Defense Ministry may have blood on their hands. The Thai media have claimed they are directly involved in arms smuggling. The Thai media made the claims after Thai authorities found a weapons cache in a vehicle in the Trat province of Thailand. They assert that the weapons may be linked to Cambodian Defense Minister, Tea Banh.
The Cambodian Defense Ministry are investigating the issue. However, the recent spate of arrests suggests that the problem is not... (GunPolicy.org)
29 December 2016
Deutsche Welle
"What do you mean, 'Where did I get the gun?'" Mladen can't really understand why I would ask that question. He is almost 30 and the pistol has been among the household effects of his Belgrade apartment since he can remember. It is an old Yugoslavian version of the famous Soviet Tokarev TT- 33, with a communist star engraved in the grip. "The pistol is from the front. My old man was in the army and got it as a present. He didn't have a gun permit, but who had something... (GunPolicy.org)
Trump's Victory Has Fearful Minorities Buying Up Guns - NBC
23 November 2016
NBC News (USA)
After Donald Trump's win, Yolanda Scott is upgrading the crowbar she keeps in her purse to a small-caliber pistol.
Scott, an African-American, is one of many minorities who have been flocking to gun stores to protect themselves, afraid Trump's victory will incite more hate crimes.
"You feel that racists now feel like they can attack us just because the president is doing it," one gun shop owner told NBC News.
Gun store owners told NBC News that since November 8... (GunPolicy.org)
Traffickers Flood Mexico with Easily Bought American Guns [ES]
22 November 2016
Vice News (US)
[Translated summary: Although Mexico has some of the strictest gun legislation in the world, with only one shop where guns can be bought legally, there are more than 15 million guns in circulation and 85% are illegal. One of the main reasons is the proximity of the USA, where guns are easily available. Almost 100,000 Mexicans died of gun wounds in the last decade.]
Es casi la media noche del 11 de octubre y la policía recibe una llamada de emergencia alertando de una... (GunPolicy.org)
Violence in Jharkhand, India, Fueled by Handmade Guns
10 November 2016
India Today
It was a Wednesday morning late in June and Sudhanshu Kumar was in class joshing with friends. The class was to leave for the school assembly in a few minutes when the student of Dayanand Public School, Jamshedpur, heard a loud cracking sound and then felt an excruciating pain in his back.
It took the Class XI student a few seconds to realise he had been shot before he slumped on the desk, bleeding. Kumar had been shot by a classmate sitting two rows behind him. The... (GunPolicy.org)
Bengal is Becoming Hub of Illegal Handguns and Ammunition
6 November 2016
Economic Times (India)
Meandering roads lead to chaotic lanes. Then the roads vanish, as do the lanes. What remains are muddled passages between cluttered households. Most of these lead to deadends and the rest, chock-ablock with not-so-friendly-looking people, are almost unapproachable. Unlike in most neighbourhoods, locals here don't guide visitors to addresses. Most of the queries go unanswered and are at best met with a reluctant nod. These inimical streets of Kankuli village in the... (GunPolicy.org)
US Lost Track of Millions of Guns Sold to Middle East After 9/11
30 October 2016
The Washington Diplomat (US)
The United States has flooded Iraq and Afghanistan with billions of dollars worth of small arms since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and has lost track of millions of them, according to a recently published report on 412 Department of Defense contracts by the London-based advocacy nonprofit Action on Armed Violence.
People often associate U.S. military assistance with heavy hardware such as armored fighting vehicles, anti-tank weapons and attack helicopters.... (GunPolicy.org)
Spain Licences 8,000 Civilians to Carry Hidden Handguns
25 October 2016
El País (Colombia)
Sitting on a terrace having breakfast, Fernando glances around, and then opens his jacket to reveal a small pistol in a brown leather holster. It is a Glock 9mm and he carries it for protection. A jeweler by trade, he was the target of a number of violent attacks several years ago, and was subsequently declared "at risk" and issued a B license by Spanish police – a license that allows him to carry a firearm for self-defense.
Fernando is not particularly pleased to be... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico Seized 152,528 Guns from Drug Gangs in 10 Years [ES]
24 October 2016
Crónica (Mexico)
[Translated summary: Most of the 152,528 guns the Mexican army has confiscated from drug dealers are high-calibre weapons. Among them there are machine guns, rifles, shotguns, almost 60,000 handguns and over 19,000 AK-47 pattern rifles. They also found rocket launchers and mortars.]
La mayoría de las armas que el Ejército mexicano ha asegurado en flagrancia y en operativos a los grupos criminales en diez años de lucha contra el narcotráfico es de grueso calibre;... (GunPolicy.org)
California on Brink of US Election Upset Over Gun Control
24 October 2016
Los Angeles Times
Proposition 63 would enact the toughest gun controls in the United States. But it also would do something else: represent an astonishing historical milestone.
And if passed as expected, the ballot measure would illustrate a textbook example of how public policy can be radically changed in a democracy laden with competing checks and balances.
How is that? Through the long, slow process of taking incremental steps over decades. By pushing hard and steadily, but with... (GunPolicy.org)
2,000 Gun Homicides in Honduras in First Half of 2016 [ES]
23 October 2016
La Prensa (Honduras)
[Translated summary: In Honduras, 2,000 people were murdered with firearms in the first six months of the year, a number that represents 75% of total homicides in the country. Police explain that they are constantly combating crime and illegal gun trafficking and that they have seized a great number of AK-47 and AR-15-pattern rifles.]
San Pedro Sula -- Casi a diario las autoridades policiales y militares capturan personas por el delito de portación ilegal de armas,... (GunPolicy.org)
Shipment of War Weapons to Luxembourg Was "Normal" [FR]
21 October 2016
L'essentiel (Luxembourg)
[Translated summary: A shipment of 200 weapons of war (pistols and Kalashnikovs) heading to Luxembourg was detained in the Germany-Austria border. However, after 14 hours, authorities concluded that the shipment was perfectly legal. Gun dealers explain that several collectors and sport shooters are interest in semi-auto rifles.]
LUXEMBOURG -- La police et les vendeurs d'armes l'assurent: intercepter un camion transportant plus de 200 armes de guerre potentiellement... (GunPolicy.org)
Europe's Pro-gun Lobbies Dilute Planned EU Gun Control Law
21 October 2016
Deutsche Welle
The European Commission's attempts to ban the most dangerous semi-automatic weapons, such as AK-47 assault rifles, are being watered down thanks to pressure from a pan-European alliance of gun associations, according to documents leaked to "Der Spiegel" magazine.
The Commission's proposal, drawn up in the wake of last year's terrorist attacks at the Charlie Hebdo offices in Paris, is due to be finalized over the coming weeks by the European Parliament, the Commission,... (GunPolicy.org)
US 'National Dialogue Has Changed' on Guns - 130 of the Worst
21 October 2016
New York Times
John R. Houser was dangerously mentally ill, too ill to carry a gun. Of that, there is little doubt.
Over 16 years, Mr. Houser, 59, had been charged with hiring a man to burn down a lawyer's office and named in a domestic violence complaint. In 2008, after Mr. Houser threatened to kill his daughter's fiancé, a judge issued a temporary restraining order and ordered him hospitalized for psychiatric evaluation. In 2014, he threatened to shoot law enforcement officers who... (GunPolicy.org)
Spain Has 3 Million Guns Among 1.1 Million Citizens [ES]
17 October 2016
El País (Spain)
[Translated summary: Spain has 3 million registered firearms in the hands of 1.1 million citizens, most of them for hunting, sport or collecting. Only 8,000 people have type B licences that allow them to carry concealed guns. Since obtaining this licence is complicated, most people who fear for their safety tend to own guns for sport; they only have to attend a shooting club regularly to keep their licences.]
La población española es una de las menos armadas, pero... (GunPolicy.org)
US Women Think They're Feminists If They Own Guns [FR]
5 October 2016
TV5 Monde (France)
[Translated summary: More American women are buying one or several firearms and seeing their ownership as a symbol of emancipation. Dealers say that 20% of their sales are to women, while a recent poll by the National Shooting Sport Foundation saw an increase of 15% between 2010 and 2013. The number of women who practice sport shooting increased from 1.8 to 3.3 million in the last 15 years.]
Mères de famille, vendeuses d'armes à feu et d'accessoires spécialisés,... (GunPolicy.org)
Honduras: 2,038 Firearms Seized for Destruction This Year [ES]
4 October 2016
La Tribuna (Honduras)
[Translated summary: So far this year authorities in Honduras have seized 2,038 firearms, such as rifles (M-16, FAL, R-15, and AK-47 ), UZI machine guns and handguns of different calibres, from commercial and prohibited use. One of the rifles most used by criminal bands is the AK-47.]
Las autoridades de Honduras se han incautado en lo que va del presente año de unas 2.038 armas de fuego como fusiles, ametralladoras UZI y pistolas de diverso calibre, entre otras,... (GunPolicy.org)
2,075 Firearms Seized by Police in El Salvador This Year [ES]
4 October 2016
El Mundo (El Salvador)
[Translated Summary: El Salvador Police have seized 2,705 firearms in 2016. In this cache, there were 318 rifles (AK-47 and G3), 279 shotguns, 1,872 handguns and one M 60 machine gun. 474 of them were seized from gangs during police operations. There has been an increase of 77% in the seizure of firearms in relation to last year.]
La Policía Nacional Civil (PNC) ha incautado 2,705 armas de fuego en el 2016, de las cuales 318 son fusiles AK 47, M16, G-3 y de otros... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Gun Found Among Honduras Crime Gang Weapons [ES]
29 September 2016
El Heraldo (Honduras)
[Translated summary: Honduras police seized two AK rifles, one Beretta and one Taurus pistol left behind by criminals after an anti-drug raid. They also found grenades and bullets. One of the firearms had a National Police marking.]
La Fuerza de Seguridad Interinstitucional Nacional (FUSINA) decomisó este jueves armas y municiones que fueron abandonadas por varios sujetos.
El decomiso tuvo lugar la madrugada de este día en la comunidad de Raya, Puerto Lempira,... (GunPolicy.org)
Amérique du Sud,Amérique centrale,Mexique
Latin America Recent Seizures Reveal Thriving Gun Trade [ES]
22 September 2016
InSight Crime (Bogotá)
[Translated summary: A series of recent raids and reports highlights the thriving arms trade in Latin America which continues to disrupt countries and entire regions. For example, a report by Prensa Libre found the 9mm pistol has been the weapon most commonly confiscated by Guatemala's National Police.]
Una serie de redadas e informes recientes ponen de relieve el floreciente negocio de armas en toda Latinoamérica, lo que sirve tanto para beneficio de los grupos... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns Are Stolen in America As Often As Once Every Minute
21 September 2016
The Trace (USA)
ATLANTA — Landen Boyd parked his Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck at a construction site south of downtown Atlanta and went to work, leaving his black Smith & Wesson 9mm in a case underneath the center console.
It was the fall of 2006, and Boyd, a 37-year-old construction superintendent, was overseeing the development of an apartment complex across the train tracks from Mechanicsville, a high-crime neighborhood. When noon came, Boyd hitched a ride to eat lunch with... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Owners Lose Up to 60,000 Firearms a Year to Thieves
21 September 2016
Guardian
Landen Boyd parked his Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck at a construction site south of downtown Atlanta and went to work, leaving his black Smith & Wesson 9mm in a case underneath the center console.
While Boyd was eating lunch at a nearby rib joint, someone chucked a brick through his truck's back window, crawled inside, grabbed his weapon, and fled.
The Smith & Wesson vanished into Atlanta's underworld for more than two years. The handgun resurfaced when police... (GunPolicy.org)
Salvador,Amérique centrale,États-Unis
M16, AK Assault Rifles Often Used By Gangs in El Salvador
12 September 2016
InSight Crime (Bogotá), El Faro
The government of El Salvador's militarized campaign against the country's street gangs has been met by an increasingly heavily armed reaction. El Faro's investigation indicates that the gangs' growing use of assault rifles is an echo of the civil war that ended almost 25 years ago.
"Our presumption is that many are from the civil war," responds Mauricio Ramírez Landaverde, the Minister of Public Security, when questioned on the origin of the weapons that Salvadoran... (GunPolicy.org)
Suburban Gunslingers: How Melbourne Became a Gun City (2)
12 September 2016
Age (Melbourne)
Rachad Adra was lying in bed with his four-year-old son when bullets ripped through the front of his Thomastown house.
Fired from the street, they travelled through a window, a front room and through an inside wall before tearing into Adra's flesh, killing him. Neighbours heard the screams of his young son, who was seriously injured.
Ten months on, the rental house in Melbourne's north-west is vacant, and while the bullet-riddled glass has been replaced, the blinds... (GunPolicy.org)
Young, Dumb & Armed: How Melbourne Became a Gun City (1)
12 September 2016
Age (Melbourne)
Sunday at the south-side club is gangster night. The blokes in streetwear - G Star Raw, Adidas, Louis Vuitton man-bags - the women in not much.
It's an exhibition of murky trades: drug dealers, bikies, standover men, the underworld's rising stars and wannabes.
They come from across the city to party and be seen, sweeping into the sprawling neon-lit club like royalty.
The ones flush with cash can spend big to get a VIP booth above the action, while the up-and-comers... (GunPolicy.org)
New Law Would Curb Gun Numbers, AK-47s in Honduras [ES]
11 September 2016
Tiempo (Honduras)
[Translated summary: A new gun control bill is proposed in Honduras, where 80% of violent crime involves firearms. The new law would reduce from 5 to 1 the number of guns allowed, and would increase from 18 to 21 the minimum age to get a licence. Some guns would be banned from civilian use, such as the AK-47. It is estimated that there are 400,000 legal and 800,000 illicit guns in Honduras.]
TEGUCIGALPA -- El Diputado del Congreso Nacional (CN), Osman Aguilar pidió a... (GunPolicy.org)
El Salvador Criminal Gang Uses Mostly US-Made Rifles [ES]
7 September 2016
El Faro (El Salvador)
[Translated summary: "Maras" gangsters in El Salvador use assault weapons. The authorities, former soldiers, experts and even gang members confirm that most of them come from the civil war of the 80's. Police seize at least one rifle every 3 days and the most common are the M-16, the AK-47 and the Galil.]
El gobierno del FMLN combate contra mareros equipados con fusiles de asalto. Autoridades, excomandantes, excombatientes, académicos, expertos y los propios... (GunPolicy.org)
Slovakia 'Main Supplier' of Guns to Terrorists in Europe [ES]
7 September 2016
Terra (Argentina)
[Translated summary: Slovakia has become one of the main suppliers of guns to the black market. Until last year, companies were allowed to sell old weapons that had been disabled. However, it was very easy to make the weapons operational again. New regulations ban online sales and demand companies to use other methods for disabling.]
Un agujero legal, la falta de controles y la búsqueda de beneficio económico han hecho de Eslovaquia uno de los principales... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Trafficking Network Dismantled in Spain, Lithuania [ES]
5 September 2016
20 Minutos (USA)
[Translated summary: 52 people were arrested in a raid that dismantled a drug and arms trafficking network linking Spain and Lithuania. Police reported that at least 50 guns were seized, AK-47 and Makarov pistols among them. The network purchased guns from collectors and repaired them in workshops to make them operational and sell them.]
Cincuenta y dos personas fueron arrestadas en un operativo que desmanteló una red de tráfico de drogas y armas que operaba en... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexican Army Destroys Over 5,000 Firearms in Sinaloa [ES]
25 August 2016
Televisa (Mexico)
[Translated Summary: In Sinaloa, Mexico, 5,204 firearms, 3,293 rifles, 1,911 handguns and 125,000 cartridges (among them 100,000 for AK-47 and AR-15 rifles) were destroyed by Mexican Army as part of a Firearms Exchange campaign. This cache of arms to be destroyed is part of a program to destroy over 20,000 in different parts of the country.]
En las instalaciones de la Novena Zona Militar de la Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional en Culiacán, Sinaloa, fueron destruidas... (GunPolicy.org)
US Sent More Than 1.4 Million Guns to Iraq and Afghanistan
24 August 2016
Action on Armed Violence (London)
In the 14 years following the terror attacks of 9/11, the US Department of Defence (DoD) issued contracts that, if fulfilled, would reach over $40 billion on guns and ammunition, according to new research from London-based charity Action on Armed Violence (AOAV).
A team of volunteer researchers at AOAV spent a year analysing every contract published by the DoD between September 11, 2001 and September 10, 2015. These contracts are announced week-daily on the DoD... (GunPolicy.org)
Seizure of 'Weapon of War' Guns Increased 20% in Spain [ES]
23 August 2016
El País (Colombia)
[Translated summary: Approximately 20% of the 2,250 seized firearms in Spain in the last five years are weapons of war. Also, in the current year, about 1,073 firearms have been seized, 152 people have been arrested, at least four sweatshops have been shut down; there, assault rifles and semiautomatic guns were reactivated and ended up in countries at war.]
Los investigadores calculan que, en los últimos dos años, un pequeño negocio ubicado en el sótano de un... (GunPolicy.org)
Delhi's Authorities in a Fix Due to Illegal Firearms Market
21 August 2016
New Indian Press (India)
As it grapples with rising gun crime, procuring a firearm in Delhi is as easy as ordering takeaway. AK-47s, Chinese Star pistols, Walther PPKs and more are available for the gangster or terrorist who shops with ease in the city's gun bazaar. Incidents of gun-related deaths have gone up in Delhi.
A Delhi Police constable was shot dead over the weekend by bag snatchers, a first of its kind. Earlier, Delhi Police's Anti-Terror Unit busted an international gang of gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Illegal Gun Factory Dismantled, Weapons Seized in Spain
18 August 2016
Spanish News Today
The Guardia Civil has dismantled a major arms manufacturing and repair workshop in the town of Dos Hermanas, near to the city of Sevilla, in the Andalucía region, seizing a large quantity of weapons and munitions, as well as a quantity of marijuana in the same premises.
During the raid a 48 year old man was arrested and will face a number of charges including manufacturing arms and munitions, storing and owning firearms without a licence, selling illegal weapons and... (GunPolicy.org)
Romanian Mafia Gang Sells Guns 'Bound for Western Europe'
7 August 2016
Sky News (UK)
As Britain's security services warn of potential Paris-style terror attacks in the UK, Sky News has been told by eastern European mafia gangs that demand for their military grade weapons across Europe has rocketed in two years - and they will supply to anyone.
Security analysts say Islamist terror cells and "lone wolf" killers now consider automatic weapons the best way to bring mass murder to our streets.
Europe's open borders mean that weapons like the AK-47 can be... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Ranges Legally Rent Machine Guns to Customers
5 August 2016
Miami Herald
The instructor's face wore a frown, and I was worried that I'd committed some safety violation that was going to get me kicked out of the rifle range. When you're firing the same kind of machine gun that killed Osama bin Laden, a weapon that can spit out 900 bullets a minute, the rules are many, and strictly observed.
The instructor leaned closer. "Stop firing little bursts," he urged me. "You're not getting the real fun of the gun. This time, when you pull the... (GunPolicy.org)
How the AK-47, AR-15 Became Guns of Choice for Mass Killers
5 August 2016
New York Times
Part 1
Time and again it's the same. A lone gunman or a small group of killers with rifles commits spectacular crimes that seize the attention of the world.
The list reaches back decades: the killing of Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics in 1972; the school takeover in Beslan, Russia, in 2004; the attacks in Mumbai, India, in 2008; the mall assault in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2013; the killing of more than 100 people in Paris in 2015.
Often the rifles are variants of... (GunPolicy.org)
One Million Illegal Guns, 6,700 Seized in Honduras [ES]
4 August 2016
Radio HRN (Honduras)
[Translated summary: Honduras confiscated 6,700 firearms in the last two years, most of them from gangs. Types include AK-47 and AR-15 rifles, .45, .38 and 9 mm handguns, shotguns and handmade guns. It is estimated that the cost of the arms seized since 2014 exceeds 100 million lempiras (4.38 million USD). About 1 million illegal firearms circulate in Honduras and 400,000 are legally registered.]
En lo que va del año van más de 1,400 armas de fuego incautadas lo que... (GunPolicy.org)
Smith & Wesson Gives $500,000 to Fight Assault Rifle Ban
4 August 2016
Guardian
Gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson has donated $500,000 to the US's largest gun industry trade body to help its fightback against the Massachusetts attorney general's ban on the sale of assault rifles to civilians.
Smith & Wesson, whose shares this week hit a record high on the back of increasing demand for its assault rifles and other guns, said it had donated the money to the National Shooting Sports Foundation's (NSSF) battle against "arbitrary government action that... (GunPolicy.org)
Delhi Becomes Safe Haven for Illegal Gun Trafficking Industry
2 August 2016
India Times
When one thinks of Delhi, one thinks of our country's legislative capital, home to the Parliament, the Supreme Court and our nation's top leaders and policy makers. On the surface, it appears to be a relatively lawful city, far from the infamous gang violence of Mumbai. It may come as a surprise that the city has of late become a safe haven for a huge illegal gun trafficking industry. From .315 and 12 bore pistols to assault rifles and AK-47, all sophisticated firearms... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns Cheaper Than Smartphones in Pakistan's 'Lethal Town'
28 July 2016
India TV News
Infamous for harbouring terror organisations and promoting their 'jihadi' activities that plot and spell doom across the border, it should come as no surprise that the availability of arms and ammunition to aid banned organisations like LeT and Indian Mujahideen is no big deal.
What does come as a shock for many is that guns are not just easily available, they are available dirt cheap.
In Pakistan's tribal town of Darra Adamkhel, guns – used or refurbished... (GunPolicy.org)
Europe de l'Ouest,Espagne,Allemagne,Suisse,Pologne
Spain, Europol Dismantle Multinational Gun Trafficking Network
26 July 2016
Europol
Europol has supported a Spanish National Police – led operation which resulted in the dismantlement of an organised crime group headed by a Polish national suspected of firearms trafficking.
Numerous house searches were carried out in several locations in the municipality of Ibiza in the last couple of weeks. Simultaneously, Europol coordinated searches in some firms located in Germany and Switzerland.
As a result, several members of the crime network were... (GunPolicy.org)
The European Countries with Most Privately Owned Guns [ES]
26 July 2016
Irispress (España)
[Translated Summary: According to the UN, EU gun sales total around €300,000 million [sic.] a year. Switzerland, Finland, and Cyprus have the highest gun-per-civilian rate (40 firearms per 100 civilians); while in Germany there are an estimated 30 firearms per 100 civilians, three times more than in Spain. Over 500,000 of these legal firearms from the EU have been lost or stolen and ended up in the black market.]
Aunque sobre el papel parece difícil, lo cierto es... (GunPolicy.org)
Éthiopie,Kenya,Burundi,Tanzanie,Rwanda,Ouganda
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)
Guns Continue to Proliferate, Russia Blocks Inquiry in Darfur
7 July 2016
Guardian
"I fired my first gunshot when I was nine," says Salih. "For years after that I was very eager to do it again. I owned my first weapon when I got to 14. It was an AK-47."
Salih is now 38, but guns have been a permanent fixture in his life. Growing up in Darfur in one of the Arab tribes that has been at war with other ethnic groups in the region since 2003, he says it quickly became clear the only way to protect his family was to get a weapon of his own.
In the 13... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gunworks Now Makes, Sells Pioneering Nazi Assault Rifle
29 June 2016
CNN
Working replicas of the Nazis' storm rifle, widely considered to be the world's first assault rifle, are now being produced in the U.S.
"It's been a surprise hit with us," said Mac Steil, co-owner of Hill & Mac Gunworks in Georgia, which has taken orders for 2,000 rifles since the product launch in January. "We sold more rifles the first day than we thought we'd sell all year."
Hill & Mac Gunworks, a startup in the Atlanta suburb of Alpharetta, is reproducing the STG... (GunPolicy.org)
Shooting Death of MP Surprises UK With Its Strict Gun Laws
16 June 2016
Washington Post
Four days after the horrific mass shooting in Orlando sparked a fresh debate about gun control in the United States, a fatal attack on a politician in Britain is bringing attention to that country's gun control policies.
Jo Cox, a member of the British Parliament for the center-left Labour Party, was shot and stabbed while meeting with constituents near the northern city of Leeds on Thursday. According to police, the 41-year-old has died of her injuries.
Any physical... (GunPolicy.org)
Amérique centrale,Amérique du Sud,États-Unis
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 Trafficking, Home Made Firearms Worry Ghana Police
20 May 2016
Joy Online (Ghana)
The Small Arms Commission has warned of possible politically motivated violence during the 2016 elections after observing a trend pointing to stockpiling of weapons.
Executive Director of the Commission, Jones Applerh expressed fears that the elections could trigger a heightened demand for arms.
A number of arms seizures must have informed the fears of the Commission. There were seizures reported in the Western Region in February, 2016 where the police collected at... (GunPolicy.org)
Assault Rifles Being Handed in for Registration in Kenya
16 May 2016
Citizen (Kenya)
Residents of Isiolo County continue to take advantage of a government amnesty on the surrender of illegal arms.
Led by area MCA and Isiolo County Assembly Majority Leader Adan Giro, the residents have surrendered a total of nine firearms and hundreds of bullets to the government.
The residents from Kinna ward presented three AK-47 rifles, one M16 rifle, and 302 rounds of ammunition for registration by the sub county security team at Kinna Social Hall in... (GunPolicy.org)
Jamaica's 'Get the Guns Campaign' Seizes 234 Firearms
13 May 2016
Jamaica Observer
KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Police High Command is commending the St Catherine North Police for the seizure of several high-powered firearms in McCooks Pen, St Catherine on today. Nine people were taken into custody in relation to the seizure.
Reports are that following several months of intense investigations and intelligence gathering the police launched a special operation in an area called 'Gun Farm' in McCooks Pen, where the cache of weapons was seized.
The weapons... (GunPolicy.org)
Kenya Herders Surrender Illegal Guns for Registration
27 April 2016
Daily Nation (Nairobi)
Three more herders in Isiolo have surrendered, for registration, firearms they were possessing illegally.
This comes just two weeks after Ngarema Member of County Assembly (MCA) Peter Losu registered his G3 rifle.
Two G3 rifles, an AK-47 rifle, five magazines and 66 rounds of ammunition belonging to herders from West Location were presented to the county security team Wednesday.
The herders presented their guns to Isiolo County Commissioner George Natembeya.
Mr... (GunPolicy.org)
More Than 800 Firearms Surrendered in UK Gun Amnesty
22 April 2016
BBC News
More than 800 firearms were handed in during a two-week guns amnesty launched after a spate of shootings in Salford.
Police urged people to "give up the gun" during the firearms and ammunition surrender across Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Cheshire, Cumbria, Lancashire and North Wales.
Rifles, handguns, air weapons and a number of imitation and antique firearms were collected.
Unusual items included a replica AK-47 and a Smith & Wesson pistol.
There has been a... (GunPolicy.org)
Nigerian Herdsmen Banned from Carrying Guns
20 April 2016
This Day (Lagos)
MINNA — The Niger State Police Command has waged a fresh war against Fulani herdsmen in a bid to check kidnapping and cattle rustling.
The police have therefore outlawed the carrying of arms and ammunition by the herdsmen under any guise.
The decision of the police to ban the carrying of arms by the herdsmen followed an increase in the number of firearms recovered from the pastoralists in the last six months.
The state police spokesman, Bala Elikana, told... (GunPolicy.org)
Europe,Europe de l'Est,Croatie,Bulgarie,France,Albanie,Arabie saoudite,Syrie,Serbie,Asie occidentale,Iraq,Yémen,Slovaquie,Soudan
Balkan Gun Trade Fuels Crime, Terrorism in Europe, Asia
16 April 2016
Economist
The arsenal discovered in the apartment of Reda Kriket, a suspected terrorist arrested on March 24th near Paris, included explosives, Kalashnikov AK-47 rifles and a machine pistol from Croatia. The terrorists who staged the attacks last November in Paris employed AK-47s made by Zastava, a Serbian manufacturer. The Kouachi brothers, who attacked the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo the previous January, used Kalashnikov ammunition made in Bosnia. Whatever else these... (GunPolicy.org)
East Europe Might be Supplying Guns to Syria
15 April 2016
TASS (Russia)
MOSCOW -- Russian Foreign Ministry has noted mass media reports suggesting that Syrian militants might be getting weaponry of Soviet manufacture from East-European countries.
"An intensification of the flows of contraband weaponry and shells across the Turkish-Syrian border has been registered," the ministry said in a commentary on Friday. "A number of international media have claimed a big consignment of Soviet-made weaponry has been dispatched to the Syrian militants... (GunPolicy.org)
Handguns, AK-47s Seized in London Police Crackdown
14 April 2016
ITV (London)
Officers have so far arrested 30 people in a week-long crackdown on gun crime, which began on Monday, including for attempted murder, assault and drug offences.
Operation Kestrel 2 is pulling together specialist policing units to track down criminals who carry or hide guns.
Firearms seized:
- Eight handguns
- One Magnum rifle
- Three AK-47 assault rifles
- Two shotguns with ammunition
Weapons sweeps, intelligence-led operations and patrols by armed response vehicles... (GunPolicy.org)
Tanzania: Illegal Gun Shops Trade Firearms for Livestock
29 March 2016
Tanzania Daily News
ARUSHA — In America, proliferation of guns and other firearms is abetted by online sales, but in Arusha the case is different; it was recently discovered that there are some gun shops located deep into the bush, issuing pieces of artilleries at throwaway prices.
Also, one needs not to have money to obtain the same. Guns are exchanged with livestock, including cattle, sheep, goats or farm harvests measured by bags of maize or beans.
The Arusha Regional Commissioner,... (GunPolicy.org)
In American Mass Shootings, Most Guns Were Quite Legal
26 February 2016
Washington Post
The death tolls change, the places change: Nine in a church, 23 in a restaurant, 26 in an elementary school, 14 at a holiday party. The faces in the memorial photos change the most.
But the weapons are the common denominator.
Mass killings in the United States are most often carried out with guns, usually handguns, most of them obtained legally.
There is no universally accepted definition of a mass shooting, and different organizations use different criteria. In this... (GunPolicy.org)
Four Killed in Mass Shooting at a School in Canada
23 January 2016
BBC News
Police say a male suspect is now in custody and children have been moved to safety after the shootings at La Loche Community School and another location.
Canadian PM Justin Trudeau said earlier that five people had been killed, but this was later corrected.
The school shooting was "every parent's worst nightmare", Mr Trudeau said. "The community is reeling."
Mr Trudeau, who was speaking in Davos, Switzerland, also praised "the first responders who acted quickly and... (GunPolicy.org)
29 December 2015
Trace (USA)
In the first minutes of 2013, 10-year-old Aaliyah Boyer stepped into the backyard of her relatives' home in Elkton, Maryland. Boyer had missed watching the New Year's Eve ball drop on television, and so she went out with her cousins to watch the neighborhood fireworks. Soon after she stepped outside, Boyer collapsed. Her parents, who thought she had fainted, attempted CPR. Paramedics rushed her to hospital, where it was discovered that a bullet had struck the back of... (GunPolicy.org)
1988 Discovery of Illegal Weapons in Fiji
9 June 2015
Fiji Times
He was a detective sergeant based at the Criminal Investigations Department headquarters in Suva when his boss called him.
It was May 1988 and he was told by his boss that the Australian authorities had intercepted a container with arms and ammunition bound for Fiji.
He was also told that the information from Australian police was that a container with arms and ammunition had already arrived in the country.
With years of experience working as a police detective,... (GunPolicy.org)
France,Slovaquie,Danemark,Belgique,Espagne,République tchèque
Charlie Hebdo Killers Bought Their Guns Legally in Europe
18 February 2015
Euronews (France)
The automatic rifles used in the terrorist attacks in Paris last month may have been decommissioned weapons legally bought in Slovakia and reconverted to fire live ammunition, Euronews can reveal.
French police are exploring whether weapons used in the deadly assaults on the Charlie Hebdo offices and at a Kosher supermarket were purchased in a shop inside the European Union, according to a joint investigation with the Slovakian Nový čas newspaper.
The weapons are... (GunPolicy.org)
Nicaragua,Pérou,Haïti,République dominicaine,Cuba,Mexique,Honduras,Guatemala,Turquie,Salvador,États-Unis,Russie,Autriche,Belgique,Colombie,Brésil,République tchèque,Allemagne,Israël,Venezuela,Italie,Espagne
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)
6,000 Illegal Gunmakers in the Philippines
14 November 2014
Bloomberg (USA)
Hidden beneath tarpaulins in the backyard of a house in the central Philippine city of Danao, Lito puts the finishing touches on a replica .45-caliber Colt Officer's Model pistol. It will join the more than 600,000 illegal guns in circulation in a country where the homicide rate outstrips the U.S.
The money he makes from guns supplements his income as a farmer and helped Lito, 52, send two children to college. Still, he thinks often of the suffering that may come from... (GunPolicy.org)
Amérique du Sud,Amérique centrale,Caraïbes,Cuba,États-Unis,Russie,Nicaragua,Israël,Salvador,Honduras,Europe,Belgique,République tchèque,Allemagne,Italie,Afrique du Sud,Espagne,Colombie,Mexique,Venezuela,Brésil,Argentine,Chili,Paraguay,Panama,Équateur
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)
Lost in Afghanistan: 465,000 Small Arms - US Can't Track Weapons it Sends
29 July 2014
Miami Herald / McClatchy
WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon has shipped Afghan security forces tens of thousands of excessive AK-47 assault rifles and other weapons since 2004 and many have gone missing, raising concerns that they've fallen into the hands of Taliban or other insurgent rebels.
John F. Sopko, the U.S. special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction, found in a report released Monday that shoddy record-keeping by the Defense Department, the Afghan National Army and the Afghan... (GunPolicy.org)
El Salvador's Military Suspected of Dealing Firearms to Gangs
16 June 2014
InSight Crime (Bogota)
El Salvador's street gangs have been ambushing police with military-grade weapons, leading to fears the gangs, for the first time, have police outgunned. Is the Salvadoran military the source of their firepower?
In recent months, gangs have shot at police with M-16 and AK-47 assault rifles in multiple lethal attacks, raising questions about the source of their weaponry. Now, an investigation has unearthed evidence that the military itself is trafficking guns, and El... (GunPolicy.org)
Indian Police Shocked to Find 'Sophisticated' Locally Made AK-47, Handguns
7 June 2014
Times of India
NEW DELHI - Had he been still alive, Mikhail Kalashnikov may have been surprised to witness such informal transfer of technology from Russia to a small town in Bihar. Even sleuths of Delhi Police's special cell were taken back when their operation to bust a gunrunning racket in northeast Delhi led them to recover an AK-47 made in Munger.
Though police first thought an international arms dealer was involved, a brief interrogation of the three suspects arrested along... (GunPolicy.org)
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)
Corrupt South African Cops May Have Sold Guns from Firearm Amnesty
5 June 2014
News24 (Cape Town)
JOHANNESBURG - An investigation into the possible sale of firearms handed to police during an amnesty period is under way, the Hawks said on Wednesday.
"There was nothing to investigate before until we came across new information and decided to follow it all up," spokesperson Paul Ramaloko said.
The investigation would focus on Gauteng first. The probe followed the arrest of three people at a house in Norwood, Johannesburg, where police found more than 300 firearms,... (GunPolicy.org)
The Best Reporting on Guns in America – A Collection from ProPublica
28 May 2014
ProPublica
Are Mass Shootings Increasing? Depends on How You Count Them
Criminologists have made the same point again and again: the number of mass shootings in America is not increasing. Experts told the Los Angeles Times that mass shootings represent only a small fraction of the annual deaths due to gun violence, and that police data indicate that the overall count of mass shootings per year has not shown any significant increase over time. This conclusion is based on the FBI's... (GunPolicy.org)
Large Arms Cache Found in South Africa, Including 300 Handguns
23 May 2014
South Africa Government News Agency
PRETORIA — Police say they are following up on leads to track down one of South Africa's most wanted criminals who managed to escape when police raided a home in Norwood last night.
Police raided the house following a community tip off and discovered more than 300 guns, ammunition and detonators, a machine used to manufacture ammunition, packaged dagga and explosives used for ATM bombings.
National Police Commissioner Riah Phiyega, who visited the house last night,... (GunPolicy.org)
Lire l'article complet : South Africa Government News Agency
Mozambique Police Seize Assault Weapons Being Smuggled to City
22 May 2014
Agência de Informação de Moçambique
MAPUTO — The Mozambican police have seized five AK-47 assault rifles and arrested three men who were trying to sell them in the town of Maxixe, in the southern province of Inhambane.
According to a report in Thursday's issue of the independent daily "O Pais", the guns were found on the back seat of an Isuzu car belonging to a member of the group, who claimed his sole responsibility was to guarantee transport of the weapons.
The men intended to sell the guns to a... (GunPolicy.org)
Lire l'article complet : Agência de Informação de Moçambique
Nigeria Officials Arrest Man for Stockpiling Assault Weapons
21 May 2014
This Day (Lagos)
The Lagos State Police Command yesterday arrested and paraded a former leader of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, Alhaji Mukaila Lamidi, for stockpiling arms and ammunition.
Also, the state Commissioner of Police, Umar Manko, paraded other 10 suspects who specialised in using military uniforms to assault and brutalise innocent citizens, as well as other forms of atrocities.
It was gathered that Lamidi was arrested... (GunPolicy.org)
US Fat Food Chain Rejects Guns After 'Intimidating' Shooters' Tactics
20 May 2014
USA Today
Chipotle is asking customers not to bring firearms into its restaurants after gun-rights advocates brought assault-style weapons into a downtown Dallas store during the weekend.
The Mexican fast-food company, based in Denver, said Monday evening that it has traditionally complied with local firearms laws, but that "the display of firearms in our restaurants has now created an environment that is potentially intimidating or uncomfortable for many of our... (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)
Union Européenne,Kenya,Tanzanie,Afrique,République démocratique du Congo (RDC),Somalie
African Experts Seek Ways to Curb Proliferation of Small Arms
13 May 2014
Shanghai Daily (China)
NAIROBI - Experts from across Africa will meet in Nairobi on Wednesday to seek ways to help address the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the continent, ravaged by many conflicts.
A statement from the Nairobi-based Regional Centre for Small Arms (RCSA) said Tuesday the 3rd meeting of the AU-Regions steering committee on small arms and light weapons and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration will seek ways of combating cross border flows illicit... (GunPolicy.org)
Tanzania Police Seize Guns in Operation to Recover Illegal Firearms
9 May 2014
Tanzania Daily News
The influx of illegal firearms in Mara Region is alarming and the police force is now planning a house to house operation aimed at recovering all guns from hands of criminals.
A total of seven illegal firearms most of them submachine guns (SMG) and more than 420 bullets have been seized by the police in Mara Region since the beginning of this year.
"Since January to April 30 this year we have impounded seven guns and four of them are SMGs, two pistols and a shotgun,"... (GunPolicy.org)
Arms Smuggling and Armed Conflict in Myanmar
4 May 2014
Mizzima
The prices of weapons were cheap in the early 1990s for rebels in Myanmar and for various other groups fighting against their respective governments within the region. The cheap prices were mainly because of the end of years of conflict in Cambodia, which released to the regional market a huge amount of surplus and illegal weapons made in the United States, China and Russia.
But are they cheap now – 20 years later? How much did it cost to arm a fighter in Myanmar in... (GunPolicy.org)
Pakistan Acts Against Continuing Availability of Illegal Weapons
15 April 2014
Central Asia Online
ISLAMABAD – Gul Sher, 31, is busy cleaning his unlicenced AK-47 rifle. He is at his home in the outskirts of Mianwali, Punjab Province.
"Keeping rifles or other small weapons is part of our culture here," Gul said. "Our elders say, 'Weapons are men's jewellry'. Without them we feel alone and insecure."
Keeping unlicenced weapons is illegal, but Gul isn't alone. Many in his small town do so as well.
Illegal trade, but law goes unenforced
Keeping prohibited or... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Rights Advocates or Gun Advocates? US Gun Lobby Digs its Heels In
13 April 2014
Telegraph (UK)
The song blasts from two speakers placed either side of a beige canopy: "Guns, whether Remingtons and Glocks / Come on man it ain't like I'm a slingin' 'em on the block / I'm gonna tell you once, and listen son / As long as I'm alive and breathing, You won't take my guns."
Under the canopy is a table full of T-shirts and baseball caps embossed with the words "Open Carry Texas". And gathered around that are a handful of people with AK-47 or AR-15 semi-automatic rifles... (GunPolicy.org)
Afrique du Sud,Chine,Russie,États-Unis,Mozambique
South African Gun Culture Shown in Art
11 April 2014
Mail & Guardian (Johannesburg)
Best known as the director of the 2008 South African crime film Jerusalema and for his music video work with such top stars as Tony Braxton and Michael Jackson, Ralph Ziman's new art installation Ghosts is a powerful comment on the global arms trade and the worship of guns in South African society.
The work includes an extraordinary series of photographs showing men dressed in Day-Glo outfits toting wire-and-bead AK-47s, which are exhibited alongside the imitation... (GunPolicy.org)
Two Days of Gunfights Leave 24 Dead in Mexico's North
8 April 2014
New Straits Times (Malaysia)
MEXICO CITY - The death toll from two days of gunfights in Mexico's northern state of Tamaulipas rose to 24 on Monday after authorities reported six more slayings in the drug violence-plagued region.
Authorities said 15 men and two women were killed on Sunday in a series of shootings between criminal groups in the towns of Tampico and Ciudad Madero, on the Gulf of Mexico coast.
A man's body was found on a bench and two others on a street in Tampico early Monday,... (GunPolicy.org)
Several Assault Weapons Seized from Suspected Kidnappers in Nigeria
5 April 2014
Premium Times (Nigeria)
The Anambra State Police Command on Saturday paraded 19 suspected kidnappers.
The command also displayed arms and three bags of cannabis recovered from the hoodlums.
The arms include five AK-47 rifles; a barrater pistol, six pump action guns, 9,000 live cartridges; eight AK-47 magazines and a locally made pistol.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Usman Gwary, paraded the suspects at the Special Anti-Robbery Squad Office in Awkuzu, near Onitsha in Anambra.
Mr.... (GunPolicy.org)
American Samoa Cops Seize Almost 80 Guns in Six Years
20 March 2014
Samoa News
In their move to arm the police officers, the Department of Public Safety informed Senators in a hearing on Monday that between 2006 and 2012, the police confiscated close to 80 guns as a result of raids and criminal cases.
During the hearing on the hot issue of arming the police officers or first responders in the patrol division, Police Commander Tauese Va'a Sunia in a power point presentation noted that of the 78 guns they have confiscated, there were 63 rifles... (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)
Royaume-Uni,États-Unis,Cambodge,Liberia,Mexique,Mozambique
Melding Guns Into Weapons of Mass Attraction – Global Picture Gallery
6 March 2014
Guardian (UK)
Art of War - Picture gallery captions:
Non-Violence, or the Knotted Gun, by Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd. The bronze replica of a 45-calibre revolver, a gift from Luxembourg to the United Nations, was sculpted in memory of the Swedish artist's longtime friend John Lennon. Though not created from recycled munitions, the sculpture has been cited as one of the inspirations behind the arms-to-art movement.
Sculptor Gonçalo Mabunda recycles weapons recovered from... (GunPolicy.org)
Where Did 900 High-Powered Guns Go, Philippines Police Ask
4 March 2014
ABS-CBN News (Manila)
MANILA - The police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) said it is more than halfway done in its investigation on the 900 firearms that were registered with the Philippine National Police (PNP) that later went missing.
Police Senior Superintendent Roberto Fajardo explained that they first encountered the problem when the PNP leadership launched "Oplan Katok," a campaign focused on the accounting of licensed firearms.
"Nung hinanap namin, nawawala yung... (GunPolicy.org)
After Decades With Few Guns, Almost Every Libyan Household Has One
25 February 2014
PolicyMic
In a country where civilian gun ownership was rare for decades, a sudden inundation of small arms means plenty of people will likely get shot.
One recent afternoon, Ahmed, 26, was driving around Tripoli with his brother Bashir, 24. Without warning, the driver in the car in front of them slammed his brakes. Ahmed, who nearly rear-ended the offending vehicle, honked his horn. The other driver got out of his car. A shouting match became physical and the man went back to... (GunPolicy.org)
Europe,Union Européenne,Albanie,Macédoine,Bosnie-Herzégovine,Iraq,Afrique du Nord,Afghanistan,Serbie,Croatie
Chasing Exports, Balkan Countries Foster Gun, Ammunition Industries
24 February 2014
Southeast European Times
Balkan countries are taking measures to support domestic military firms in an effort to improve their economies and develop closer relations with NATO, experts said.
Governments pay more attention to the military industry's economic potential, said Blagoja Markovski, president of the Balkan Security Forum in Skopje.
"It offers extraordinary opportunities to create jobs and help the development of the economy. Individual countries' earnings range from tens of millions... (GunPolicy.org)
Pakistan,Asie du Sud,Afghanistan,États-Unis,Russie
Disturbing Firearms Proliferation in Pakistan
24 February 2014
Daily Times (Lahore)
The proliferation of small arms and light weapons is one of the major security challenges currently faced by South Asia and Pakistan in particular. The trafficking and varied availability of these weapons fuel communal conflict, political instability and pose a threat, not only to security, but also to viable development. According to the Red Cross, one out of every two casualties in a war is a civilian stuck in the crossfire. The easy use and light weight of small... (GunPolicy.org)
Afrique occidentale,République centrafricaine,Soudan,Nigeria,République démocratique du Congo (RDC),Cameroun,Libye
Arms Smuggling to Nigerian Criminals Threatens Cameroon
21 February 2014
IRIN (UN News)
YAOUNDE — Recent arms seizures and arrests of traffickers in Cameroon's Far North Region have highlighted the escalating insecurity caused by Boko Haram in neighbouring Nigeria and the impact of the unrest in the Central African Republic (CAR) and Sudan.
In January, Cameroon's security forces arrested a man attempting to transport 655 guns to Nigeria. In September 2013, 5,400 AK-47 rifles were seized on a pick-up truck in Maroua, the capital of Far North Region,... (GunPolicy.org)
Men on Trial in Bahrain After Arms Warehouse Find
17 February 2014
Trade Arabia
MANAMA - A secret underground weapons warehouse was used to hide machine guns, handguns, silencers and more than 3,000 bullets, a court heard.
The ammunition and weapons, including five AK-47 assault rifles, five 9mm pistols and five silencers, were stashed in a covert bomb-making factory that was purpose-dug at a farm in Tubli, according to prosecutors reported the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.
They said bird cages were used to camouflage the... (GunPolicy.org)
Albania Arrests Six for Arms Trafficking
14 February 2014
Balkan Insight (Sarajevo)
Six suspects, including a police officer and an employee of the Ministry of Interior, were arrested on Thursday, accused of arms trafficking between Albania and Kosovo.
During the arrest of the suspects, police sequestered four AK-47 automatic rifles, 12,780 rounds of ammunition and a number of spare parts for automatic weapons.
"The operation for their arrest was finalized outside the Kalimash tunnel, [on the highway that connects Albania with Kosovo] while the... (GunPolicy.org)
Pro-Gunners' Own Words: We Hit Women? Good. You Hit Us? Prepare to Die
13 February 2014
Huffington Post (USA)
It was National Rifle Association (NRA) CEO Wayne LaPierre who famously intoned that "the guys with the guns make the rules" during the 2009 Conservative Political Action Conference. I don't think I had ever fully understood the sheer arrogance and hypocrisy behind this belief, however, until pro-gun activists brought it into sharp relief for me recently.
Late last month, the president of the radical pro-gun group Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL), Philip Van... (GunPolicy.org)
Kenyan Cop Shot, Gun Stolen After Weapon Seized From Gang
10 February 2014
Shabelle Media Network (Mogadishu)
A traffic police officer was Monday morning shot and wounded in the head before he was robbed of his AK-47 rifle by gunmen on a motorbike in Kombani, Kwale County.
Police suspect the attackers were followers of Somalia's Al-Shabaab gang. Another female officer was slightly injured after she was wrestled by the gunmen who escaped after the incident along the Lunga Lunga highway.
Area police boss Richard Muguai said police have launched investigation and a hunt to... (GunPolicy.org)
Kalashnikov Eyes Indian Partners for Firearms Production
6 February 2014
RIA Novosti (Russia)
NEW DELHI – Russia's Kalashnikov Concern is in talks with several Indian companies on setting up joint ventures to produce small arms and high-precision weaponry, a company official said Thursday.
"India for us is a market with high potential…and we are marketing here all weapons on our production list, including assault rifles, sniper rifles and high-precision weapons," Andrei Baryshnikov, Kalashnikov exports director, said at the DEFEXPO INDIA-2014 exhibition in... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Prices, Sales Up in Jordan Over Syria War Fears
15 January 2014
New Straits Times (Malaysia) / Agence France Presse
AMMAN - Firearm prices in Jordan have soared tenfold since the war in neighbouring Syria erupted in 2011 but more people than ever are buying guns for protection against a possible spillover of the violence.
The number of licensed weapons stands at 120,000 but there are more than one million unlicensed guns in the kingdom of seven million people, according to interior ministry estimates.
According to a study by the Jordanian Society for Political Sciences, 25 percent... (GunPolicy.org)
Lire l'article complet : New Straits Times (Malaysia) / Agence France Presse
Kalashnikov Wrote About Feeling Responsibility For Deaths From His Gun
13 January 2014
ITAR-TASS News Agency
MOSCOW - A legendary gun designer and author of the AK-47 machine gun Mikhail Kalashnikov, who died in December 2013, six months before the death wrote a letter of repentance to Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill.
In that letter, the Izvestia daily writes, the designer shared with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church his emotional concerns and doubts about his responsibility for the death of people killed from the gun he had invented.
"My inner pain is... (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)
Five Recent Shooting Deaths in Namibia Linked to Failed Romances
8 January 2014
New Era (Namibia)
Keetmanshoop — Police Crime Investigations Coordinator in the //Karas Region, Deputy Commissioner Rudolf Isaaks, has called on people to seek counselling following failed relationships and not to resort to passion killing and suicide.
Isaaks' remarks come in the wake of a series of suicides and passion killings in the region over the festive season. Speaking to New Era, Isaaks says although very few crimes were reported in the region over the festive season, the... (GunPolicy.org)
Goat Market in Kenya Becomes 'Supermarket' of Illegal Guns
8 December 2013
Daily Nation (Nairobi)
On November 14, officers from the Special Crimes Prevention Unit (SPRU), acting on a tip-off, trailed a white saloon car on suspicion that its occupants were planning to rob a bank.
After a dramatic chase, the officers challenged its occupants to stop at Kiamaiko.
The officers ransacked the car and found an arsenal of weapons among them AK-47s, pistols, ammunition, police uniform and walkie-talkies. One of the four suspects arrested was a former administration police... (GunPolicy.org)
Kenya Targets Rising Gun Crime Involving Security Forces
26 November 2013
Sabahi (Washington DC)
NAIROBI — Embarrassed by a slew of recent high-profile crimes involving Kenyan security forces, the government is mulling ways to better monitor current and former members of the police and military to combat this growing and alarming trend.
"The police will not allow these waves of crime to continue," Nairobi County Police Chief Benson Kibue told Sabahi. "We will continue to fight against organised crime by ex-policemen and military officers without fear or favour,... (GunPolicy.org)
Two Dead After Celebratory Gunfire at Yemeni Wedding
24 November 2013
Reuters
A Yemeni wedding ended in disaster after a guest firing celebratory shots in the air with his AK-47 accidentally killed two men while they were dancing to pop hit "Gangnam Style", according to a police source and a video posted online.
The police source said the guest at the wedding in the southern city of Taiz lost control of his rifle, leading to the deaths. Two other people were being treated in hospital.
A video circulating on the web purportedly shows the... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Police Find 'Staggering Collection' of Guns After Customs Tip-Off
14 November 2013
Times-Colonist (British Columbia)
Police unveiled a "staggering collection" of firearms Wednesday, seized from a Prince George home following an investigation that began when border guards came across two suspicious packages.
Karl Haus, 53, now faces 17 charges in relation to the haul from a Prospect Point home in the Hart Highlands where police uncovered nine rifles — a fully-automatic M-16 and a fully-automatic AK-47 among them — as well as three handguns, two of which were loaded, and two... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun-Toting Yemenis Wish They Could Lay Down Their Arms
9 November 2013
Christian Science Monitor
SANAA, Yemen - Like most Yemeni men, Mahmoud Shahra owns a gun and has known how to use it since childhood, although the 25-year-old activist used to leave his weapons at home. But since the politically motivated kidnapping of one of his close friends earlier this year, Shahra has carried a gun at nearly all times.
He seems at ease with his AK-47, but his demeanor hides internal disquiet. "Even if I feel safer and more confident, I feel like I'm betraying my values... (GunPolicy.org)
Sierra Leone,Grèce,Ukraine,Syrie,Libye,Turquie
Greek Coastguard Halts Ship Carrying 20,000 Kalashnikovs
8 November 2013
Greek Reporter
According to sources, the cargo ship "nourm" flagged with Sierra Leone, transferred a large amount of weapons. It was identified yesterday evening near Imia and was escorted to the port of Symi this morning.
After an investigation, the cargo ship had troubled the authorities in the past for drug trafficking and when the port board appeared, changed its direction.
Eventually, the ship stopped and was led to the port of Symi, under the port escort. The ship had started... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Speak to Malawi Politician Over Illegal Guns
6 November 2013
Nyasa Times
Deputy speaker of Parliament James Chingola was Wednesday morning interrogated by the Malawi Police over the illegal possession of firearms which were found at one of his offices.
Lilongwe police spokesperson Ramsey Mushane says this followed the search which the police arrived at his offices after a tip off.
"We discovered in a same room two AK 47 rifles and two identified guns plus live ammunition," he said.
Mushane says Chingola will soon be charged with illegal... (GunPolicy.org)
Licensed Canadian Gun Owner with Assault Weapon Kills 2, Self
18 October 2013
CBC News (Canada)
The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary says that Brian Dawe was wearing body armour and had an AK-47 assault rifle when he used a handgun to shoot two people dead in Conception Bay South earlier this week before he killed himself.
In a statement Friday afternoon, the RNC said Dawe also had hundreds of rounds of ammunition and a 9-mm handgun on him when they found his body at a cemetery in Mount Pearl.
According to the RNC, Dawe was in possession of the firearms legally,... (GunPolicy.org)
US Firearm Owners Push Their Right to Bear Arms Anywhere, Anytime
11 October 2013
Newsweek (USA)
The weapon he was carrying, an AK-74 assault rifle, measures three feet long, with a barrel of about 16 inches, and is capable of firing several dozen rounds per minute. Brian McCauley says he never meant to scare anyone. The state of Texas disagrees, and his upcoming trial has become a focal point in a dangerous new battle in the national debate over gun laws.
By the time McCauley walked into a San Antonio Starbucks in August, tensions had been building for years. The... (GunPolicy.org)
Worker Shocked After Finding Three Assault Weapons at Kenya Golf Club
9 October 2013
Standard (Nairobi)
NAIROBI, Kenya - A worker was shocked when he discovered three AK 47 rifles and more than 80 bullets hidden in a bush near a popular golf club in Nairobi's Karen area.
The rifles with 87 bullets were discovered on Tuesday evening by a worker at the golf club hidden in the bush while covered with clothes and a bag.
Police say they are yet to know the owners of the luggage believed to have hidden them there after using them in unknown incident.
Langata head of CID... (GunPolicy.org)
Mozambique Cops Jailed for Renting Out Guns to Criminals
2 October 2013
Agência de Informação de Moçambique
MAPUTO — The Sofala Provincial Court in central Mozambique on Monday sentenced two policemen to 12 year jail terms for hiring out police firearms to criminals.
The two policemen were Celestino Cacaue and Lazaro Saene. The latter will not be serving his jail sentence because he was shot dead last Thursday while trying to escape from Beira central prison.
According to a report in Wednesday's issue of the Maputo daily 'Noticias', the two police were in the dock... (GunPolicy.org)
Lire l'article complet : Agência de Informação de Moçambique
Honduras Authorities Destroy 3,000 Crime Guns
26 September 2013
InfoSurHoy (USA)
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras – The Honduran Army on Sept. 25 destroyed about 3,000 firearms it seized from organized crime groups as part of a program supported by the Organization of American States (OAS), according to Col. Jeremías Arévalo, a spokesperson for the Armed Forces.
The weapons, which included pistols, AK-47 rifles, rocket launchers and machine guns, were destroyed with chainsaws in a ceremony that was attended by Honduran Defense Minister Marlon Pascua,... (GunPolicy.org)
War Means Profit for Gun Dealer in Syria
25 September 2013
France 24 / Agence France Presse
While most Syrians get poorer with every day of war, Aleppo's main gun seller Abu Mohammad is doing just fine by selling firearms, including rocket-propelled grenades, ammunition and even swords.
"War is great business," said the northern city's only gunshop owner, as he laid several hand grenades out on a counter.
"I wanted to help the rebels because they had no arms or ammunition," the 39-year-old told AFP, adding that he makes an astonishing 50,000 Syrian pounds... (GunPolicy.org)
Honduras Destroyed 3,000 Seized Weapons [ES]
24 September 2013
RPP Noticias (Honduras)
[Translated summary: Honduras Armed Forces destroyed 3,000 seized firearms, through a Programme of the Organization of American States (OAS).]
El Ejército hondureño destruyó armas de fuego decomisadas al crimen organizado, en el marco de un programa apoyado por la Organización de Estados Americanos (OEA).
El Ejército hondureño destruyó unas 3.000 armas de fuego decomisadas al crimen organizado, en el marco de un programa apoyado por la Organización de Estados... (GunPolicy.org)
US Navy Yard Mass Shooting: AR-15, The Weapon Of Choice - Again
17 September 2013
CNN
It has been called the most popular rifle in America, and it's back in the spotlight after Monday's shooting at the Navy Yard: The AR-15.
Authorities said when Aaron Alexis unleashed a barrage of bullets Monday, he was carrying a rifle and a handgun. But he did most of the shooting with the weapon used in so many other rampages that shocked the nation:
- Sandy Hook: Adam Lanza killed 26 people at the Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, with the AR-15... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexican Drug Cartel Leader's Assault Rifle Traced to US Felon Gun Seller
12 September 2013
San Antonio Express-News (Texas)
An assault rifle seized during the July arrest of one of Mexico's most violent drug lords — Miguel Angel "Z-40" Treviño Morales — has been traced to a shady gun seller whose Spring Branch home was searched last week and netted what authorities said was a "small arsenal."
More than 10,000 rounds of ammunition, 76 guns and $15,000 in cash were seized from Manuel "Manny" Rodriguez, 65, who was sentenced in 2002 to 47 months in the federal penitentiary after being... (GunPolicy.org)
Officials Warn Afghans Not to Celebrate Football Win with Gunfire
12 September 2013
Reuters
President Hamid Karzai embraced Afghanistan's victorious football team on Thursday, hours after they united the nation in a rare moment of shared joy, but officials also told jubilant Afghans to stop firing guns into the air in celebration.
The national men's team beat India 2-0 to win the South Asian Football Federation championship in Kathmandu late on Tuesday, Afghanistan's first international football title, sending tens of thousands of joyous Afghans into the... (GunPolicy.org)
Russie,Trinité-et-Tobago,Caraïbes,Nicaragua,États-Unis,Canada,Guinée Bissau,Libye,Mexique,Colombie
Small Arms: The Worldwide Scourge
8 September 2013
Newsday (Trinidad & Tobago)
Trinidad and Tobago is awash with guns. Gang leaders, bandits, drug smugglers are armed and shooting at each other, at citizens, at the police without hesitation. The majority of the weapons are small arms and they are usually "imported" with illegal drugs or there is an exchange of drugs for arms. Drug cartels use their illicit profits to purchase these guns, the two trades being intertwined, according to the latest report from the United Nations Office for Disarmament... (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)
République démocratique du Congo (RDC)
Armed Groups Impose 'Gun Law' in Eastern DRC
1 August 2013
Voice of America
GOMA — People who have fled from the Democratic Republic of Congo's eastern conflict zone say the armed groups that control their villages have imposed a new rule: each family must buy a firearm from the local armed group, or face unpleasant consequences.
There are many firearms in Masisi territory, the part of eastern Congo that saw the country's worst inter-ethnic violence last year. Now, according to people who fled the territory, gun ownership has been made... (GunPolicy.org)
Greek Police Find Suspected Gun Dealer During Hunt for Missing Girl
30 July 2013
Ekathimerini (Greece)
Police searching for a missing 16-year-old girl in the Athens neighborhood of Dafni stumbled upon an arms cache and arrested a 44-year-old man they believe may be a weapons dealer.
Officers searched an apartment block in the area on suspicion that the teenager had been there with a 29-year-old convicted murderer and rapist who escaped recently from Grevena Prison.
They found traces that the fugitive and the 16-year-old had been in the building's underground... (GunPolicy.org)
US Reporter Purchases 'War Guns' from Online Seller Within Hours
16 July 2013
ABC News (USA) / National Geographic
To explore how criminals might easily get a gun, without background checks, from sellers who don't ask too many questions, an undercover team from National Geographic found private sellers online who, at separate meet-ups, were willing to sell them an assault rifle and a sniper rifle with enough ammunition to "start your own war."
The United States is the most heavily armed nation in the world, but despite gun regulations, weapons continue to fall into criminal... (GunPolicy.org)
Lire l'article complet : ABC News (USA) / National Geographic
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)
Small Arms Dealers Altering Guns a Growing Trend in France [FR]
21 June 2013
Le Monde (France)
[Translated summary: Done with Lord of War arms dealers and welcome to Family Guy arms dealers. These new merchants of death have been taking over the French market for the past 3-4 years. They operate in the Paris region, but also the east of France and especially the countryside where they find good customers in hunters. They won't make tons of money, but will instead live a normal life while fuelling the black market as a side job. How? By adapting hunting shotguns... (GunPolicy.org)
Huge Weapons Cache Seized in Nigeria
30 May 2013
Daily Trust (Abuja)
KANO — The Joint Task Force has made the largest weapons discovery yet in Kano during a raid on a house occupied by a foreigner in Bompai area of the city, Daily Trust learnt from security sources yesterday.
The raid has taken two days and was still going on yesterday because of what sources said was the huge volume of the weapons, which were found in a specially-built bunker in the house.
On Monday night, troops laid siege on the area, cordoning off a street... (GunPolicy.org)
Recovered Guns Form a Sea of Steel in US
29 May 2013
Washington Post
Every few hours, in a routine that is sometimes grim but more often mundane, local police take a gun off the streets. Since 2000, nearly 50,000 guns have been recovered by authorities in the District and Prince George's County. That is enough to arm every law enforcement officer in Maryland, the District and Virginia, with a couple of thousand guns to spare.
Police confiscate guns after drive-bys, drug raids and traffic stops. They find them tossed on roofs and thrown... (GunPolicy.org)
Allemagne,Nigeria,Chine,États-Unis,Royaume-Uni
Former Doyen of UK Gun Lobby Pleads Guilty to More Gunrunning
17 May 2013
Democrat and Chronicle (USA)
British arms dealer Gary Hyde has admitted helping smuggle illegal AK-47 magazines into the United States for sale by a Chili-based firearms wholesaler, federal court records show.
Hyde signed a plea agreement in late April but it was not filed until this week, records show.
Hyde admitted that he had helped alter the markings on the 5,760 magazines so their country of origin — China — would not be known. In the U.S., there is a federal ban on the importation of... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Confirm 1 Million Illegal Guns in Nigeria
9 May 2013
Daily Newswatch (Nigeria)
Against the backdrop of mounting security challenges in Nigeria arising from the Boko Haram insurgency and ethno-religious crisis in the north as well as armed robbery and kidnapping in the south, it has been estimated that there are about one million illegally held guns in the country in civilian hands. The market price for most popular of them all, the AK-47 pattern of assault weapon, goes for $180 (about N27,000). While the total number of guns in the hands of... (GunPolicy.org)
US Rapper Promotes Jewellery Made from Buyback Guns
19 April 2013
Scientific American
The rap star is supporting a new (and controversial) line of jewelry made from illegal guns that spends its proceeds to try to help get guns off the street.
If you follow rap, reggae or gun control, you may be aware of the transformation of gun-toting gangsta rapper Snoop Dogg into peace-loving reggae singer Snoop Lion. His first single as Snoop Lion, "No Guns Allowed," grabbed attention not only for its anti-gun hook - "Let the music play, me don't want no more... (GunPolicy.org)
Why Aren't US Gun Control Advocates Focusing More on Online Sales?
17 April 2013
Atlantic (USA)
Despite clear demonstrations of the ease with which anonymous weapons transactions can occur online — including ties to mass shooting incidents — the issue has been largely sidelined during the political debate.
After all, the "gun show loophole" — the shorthand expression for exempting a number of gun buyers from background checks — is much more than a gun show loophole. The image of two guy shaking hands to finalize a sale in a crowded, well-lit conference... (GunPolicy.org)
Pologne,Ukraine,Israël,Côte d'Ivoire,Bulgarie,Bélarus,Chine,Angola,Russie
Guns Easily Available in Côte D'Ivoire Despite Embargo
16 April 2013
IRIN (UN News)
ABIDJAN - Côte d'Ivoire's recent turbulence - including the ouster of president Henri Konan Bédié in 1999, a long-running insurgency and deadly poll unrest in 2011 - has left the country awash in arms, which have contributed to human rights abuses, widespread crime and persistent insecurity.
Two years after coming to power in 2000, Laurent Gbagbo's administration faced an army mutiny, which morphed into a full-scale rebellion. In response, the government underwent a... (GunPolicy.org)
South Africa Police Guns Seized in Raid on Gang Residence
9 April 2013
Eyewitness News (South Africa)
CAPE TOWN - Western Cape Community Safety MEC Dan Plato said on Monday an investigation has been launched to determine how police issued firearms landed up in the hands of gangsters in Lavender Hill.
Metro police officers carried out several raids in the area and other suburbs over the weekend where they confiscated illegal weapons and drugs.
Officials also seized two police firearms as well as an AK-47 with ammunition.
Plato said this was worrying.
"I am actually... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada Police Seize Loaded Assault Weapon in Trafficking Bust
20 March 2013
Edmonton Journal (Alberta)
Calgary police were disturbed to find a loaded AK-47 assault rifle — the first weapon of its kind seized in the city in recent years — during a recent trafficking bust.
"It's shocking we found such a high-calibre weapon in the hands of criminals," said Staff Sgt. Steven Drennan with the Calgary Police Service's guns and gangs unit.
While the city has seen a growing weapons trade over the years, this is the first time in recent history a genuine high calibre AK-47... (GunPolicy.org)
États-Unis,Océanie,Europe,Asie,Amérique,Afrique
US Gun Lobby Stepping Up Its Opposition to UN Arms Trade Treaty
17 March 2013
Guardian (UK)
The National Rifle Association is stepping up its opposition to a UN treaty aimed at halting the illicit trade of guns into conflict zones, after months of silence on the issue believed to be due to its focus on domestic gun control.
Human rights campaigners said that the resurgence of the NRA's campaign was designed to "stir up anti-UN panic" ahead of the UN conference on the Arms Trade Treaty, which opens on Monday in New York. The Obama administration indicated in a... (GunPolicy.org)
Russie,Chine,Océanie,Europe,Asie,Amérique,Afrique,États-Unis
NRA Opposes UN Arms Trade Treaty
16 March 2013
Washington Post
The National Rifle Association, which is battling a raft of gun control measures on Capitol Hill, also has an international fight on its hand as it gears up to oppose a U.N. treaty designed to restrict the flow of arms to conflict zones.
Negotiations open Monday in New York on the Arms Trade Treaty, which would require countries to determine whether weapons they sell would be used to commit serious human rights violations, terrorism or transnational organized... (GunPolicy.org)
Illegal Bullets Cost the Same as Bread in Jamaica
3 March 2013
Gleaner (Jamaica)
In Jamaica, a loaf of bread retails at a corner shop for about $235 while a single 9mm bullet can be bought for about $280 or less. The degree of difficulty in purchasing the bread or the bullet is relatively the same: zero.
A special Sunday Gleaner probe has confirmed that one does not have to work up a sweat to buy bullets on the streets of Jamaica. It is literally no problem, as we found out when we purchased 25 of these 9mm bullets last week.
Anyone interested in... (GunPolicy.org)
Russie,Nigeria,Madagascar,Guinée
Nigeria Charges Russian 'Gun Dealers' for Smuggling
19 February 2013
BBC News
Fifteen Russian sailors have been charged in a court in Nigeria's main city, Lagos, with illegally bringing weapons into the country.
The crew of the MV Myre Seadiver were denied bail by the High Court, pending a final ruling on Monday.
The Nigerian navy had seized the ship, owned by Moscow-based security firm Moran, last October.
Moran has said the ship had permission to carry arms and had stopped in Lagos to change crew.
The vessel had been travelling from... (GunPolicy.org)
How Strict Are South African Gun Laws?
15 February 2013
Time (USA)
The paralympian Oscar Pistorius has been charged with murder by a South African court following the death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, from gunshot wounds at his home within a gated Pretoria housing estate. The woman sustained wounds to her head and the upper body, and was reported to have been shot four times. A 9mm pistol was recovered from the scene.
According to Gunpolicy.org, there are just under 6 million licensed firearms in South Africa, which has a... (GunPolicy.org)
Illicit Gun Trade in Mogadishu, Somalia: A Lucrative Business
12 February 2013
al Jazeera
MOGADISHU, Somalia - The car barely came to a stop when a hand softly knocked at the tinted passenger seat window. The window rolled down, revealing a tall, skinny figure wearing a half-buttoned, baggy polyester shirt, a red sarong, and pink sandals - and holding a rusty AK-47 in his left hand.
"Seven-hundred fifty dollars," he said in a firm voice, barely making eye contact, before dropping the fully loaded gun onto this reporter's lap. Another 10 men came rushing... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Arrested for Alleged Gun Smuggling Scheme
7 February 2013
Grand Forks Herald
A Canadian man was arrested this week by federal agents at a Grand Forks motel after they say he took $24,000 in cash for six guns he thought would be smuggled into Canada.
Shawn Hartnell, 29, appeared in federal court in Grand Forks on Wednesday.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick Chase, Hartnell faces two charges.
One count alleges that, as a Canadian citizen in the United States on a "non-immigrant," visa, Hartnell was illegally possessing firearms.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
Angleterre et pays de Galles,États-Unis
UK Officials Say Most Gun Crime Traced to Under 1,000 Illegal Guns
2 February 2013
Washington Post
LONDON — When police on a weapons raid swarmed a housing project after London's 2011 riots, they seized a cache of arms that in the United States might be better suited to "Antiques Roadshow" than inner-city ganglands. Inside plastic bags hidden in a trash collection room, officers uncovered two archaic flintlock pistols, retrofitted flare guns and a Jesse James-style revolver.
These days, that kind of antiquated firepower is about the baddest a British gang member... (GunPolicy.org)
Russie,Afghanistan,Israël,Belgique,États-Unis
How Video Games Fund Arms Manufacturers and Sell Guns
31 January 2013
EuroGamer
The American confectionery company Victoria Sweets claims to have invented the candy cigarette. A thin stick of chocolate, wrapped in edible paper and designed to impersonate a roll-up, it debuted in 1915 and soon became the accessory of choice for children keen to play grown-up. Hollywood star, GI Joe, team captain: the sweet gave kids the chance try out one of the vogue props of adulthood.
Within 20 years it was so popular that cigarette companies began to take... (GunPolicy.org)
22 January 2013
Colombo Telegraph
In the Officers' Mess of Pakistan's famed Frontier Force Regiment (the Piffers), at the Regimental Centre, located at Abbotabad near the Khyber Pass (the cantonment town at which US SEALS found and killed Osama bin Laden – remember?) on the border with Afghanistan, there is a huge mural, done in the days of the British Raj, showing a team of Mules pulling a huge Howitzer Canon into a battle field in the swirling dust, with a group of Madrassi sappers of the Madras... (GunPolicy.org)
Changes to Canada's Gun Imports Creating Incoherent Regulations
14 January 2013
Global News (Canada)
Canada's gun control system has failed to keep up with a changing arms industry, leading to a bewildering and inconsistent series of loopholes, a Global News investigation shows.
Critics say that the system, based in part on restricting and prohibiting specific firearms, hasn't been updated since the 1990s, while the gun industry has been offering more and more exotic and envelope-pushing designs - not only of the guns themselves, but also components like... (GunPolicy.org)
États-Unis,Russie,Chine,Mexique
Mexico's Gun Problems Go Beyond Drug Wars
11 January 2013
Inter Press Service News Agency
MEXICO CITY - A lot of attention goes to the U.S.-made weapons in the hands of criminal groups in this Latin American country. But there is little talk of another problem: the large number of light weapons in the hands of civilians.
The Mexican Constitution establishes the people's right to "own guns in their homes for their safety and self-defence", with the exception of high caliber weapons, while the 1972 Federal Law on Firearms and Explosives stipulates the... (GunPolicy.org)
Russia Asks Nigeria to Release Alleged Gun, Ammo Smugglers
10 January 2013
This Day (Lagos)
The Russian government Wednesday called for the immediate release of the 15 sailors arrested by the Nigerian Navy for allegedly smuggling arms into the country.
Nigerian authorities intercepted a ship and arrested its Russian crew on October 23 last year after they found 14 AK-47 rifles guns and 8,500 rounds of ammunition on board.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said the sailors were facing a court case initiated "under false pretexts" and that Nigeria broke a promise... (GunPolicy.org)
Somalie,États-Unis,Éthiopie,Yémen,Libye,Israël,Union Européenne,Afrique orientale,Kenya,Ukraine,Russie
Special Investigation: Lack of Gun Treaty Fuels Kenyan Smuggling Trade
9 January 2013
Star (Kenya)
Whether looking after his herd of cattle or taking them to the watering point, Boru hardly leaves his AK47 behind. He lives in the outskirts of Gambella village, a few kilometres from Isiolo town.
"It has become like a stick for me. I carry it around and my enemies fear me. It gives me more power than I had before I acquired it," Boru said.
Taking cover from the scorching sun under the shade of an old acacia tree, Boru, a father of three, told the Star he bought his... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico: 53,000 Killed by Gunfire in 6 Years [ES]
20 December 2012
El Universal (Mexico)
[Translated summary: During the last year of former President Felipe Calderon's administration firearms seizures increased by 82%, compared with the first year of his term. However, these were not sufficient to reduce homicides committed with firearms in Mexico, registering an increase of 134% this year compared with 2007.]
Durante el último año de la gestión del ex presidente Felipe Calderón aumentó en 82% el decomiso de armas de fuego, en comparación con el... (GunPolicy.org)
SE Asian Soldiers Rent Army Machine Guns as Tourist Lure, Cash Cow
27 November 2012
New York Times
PHNOM PENH — Just after a Honda pickup truck screeched to a halt beyond the decommissioned Soviet-era Antonov aircraft, four resolute-looking Chinese men with a military escort climbed out, slammed the doors shut and neatly arranged a series of firearms they had been carrying on a nearby table.
Once the pistols' magazines were loaded with shiny golden bullets, they began emptying round after round into paper targets at a distance of 25 meters, or 82 feet.
Nearby,... (GunPolicy.org)
République démocratique du Congo (RDC),États-Unis,Burkina Faso,Tanzanie
US Entrepreneurs Turning Thousands of African AK-47s into Jewellery
26 November 2012
New York Times
NEW YORK — As icons go, few things communicate global menace more effectively than the stark silhouette of an AK-47. Designed more than six decades ago by Mikhail Kalashnikov, a former Soviet tank commander, the assault rifle boasts the dubious distinction of being the most abundant and reliable killing device in history.
"In much of the world they are everyman's gun," the New York Times foreign correspondent C.J. Chivers wrote in "The Gun," his 2010 social history... (GunPolicy.org)
Illegal Gun Market Booming in India
25 November 2012
Economic Times (India)
The details are still fuzzy as to who shot who, but the rivalry between liquor baron Ponty Chadha and his brother Hardeep ended in bloodbath at their Chattarpur farmhouse last week. Not just the brazenness of the act but also the wanton display of firepower stunned the entire country, forcing the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognizance and question the national gun-control norms. Clearly, the market for illegal weapons is booming in India. But where are the guns... (GunPolicy.org)
NZ Police Support 'More Distinctive' Fake Guns After Toy Causes Seige
22 November 2012
Stuff (New Zealand)
One can kill while the other is a toy, but police are finding it increasingly difficult to tell the difference as fake firearms become more realistic.
Armed police raided a house in the Wellington suburb of Johnsonville on Tuesday after a member of the public reported seeing a gun being pointed through a window.
It turned out the gun was a toy given as a 10th birthday present. A man, 21, has been charged with possession of an imitation firearm.
Last year, film-makers... (GunPolicy.org)
Trinidad Police Seize Ammo, Assault Weapon from Alleged Gun Dealer
18 November 2012
Guardian (Trinidad and Tobago)
Arouca Police yesterday seized more than 300 rounds of ammunition, a mini AK-47 rifle and a quantity of drugs at a house in Bon Air. The seizure was followed by the arrest of a 36-year-old man said to be a firearms dealer. Assistant Commissioner of Police Wayne Dick of the Northern Division sent a stern warning to the criminals that they would have to bow to the police as they try to rid the streets of illegal guns and drugs.
"Keep out of Trinidad and Tobago," Dick... (GunPolicy.org)
Afrique du Nord,Libye,Mali,Égypte,Qatar
Concerns Over Weapons Availability, 'Gangster' Culture in Libya
14 November 2012
Qantara (Germany)
Market day in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi. In the old town quarter of Assabri, traders spread out their wares on folding tables and car bonnets: pistols, machine guns, grenades, ammunition. There's even the odd rocket-propelled grenade on offer. Potential buyers lug bags full of bundles of cash; Libya's largest banknote is the ten dinar note.
"Can I try it out?" asks a customer holding the hand of a small child, grabbing hold of an AK-47 and firing it into... (GunPolicy.org)
Three Mozambique Soldiers Arrested for Gun Thefts, Selling to Criminals
14 November 2012
Agência de Informação de Moçambique (Mozambique)
MAPUTO — Three members of the Mozambican Armed Forces (FADM) have been arrested for stealing and selling firearms.
According to Orlando Mudumane, spokesperson for the Maputo City Police Command, cited in Wednesday's issue of the daily paper "Noticias", the men, named as 29 year old A.
Francisco, M. Kuamende (42) and I Naveta (29), are stationed at different FADM units in Maputo City and Province. Also arrested was 28 year old F, Joao, who purchased one of the stolen... (GunPolicy.org)
Lire l'article complet : Agência de Informação de Moçambique (Mozambique)
Russian Arms Company Rogozin Wants Kalashnikov Merger
3 November 2012
RIA Novosti (Russia)
KLIMOVSK - Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin called on Saturday for a merger of two of Russia's leading small-arms makers, Izhmash and Izhmekh, under the Kalashnikov brand.
"We need to set up a new-old brand, named 'Kalashnikov', based on the two old factories," said Rogozin, who has special responsibilities for Russia's arms industry, during a visit to the TsNIITOCHMASH arms plant near Moscow.
Oleg Bochkaryev, a member of Russia's military-technical... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexican Arrested in Belize Casino Raid, Weapons Seized [ES]
1 November 2012
Diario De Quintana Roo (Mexico)
[Translated summary: Belize authorities have revealed a Mexican man was arrested after a raid at a casino, which resulted in the seizure of unlicensed assault weapons and drugs.]
La Fuerza de Defensa de Belice (BDF) reveló que el mexicano detenido durante un operativo realizado en el casino Las Vegas, ubicado en la Zona Libre, es identificado como Zurisadey Villaseñor Méndez, de oficio taxista y comerciante de Chetumal. Durante el operativo se confiscaron armas... (GunPolicy.org)
Kenya Police Officer Shoots Wife, Kills Daughter and Self
29 October 2012
Capital FM (Nairobi)
NAIROBI — A police officer shot and killed his 23-year-old daughter in Kakamega and wounded his wife before killing himself on Monday morning.
The officer had just collected his AK 47 rifle from the armoury at 7.30am in readiness to go supervise the ongoing Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations when he suddenly went back to his house and found his daughter in the kitchen preparing breakfast.
"As soon as he collected the rifle, he was supposed... (GunPolicy.org)
Assault Weapons Arsenal Found at Home of Scotland Gang Family
28 October 2012
Daily Record (Scotland)
An ally of the Daniel crime clan has been caught with an arsenal of guns – including three AK-47 assault rifles stashed in his loft.
Police discovered the machine guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition when they smashed into the home of Terence Carvell, 56.
Downstairs, they found dozens of legal and deactivated firearms. But upstairs in the house in Milton of Campsie, near Glasgow, they found three AK-47 Kalashnikovs and a pistol, oiled and ready for... (GunPolicy.org)
Man Arrested in Kenya Over Alleged Illegal Gun Possession
26 October 2012
Star (Kenya)
A man who was arrested in Laikipia for ferrying firearms was yesterday arraigned before a Nyahururu court.
Lucas Lolodepe denied the charges of illegal possession of firearms.
Appearing before Nyahururu principal magistrate William Chepseba, he denied eight counts of holding various types of guns.
According to the charge sheet, they included six AK 47 rifles, two G3 and seven Russian made carrabine guns. He was also arrested with five rounds of ammunition and working... (GunPolicy.org)
Eritrea Gives Citizens AK-47s, Forces Citizens to Train and Patrol Streets
24 October 2012
Ethiopian Review / Slate Afrique
The Eritrean government has launched a comprehensive program of distribution of machine guns and ammunition to the population, especially in the cities. A measure that sows fear and confusion among Eritreans inside and in the diaspora.
Since Spring 2012, with the usual silent paranoia that characterizes the government of Eritrea has been forcing ordinary citizens to be enlisted in neighborhood militias, according to the testimony of many Eritreans in the country and... (GunPolicy.org)
Kenya Authorities Offer Gun Amnesty After Deadly Clashes
23 October 2012
Star (Kenya)
The Government has issued amnesty to all those who would surrender firearms voluntarily in the Tanadelta district which experienced deadly clashes in the past two months.
Authorities said all those who would surrender firearms voluntarily shall not be prosecuted and instead will be given certificates of commendation for returning the illegal firearms.
However those who will defy the orders shall be liable for prosecution and face the full force of the law as more than... (GunPolicy.org)
US Police Sting Catches Gun Traffickers, Seize 100 Guns in NYC
12 October 2012
Daily News (New York)
A "Mickey Mouse Trap" caught a crew of gun-peddling rats in upper Manhattan, authorities said Friday.
The joint operation by the NYPD's Firearms Investigations Unit and the Manhattan district attorney's office yielded 16 busts on gun-trafficking charges. Three suspects were still at large.
One part of the sting — dubbed Mickey Mouse Trap — focused on ex-con Mitchell (Mickey) Collins, 64, who with three much younger suspects sold about 88 firearms to undercover... (GunPolicy.org)
Puerto Rico,Mexique,Honduras,Barbade,États-Unis,Colombie
US Man Breaks Silence on Pre-Fast and Furious Operation, 'Castaway'
8 October 2012
Kansas City Star (Missouri) / Miami Herald
A sensational election-season report into the botched Operation Fast and Furious gun-tracking operation has cast new light on a simultaneous Florida firearms investigation linked to violence in Colombia, Honduras and Puerto Rico.
Called Operation Castaway, the Florida case has received far less attention than Fast and Furious. The latter became an embarrassing distraction for Obama's administration when it was implicated in the death of a federal agent and Mexico... (GunPolicy.org)
Lire l'article complet : Kansas City Star (Missouri) / Miami Herald
Kenya Police Seize AK-47 Rifles, Ammo from Bus
6 October 2012
Star (Kenya)
Anti-terrorism police officers yesterday seized two AK-47 rifles, 60 rounds of ammunition and three AK-47 magazines in a bus at Mokowe in Lamu.
The Mombasa bound bus belonging to Najah Company was intercepted after intelligence reports indicated that it was smuggling the firearms.
Coast provincial police boss Aggrey Adoli said the seizure is a major breakthrough on the war against terror.
Ten suspects including the driver of the bus, conductor and passengers are... (GunPolicy.org)
Nigeria Police Catch Smuggling Gang, Seize Assault Weapons, Ammo
26 September 2012
Leadership (Abuja)
Nemesis has finally caught up with three suspected robbers, who specialise in inter-state gun running as they were paraded by the Lagos State police command yesterday.
Speaking with journalists at the command headquarters in Ikeja, Manko Abubakar Umar, Lagos State police commissioner said that on September 23, officer in-charge of Lagos State Anti-Robbery Squad SARS, Abba Kyari received information that one Uche Okeagbu was arrested by the police around IIlemba Hausa... (GunPolicy.org)
France Promises to Get Tough on Organised Crime Shootings
30 August 2012
Local (France)
The French government rejected calls on Thursday for the army to be sent in to crack down on drug dealers in Marseille, but promised a tough response to a wave of deadly shootings.
The gritty Mediterranean port city, long known as a hotbed of crime, has been struck by a wave of murders with assault rifles in turf wars over the
lucrative illegal drug trade.
The latest on Wednesday night saw Walid Marzouki, a 25-year-old suspected trafficker, riddled with bullets in a... (GunPolicy.org)
Nigeria Authorities Say Over 1,000 AK-47 Rifles in Illegal Circulation
24 August 2012
Vanguard (Lagos)
The Commissioner of Police in Kogi, Mr Mohammed Katsina, said on Friday that more than 1,000 AK 47 rifles were among the dangerous weapons believed to be in circulation in Okene and its environs.
He said this in Lokoja while parading some suspects, including a man in whose possession two AK 47 rifles, belonging to two soldiers killed in Okene on Aug. 7, were found.
Katsina said that politicians and clan heads were responsible for the massive illegal circulation of... (GunPolicy.org)
UK Police Seize Assault Weapons Smuggled from Iraq by Ex-Soldier
20 August 2012
Daily Mail (UK)
A former soldier has been jailed for 10 years after smuggling a cache of guns and ammunition from Iraq into the UK in a tank.
Ricardo McKenzie joined the Army in April 2001 as a private in the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, 1st Battalion, but sneaked the weapons into the UK in 2006.
The 35-year-old served in Iraq before being discharged from duty in September 2008, but was arrested on October 28, 2011, after a police raid on two homes in south London.
Inner... (GunPolicy.org)
Nigeria Police Find Assault Weapons in Parked Car
20 August 2012
Daily Trust (Abuja)
LOKOJA — The police in Kogi state yesterday recovered a parked Honda car containing 6 AK-47 rifles and eleven fully loaded magazines at a location in Oboroke Ihima in Okehi Local government area.
A source told our reporter that a woman selling recharge cards by the road side close to where the vehicle was parked suspicious of the presence of the vehicle there.
It was gathered that when a man came to move the car the woman alerted residents and the traditional ruler,... (GunPolicy.org)
Nigeria Police Arrest Eight over Spate of Gun Deaths, Armed Crimes
18 August 2012
Vanguard (Lagos)
When a 9-year-old Aminat Lateef was murdered in December 2010, during a violent clash between factions of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, in the Mushin area of Lagos State, her parents and siblings thought they would never get justice for her death, against the backdrop of past experiences.
But the reverse is the case now, as operatives of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad, FSARS, following a directive of the Inspector-General of Police, Mr... (GunPolicy.org)
US Presidential Candidates Cower on Gun Control - New York Times
26 July 2012
New York Times, Editorial
At a moment when the country needs resolve and fearlessness to reduce the affliction of gun violence that kills more than 80 people a day, both presidential candidates have kicked away the opportunity for leadership. On Wednesday, reacting to the mass murder in Colorado last week, Mitt Romney and President Obama paid lip service to the problem but ducked when the chance arose to stand up for their former principles.
That's not terribly surprising in the case of Mitt... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Violence Shifts to Forefront of US Presidential Campaign
26 July 2012
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia) / AP
WASHINGTON — Even as the issue of guns shifts to the forefront of the presidential campaign, the White House and the Senate's top Democrat made it clear Thursday that new gun legislation will not be on the political agenda this year. Instead, President Barack Obama intends to focus on other ways to combat gun violence — a position not unlike that of his rival, Mitt Romney.
Days after the mass shootings in Colorado, White House spokesman Jay Carney said Obama still... (GunPolicy.org)
Lire l'article complet : Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia) / AP
Australian Academic Says Gun Culture a Risk Factor for Shooting Sprees
25 July 2012
Sydney Morning Herald, Opinion
The number of victims in the Colorado cinema shooting would undoubtedly have been much higher than 12 killed and 58 wounded had the AR-15 assault rifle used by the alleged offender, James Holmes, not jammed. According to police, the jammed weapon was capable of firing 50-60 rounds a minute. Police say Holmes also had two Glock pistols, a shotgun and 6000 rounds of ammunition.
Shock, dismay and surprise are always expressed after such killings - and questioning of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Colombia Police Allege Gang Guns Come from Venezuela Military
18 July 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Colombia police have seized weapons from criminal gang the Rastrojos which include guns reportedly traced to the Venezuelan military, hinting at a connection between the neo-paramilitary group and elements of Venezuela's army.
During the operation, which took place just a few miles from Colombia's border with Venezuela, police seized 55 firearms, including M-16, AK-47, and FAL rifles, among others, said Defense Minister Juan Carlos Pinzon. According to a report by El... (GunPolicy.org)
Armed Rustling Gangs in Madagascar Pose Threat to Development
18 July 2012
IRIN (UN News)
ANALYSIS
"At 9am I checked them [the zebu] and they were still there, and two hours later they were gone," he told IRIN. "I need them to do the work in the field, to pull the cart and to produce fertilizer. These animals are important."
Razafindranoivo and community volunteers tracked the cattle rustlers for three days before giving up the chase. They say the theft of livestock and food have ticked up since 2009 - after Andry Rajoelina seized power with the backing... (GunPolicy.org)
Illegal Guns Easy to Get, Linked to Most Violent Crimes in Bangladesh
14 July 2012
Khabar South East Asia
An explosion of illegal small arms has spiked crime in Bangladesh, made its borders an arms trafficking route and above all, stolen lives.
Salma Sultana, 35, a resident of Dhaka's Mirpur suburb, knows the horrendous impact of gun violence more than most.
Returning from a relative's house with a friend on April 6th to his home, Sultana's husband, 40-year-old Hazrat Ali, came to the aid of three women out for a morning walk who were set upon by three muggers.
Ali did... (GunPolicy.org)
Trinidad Police Seize Assault Rifles, Shotguns, Drugs in Raids
13 July 2012
Trinidad and Tobago Express
Four firearms, including a Russian-made AK-47 assault rifle and a shot gun were seized and 43 people including a member of the regiment were arrested following two exercises in the Diego Martin and Laventille areas.
In addition to the weapons, officers also found bullet-proof vests, ammunition, handcuffs, wireless radios and camouflage kits.
Police said during the period 4 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. on Thursday, members of the Western Division Criminal Investigations... (GunPolicy.org)
Somalie,République démocratique du Congo (RDC),Caraïbes,Océanie,Europe,Asie,Amérique,Afrique,Liberia,Australie
Arms Trade Treaty Must Include All Guns and Ammo, Says Australia
2 July 2012
Sydney Morning Herald, Opinion
Ten years ago, tens of thousands of Kalashnikov assault rifles were transported into the West African country of Liberia. It was a violation of the UN arms embargo. The weapons were used by forces loyal to Charles Taylor to commit the most terrible crimes.
Boys, some as young as 11, were handed these weapons and told to kill. In the farms and villages of places such as Bong County on the border with Guinea, these Kalashnikovs became weapons of massive destruction. The... (GunPolicy.org)
The Truth About the Fast and Furious US-Mexico Gun Running Scandal
27 June 2012
Fortune (USA)
A Fortune investigation reveals that the ATF never intentionally allowed guns to fall into the hands of Mexican drug cartels. How the world came to believe just the opposite is a tale of rivalry, murder, and political bloodlust.
FORTUNE -- In the annals of impossible assignments, Dave Voth's ranked high. In 2009 the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives promoted Voth to lead Phoenix Group VII, one of seven new ATF groups along the Southwest border... (GunPolicy.org)
Tadjikistan,Afghanistan,Kirghizistan
Kyrgyzstan Officials Alarmed by Small Arms Proliferation
15 June 2012
Eurasianet.org (EU/Asia)
A spokesman at Kyrgyzstan's Interior Ministry has acknowledged that only about half of the small arms that went missing during the country's 2010 political and ethnic violence have been accounted for. The "huge number" of weapons floating about is "enough to carry out another revolution in the country," believes the chairman of parliament's defense and security committee.
Bishkek's 24.kg news agency reported this week that security forces lost about 1,200 small arms... (GunPolicy.org)
Sierra Leone,Yémen,Syrie,Algérie,Iran,Somalie,Chine,Bélarus,Italie,Allemagne,Bulgarie,Autriche,Russie,Tunisie,Royaume-Uni,États-Unis,Qatar,Soudan,Afrique,Libye,Égypte,France
An Arms Buyback for Libya? – Analysis
9 June 2012
Eurasia Review (EU/Asia)
The Libyan civil war of early 2011 was one of the bloodiest conflicts in recent history, with an estimated 30,000 killed and 50,000 injured. While Muammar Gaddafi's death marked a watershed moment in Libyan history, the months of frenzied violence that preceded it saw a massive buildup of arms and munitions in the country. In the months leading up to and after his fall, Gaddafi's arms warehouses all across the country became unsecured; such was the level of... (GunPolicy.org)
Assault Rifles, Machine Guns Seized by Police in Marseilles [FR]
8 June 2012
Le Figaro (France)
[Translated summary: AK-47 assault rifles, israeli machine guns, 9 mm and 11.43 mm handguns… In total, 27 firearms, as well as 150 kilos of ammunition, were seized by the Police in the city of Marseilles, France.]
Au total, 27 armes de tous calibres, dont des Kalachnikov et des Uzi, ainsi que 150 kilos de munitions, ont été découvertes lors d'une opération dans le XIIe arrondissement de la ville.
Des fusils d'assaut de type Kalachnikov, des pistolets... (GunPolicy.org)
Over 500,000 Lawfully Acquired Guns in the Hands of Ghanaians
7 June 2012
Peace FM Online (Ghana)
The National Commission on Small Arms (NCSA) has expressed worry over the easy availability of guns and other weapons in the country.
Currently according to the commission, about 500,000 legally acquired weapons are owned by civilians.
However, there are no statistical records of illegally acquired ones.
The commission's comment follow the arrest of an Ivorian and two Ghanaians by the Asawase Police in the Ashanti Region after Custom officials found nine AK-47... (GunPolicy.org)
Afrique,Europe de l'Est,France
Around 4,000 Weapons of War Circulating in France [FR]
5 June 2012
Le Figaro (France)
[Translated summary: The AK-47 attack on an armored van last Monday in Seine-Saint-Denis, France, recalls that criminals are increasingly using weapons of war. Are there more and more weapons of war in France? Where do they come from?]
L'attaque d'un fourgon blindé à la kalachnikov lundi en Seine-Saint-Denis rappelle que les malfaiteurs recourent de plus en plus souvent à des armes de guerre. Ce type d'armes se multiplie-t-il en France ? D'où viennent-elles ?... (GunPolicy.org)
Namibia Police Asked to Register and Return Confiscated Firearms
4 June 2012
New Era (Namibia)
OPUWO — Traditional leaders in the Kunene Region want measures to be put in place for unlicensed firearms confiscated by the Opuwo police to be registered and returned to their lawful owners.
The Opuwo police are in possession of around 400 unlicensed firearms that were either confiscated from people in the Kunene Region, or handed in by members of the community.
Speaking at a meeting with the Inspector-General of the Namibian Police (Nampol), Lieutenant-General... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Seizures Skyrocket, NSW Police Focus on Tracing
30 May 2012
Australian Associated Press
SYDNEY - A spike in gun seizures in NSW has intensified calls for a national ballistics testing system to help authorities link weapons to crimes.
The latest police figures show nearly 4500 firearms have been seized in NSW since January 2011, with more than a third of those located in the past two months.
Police Minister Michael Gallacher on Wednesday watched the destruction of 142 of these weapons, including a "Dirty Harry" style .45 calibre revolver, an Uzi... (GunPolicy.org)
Sydney, NSW Gun Seizures Soar, But Only 10% Are Handguns
30 May 2012
Australian Associated Press
A spike in gun seizures in NSW has intensified calls for a national ballistics testing system to help authorities link weapons to crimes.
The latest police figures show nearly 4500 firearms have been seized in NSW since January 2011, with more than a third of those located in the past two months.
Police Minister Michael Gallacher on Wednesday watched the destruction of 142 of these weapons, including a "Dirty Harry" style .45 calibre revolver, an Uzi submachine gun, a... (GunPolicy.org)
Understanding Arms Trafficking in France Using Geopolitics [FR]
23 May 2012
Le Monde (France), Opinion
[Translated summary: Arms trafficking has become a recurrent and increasing part of the social life of France society. In Marseilles, Lyons and Stains (near Paris), the number of homicides committed with AK-47 or automatic pistols has considerably increased in the past weeks. It is crucial to understand how and especially why these killers acquire such arms. For this, the geopolitical approach is efficient.]
L'actualité française vient de le rappeler : le trafic... (GunPolicy.org)
AK-47 and Automatic Handguns Seized in Marseilles, France [FR]
22 May 2012
Europe 1 (France) / AFP
[Translated summary: Automatic firearms were seized when dismantling a structured network of drug trafficking in Marseilles, France.]
Plusieurs armes à feu automatiques ont été saisies mardi lors du démantèlement d'un réseau structuré de trafic de drogue lundi matin dans une cité des quartiers nord de Marseille, a-t-on appris mardi de sources proches de l'enquête.
Lors de leur intervention dans la cité Campagne Lévêque, dans le 15e arrondissement, les... (GunPolicy.org)
Control Strategies of Small Arms and Light Weapons in Africa - Analysis
22 May 2012
Sudan Vision Daily, Opinion
Introduction
Most of the definitions of small arms and light weapons agree that they are the personal arms used by an individual person of a less than one hundred millimeter caliber. The extensive proliferation of the illegal small arms and light weapons is considered among the greatest challenges facing most of the African states.
The threats of the small illegal arms are not only confined to the security aspect, rather they go beyond that to extended effects on the... (GunPolicy.org)
Large Cache of Automatic AK-47, Handguns, Ammo Seized in Pakistan
15 May 2012
Pakistan Today
RAWALPINDI - Police and law enforcement agencies Tuesday have ceased costly weapons, which were being smuggled from lawless area to Punjab and arrested two outlaws.
Police received a tip off that heavy amount of weapons are being smuggled in a van registration number (LES-9070). However police stopped the van near Khamida check post for checking and found 10 Repeater guns, 10 automatic Kalashinkov, 50 pistols, five Revolver and 3500 bullets and arrested two persons.... (GunPolicy.org)
États-Unis,France,Chine,Pakistan,Afghanistan,Suède
Pakistan a 'Very Gun-friendly Society,' 9 in 10 Owners Unlicensed
30 April 2012
Dawn (Karachi)
On January 25 this year, 32-year-old Waqas, a garment factory employee was hit by a bullet in New Karachi and he died. The bullet was not fired from the gun of a target killer, but by friends of a bridegroom amidst late-night wedding celebrations.
Two children aged 10 and 12, died in Sialkot in a similar incident on February 20, when the jubilant brother of a bridegroom unleashed a burst of bullets.
Such accidents, almost an every-day affair in Pakistan, never make it... (GunPolicy.org)
Washington Says 68,000 Guns Seized in Mexico Were Traced Back to US
26 April 2012
Seattle Times / AP
WASHINGTON — The government said Thursday that 68,000 guns recovered by Mexican authorities in the past five years have been traced back to the United States.
The flood of tens of thousands of weapons underscores complaints from Mexico that the U.S. is responsible for arming the drug cartels plaguing its southern neighbor. Six years of violence between warring cartels have killed more than 47,000 people in Mexico.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and... (GunPolicy.org)
New Obama Gun Rule Sparks 123 Gun Trafficking Probes in Texas Alone
25 April 2012
Houston Chronicle (Texas)
Federal agents in South Texas have opened 123 criminal investigations as a result of a new requirement that border-state gun stores report customers who buy two or more large caliber rifles in the same week, especially those preferred by Mexican drug cartels.
The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said Wednesday that it is not looking at everyone who makes multiple purchases, but those who draw suspicion for other reasons, such as repeatedly... (GunPolicy.org)
Surge in Gun Violence in Australia as Criminals 'Tool Up'
22 April 2012
Age (Melbourne)
He affects the face of a tough guy, but the gun this twitchy young man keeps for protection looks like a novelty cigarette lighter. The .22 derringer can almost be concealed in his pudgy hand, save for the stumpy barrel that sticks out between his fingers.
The speed that he deals keeps him highly strung. But it's mainly the gun that makes him edgy. "If I get caught with drugs, I wouldn't go to jail. I don't hold enough and I haven't been caught before," he says. "But... (GunPolicy.org)