Arms Dealing

Arms Dealing

Arms Dealing is a problem in every nation and region on the globe. The main sources of illegal weapons are:

• Reactivation of neutralized weapons
• Burglaries and thefts
• Embezzlement of legal arms
• Selling of legal arms on the illegal market
• Reactivation of decommissioned army or police firearms
• Conversion of gas pistols

In Europe, the weapons and organized criminal groups involved in weapons trafficking primarily originate from the former Soviet Union and the Western Balkans. (In the latter, the weapons typically have been held illegally after recent conflicts in the area.) Outlaw motorcycle gangs also are involved in the trafficking of weapons and already have chapters in the Western Balkans. Organized criminal groups use existing criminal routes to traffic weapons.