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IyaJJJ

Member

Registered: 2023-01-25

Posts: 1,543

22 firearms traffickers have been apprehended all over Europe.

In the operation guided by Romania and Bulgaria, law enforcement officers in a total of 31 countries targeted individuals suspected of purchasing weapons from arms dealers. As illegal firearms become more difficult and expensive to obtain, individuals and organized criminals often turn to modified sirens and flare guns. These blank guns have become the weapon of choice for criminals, as some models have proven to be easily converted to live ammunition.

Most of the seized sirens and flares were models manufactured in Turkey at a time when the country's legislation on their production was changed. The weapons have been imported into the EU and sold legally in Bulgaria and other member states. But once sold, they are often trafficked across borders and turned into lethal weapons in other countries, both inside and outside the EU. The conversion process involves converting guns to fire live ammunition, which is illegal. Once modified, these weapons are distributed through illegal channels, contributing to the proliferation of illegal firearms.

Operational results
143 house searches
22 arrests
129 firearms seized
1 492 unconverted and converted alarm and signal weapons seized