Illegal trafficking or smuggling of contraband weapons or ammunition
"Gunrunner" redirects here. For other uses, see Gunrunner (disambiguation).
Illegally trafficked small arms and light weapons captured by the United States Fifth Fleet, May 2021
Arms trafficking or gunrunning is the illicit trade of contraband small arms, explosives, and ammunition, which constitutes part of a broad range of illegal activities often associated with transnational criminal organizations. The illegal trade of small arms, unlike other organized crime commodities, is more closely associated with exercising power in communities instead of achieving economic gain.[1] Scholars estimate illegal arms transactions amount to over US$1 billion annually.[2]
To keep track of imports and exports of several of the most dangerous armament categories, the United Nations, in 1991, created a Register for Conventional Arms. Participation, however, is not compulsory, and lacks comprehensive data in regions outside of Europe.[3][2] Africa, due to a prevalence of corrupt officials and loosely enforced trade regulations, is a region with extensive illicit arms activity.[4] In a resolution to complement the Register with legally binding obligations, a Firearms Protocol was incorporated into the UN Convention on Transnational Organized Crime, which requires states to improve systems that control trafficked ammunition and firearms.[2]
The 1999 Report of the UN Panel of Governmental Experts on Small Arms provides a more refined and precise definition, which has become internationally accepted. This distinguishes between small arms (revolvers and self-loading pistols, rifles and carbines, submachine guns, assault rifles, and light machine guns), which are weapons designed for personal use, and light weapons (heavy machine guns, hand-held under-barrel and mounted grenade launchers, portable anti-aircraft guns, portable anti-tank guns, recoilless rifles, portable launchers of anti-aircraft missile systems, and mortars of calibres less than 100 mm), which are designed for use by several persons serving as a unit. Ammunition and explosives also form an integral part of small arms and light weapons used in conflict.[5]
^Kostakos, Panos A.; Arsovska, Jana (2008). "Illicit arms trafficking and the limits of rational choice theory: the case of the Balkans". Trends in Organized Crime. 11 (4): 352–378. doi:10.1007/s12117-008-9052-y. ISSN 1936-4830. S2CID 154641130.
^ abc"The Global Regime for Transnational Crime". Council on Foreign Relations. Archived from the original on May 13, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
^"UN-Register". www.un-register.org. Archived from the original on March 29, 2019. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
^Thachuk, Kimberley; Saunders, Karen (September 1, 2014). "Under the Radar: Airborne Arms Trafficking Operations in Africa". European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research. 20 (3): 361–378. doi:10.1007/s10610-014-9247-5. ISSN 1572-9869. S2CID 144051979.
^Greene, O. (2000). "Examining international responses to illicit arms trafficking" (PDF). Crime, Law and Social Change. 33 (1/2): 151–190. doi:10.1023/A:1008398420612. S2CID 142629830. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 23, 2012.
Armstrafficking or gunrunning is the illicit trade of contraband small arms, explosives, and ammunition, which constitutes part of a broad range of illegal...
in different illegal activities such as drug trafficking, armstrafficking, car theft, human trafficking and money laundering being the most common. From...
passed a bill for fighting human trafficking. According to National Crime Records Bureau, 2,189 cases of human trafficking were registered in 2021 as compared...
Arms trade may refer to: the global markets for any product of the arms industry Small arms trade Illegal arms trade (armstrafficking) Arms Trade Treaty...
present in various forms which include theft, drug trafficking, armstrafficking, burglary, human trafficking and terrorism. Between 2010 and 2013, The Netherlands...
illicit, this trade involves the illegal trafficking of small arms and the exchange of money and drugs for small arms, which are all commodities that cross...
especially in armstrafficking and child labour, by organisations such and the United Nations and UNICEF. Ivory Coast is a major trafficking hub for important...
related to Military industry. Arms deal (disambiguation) Arms embargo Arms race Armstrafficking Guns versus butter model History of military technology...
nations to enforce limitations upon a non-consenting country. Armstrafficking is the trafficking of contraband weapons and ammunition. What constitutes legal...
Instituut—founded in 1965. Arms deals Arms embargo Arms industry Armstrafficking Disarmament Export control Guns versus butter model List of chemical arms control agreements...
Human trafficking is the trade of humans for the purpose of forced labour, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation. Human trafficking can occur...
A Army support to police in combatting drug trafficking, money laundering, armstrafficking, trafficking in persons, terrorism, illegal mining, extortion...
serious issue throughout the country. Illegal drug trade, human trafficking, armstrafficking, murder, corruption and domestic violence remain significant...
Netherlands. According to a report by the Israel Police, drug trafficking, trafficking of women for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation, illicit...
Massachusetts including loansharking, bookmaking, truck hijacking, armstrafficking, and extortion. State and federal agencies were repeatedly stymied...
making them no better than regular gun runners. Arms smugglers, who are already into armstrafficking may work for them on the ground or with shipment...
manufacture and sale of counterfeit consumer goods, human trafficking, armstrafficking, wildlife trafficking, counterfeiting currency (especially the United States...
transit, and destination for human trafficking. The US Department of State ranked Jordan at Tier 2 on its 2023 Trafficking in Persons Report, stating that...
series of shootings between 2009 and 2013. The Mob Piru engage in drug trafficking, arms dealing and robbery. Suge Knight is alleged to have provided the Mob...
An arms race occurs when two or more groups compete in military superiority. It consists of a competition between two or more states to have superior armed...
was the first time Bout was formally mentioned in connection with armstrafficking. The weapons may have been destined for use in the Angolan Civil War...
involved as some of those to be charged were also involved in illegal armstrafficking. On April 17, 2024, Peel Regional Police announced the results of its...
The Argentine armstrafficking scandal involved illegal arms shipments of 6500 tons of weapons and ammunition from Argentina to Croatia and Ecuador between...
(born 15 February 1942, 's-Hertogenbosch) is a Dutch arms dealer convicted for armstrafficking in Liberia during the presidency of Charles Taylor. In...
Global Information