Once in Mexico, these weapons are worth at least double those prices, and in some cases as much as triple or more,

With over 2,100 deaths between January and October 2007 related to drug trafficking and the use of weapons purchased in the US, Mexico pins its hopes on the future success of the Merida Initiative to combat drug and gun trafficking.Mexican authorities now estimate that during the administration of former Mexican president Vicente Fox (2000 to 2006), some 2,000 guns per day entered Mexico. That works out to about 1.4 guns per minute. During that same period, the Fox administration seized 8,088 guns of the estimated 4,380,000 that entered the country, representing 0.18 percent of all the arms illegally smuggled into Mexico over six years, according to Mexican daily La Reforma. These salesmen and strawmen are the primary sources of illegal weapons flowing south, which they sell or hand off to gun traffickers who generally group the shipments at specific border crossings. Once in Mexico, weapons smugglers are set to make thousands on their merchandise.
"A used AK-47 may sell for around [US$] 400 and up," Litzman told ISN Security Watch. He added that an AR-15 could sell for US$800 to US$2,000, depending on the model and age of the weapon as well as other options such as the scope, stock or trigger guard.
Once in Mexico, these weapons are worth at least double those prices, and in some cases as much as triple or more, according to the ATF. One AK-47 purchased in Arizona for US$500 might go for as much as US$1,500 or more once it crosses the border.
At border crossings, Mexican customs agents are in the best position to detect smuggled weapons, but their situation is a difficult one. Many are given the well known choice of plata o plomo. "take the bribe or take a bullet." This is the clear message Mexican organized crime groups send those who patrol the Mexican side of border crossings, known as "plazas."
In February this year, a Mexican customs agent stopped a truck in Matamoros, a town across the border from Brownsville, Texas, under the control of Mexico's Gulf Cartel. The agent seized a load of weapons including 17 grenades, 18 rifles and 17 pistols. The next day he was killed with an AK-47.
The Mexican military, since its deployment to troubled spots in central and northern Mexico, has had some success seizing smuggled weapons. On 13 October, soldiers seized a weapons cache in central Tamaulipas state, located on the Mexico-Texas border. The public list of seized weapons included 11 AK-47 rifles, 13 AR-15 rifles and over 700 clips of ammunition. The Mexican daily El Milenio reported that one grenade launcher, powerful enough to destroy a tank, was also recovered.
But a review of Mexican reports reveals that such large seizures are limited. Finding weapons left at the scene of a crime is more common. Mexican officials have opined that hit men leave the weapons behind for two reasons: They do not want to be found with the weapons in the future and it is easy for them to obtain more.

In London, a major area of concern is still black-on-black gun crime, despite huge efforts by the Met to combat such violence. According to Operation Trident, the Met's unit combating black gun crime, offences in the capital rose by more than 50 per cent during 2005, with 164 offences recorded between April and October. This is compared with only 108 the previous year.

Operation Trafalgar, which focuses on gun crime in other communities, saw a total of 536 people arrested last year, as well as 74 firearms, 354 rounds of ammunition and 5.5 kilos of class A drugs seized.

The Met has already increased the number of stop-and-search operations it carries out in boroughs where most of the serious firearms incidents take place.

Outside London, the figures also show a disturbing rise in the use of guns. In Bedfordshire, gun-related offences have risen by 20 per cent over the past two years, from 173 in 2004 to 207 in 2005. The number of cases where people were found carrying a gun more than doubled from 19 to 43 in the same period. There was also a rise in the number of stolen firearms seized - 18 compared with one the year before.

Gun violence has more than doubled in Durham over the past year and in Dorset the number of people found in possession of a gun has increased by 150 per cent, though the force's overall gun crime figures have fallen.

The Brocock ME38 Magnum air pistol

Police have seized Israeli-made Uzi sub-machineguns and American Ingram micro- machineguns as well as AK45 assault rifles and a vast range of pistols. The present favourite is said to be the Walther PPK automatic, as used by James Bond.

There has also been a brisk trade in the underworld in reactivating guns that have been deactivated for collectors, or the alteration of high-powered air weapons such as the Brocock. The Brocock ME38 Magnum air pistol can be bought legally for about £120 and illegally converted for just £70. Real guns can be bought for little more than £100, depending on their condition.

The rise of crack cocaine sold by Jamaican-based Yardie gangsters who routinely carry guns added to the rise in gun use and what police now call “black on black killings”.

The gun, police say, has become an essential possession for young black men emulating Yardies. A spat on a dance floor can quickly lead to a killing by a gunman who feels that he has been denied “respect”.

Guns have gone from the domain of the crack cocaine dealers to now being an everyday accessory

Guns have gone from the domain of the crack cocaine dealers to now being an everyday accessory, a fashionable accessory, that young people want to be seen with," she said.

"It's become a lifestyle choice... part of a culture to be part of a gang.

"I think that's what's motivating young people, where a gun has become almost a status symbol demanding respect and power."

black men openly wearing firearms on the streets and in nightclubs.

"It's a very unhealthy fashion but there is a cultural aspect to it within a section of black youths who follow 'gangster rap' and that type of music."

He added that there had been reports of young black men openly wearing firearms on the streets and in nightclubs.

"It can be extremely difficult for our officers and the members of the public to tell a real gun from a replica one," he said. He added that the Met would support a ban on replica firearms in public places.

Police chiefs and the Gun Control Network, a lobby group, are pressing for greater restrictions on the availability of imitation firearms. The chairman of the Gun Control Network, Gill Marshall-Andrews, said: "The situation is getting worse by the day and the proliferation of these weapons is very alarming."

latest fashion accessory

Replica weapons, the latest fashion accessory to sweep through London's club scene, could be banned from sale and public display under laws being considered by the Home Office amid mounting concern at a national increase in crimes involving replica guns.

Replica weapons, the latest fashion accessory to sweep through London's club scene, could be banned from sale and public display under laws being considered by the Home Office amid mounting concern at a national increase in crimes involving replica guns.

Imitation automatic pistols are being openly worn by young men in clubs and on the streets of the capital as a fashion accessory, according to Scotland Yard.

gun control

In 1911, Turkey established gun control. From 1915 to 1917, some 1.5 million Armenians, unable to defend themselves were rounded up and slaughtered.

In 1929, the Soviet Union established gun control. Thereafter some 20 million dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and thrown into Stalin’s gulags.

In 1938 Germany established gun control and from 1939 to 1945 some 13 million were thrown into Hitler’s concentration camps.

citizens have a right to purchase either smooth-bore guns or self-defense weapons

Russian law on weapons, citizens have a right to purchase either smooth-bore guns or self-defense weapons, which include gas pistols and revolvers. If a person buys and uses a smooth-bore gun for five years, he or she will have a right to acquire semi-automatic arms. Rifled-bore pistols and revolvers, as well as shortened rifles and carbines are not permitted for open sales.

In Russia, one should have a special license to be able to purchase the officially permitted kinds of weapons. A person is supposed to collect a number of documents, submit them to the adequate licensing department and install a safe to store the weapons in. In the event the department makes a positive decision to issue the license, the future owner of a gun will have to take an exam in weapon handling. The weapons license is issued for the period of five years; it should be prolonged not less than three months before the expiry date. If someone does not want to run from one office to another to collect another package of documents, they can pay from $50 to $500 to a special firm to do all the paperwork.

You are now six times more likely to be mugged in London than New York.

You are now six times more likely to be mugged in London than New York. Why? Because as common law appreciated, not only does an armed individual have the ability to protect himself or herself but criminals are less likely to attack them. They help keep the peace. A study found American burglars fear armed home-owners more than the police. As a result burglaries are much rarer and only 13% occur when people are at home, in contrast to 53% in England.

worst record for "very serious" offences of the 18 industrial countries surveyed.

1953 law Britons were forbidden to carry any article for their protection.The failure of general disarmament to stem, or even slow, armed and violent crime could not be more blatant. According to a recent UN study, England and Wales have the highest crime rate and worst record for "very serious" offences of the 18 industrial countries surveyed.

"Stolen Guns: Arming the Enemy"

According to Americans for Gun Safety (December 2002), gun theft is most likely in states without laws requiring safe storage of firearms in the home and where there are large numbers of gun owners and relatively high crime rates. Based on FBI data, nearly 1.7 million guns have been reported stolen in the past ten years, and only 40% of those were recovered. The missing guns, over 80% of which are taken from homes or cars, most likely fuel the black market for criminals. NEA, AGS and the National Rifle Association advocate for safe storage. To access "Stolen Guns: Arming the Enemy"

Terrorists have purchased firearms at gun shows

Terrorists have purchased firearms at gun shows, where unlicensed sellers are not currently required to conduct background checks or to ask for identification. According to the Middle East Intelligence Report, for example, a Hezbollah member was arrested in November 2000, after a nine-month investigation by the FBI's counter-terrorism unit. Ali Boumelhem was later convicted on seven counts of weapons charges and conspiracy to ship weapons and ammunition to Lebanon. Federal agents had observed Boumelhem, a resident of Detroit and Beirut, travel to Michigan gun shows and buy gun parts and ammunition for shipment overseas. Boumelhem was prohibited from legally purchasing guns as gun stores because he was a convicted felon. Additional cases involve a Pakistani national with an expired (1988) student visa; a Lebanese native and Hamas member with numerous felony convictions; and a supporter of the Irish Republican Army.

Every day, more than 80 Americans die from gun violence

Every day, more than 80 Americans die from gun violence. (Coalition to Stop Gun Violence)
The rate of firearm deaths among kids under age 15 is almost 12 times higher in the United States than in 25 other industrialized countries combined. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
American kids are 16 times more likely to be murdered with a gun, 11 times more likely to commit suicide with a gun, and nine times more likely to die from a firearm accident than children in 25 other industrialized countries combined. (Centers for Disease Control)

3,012 children and teens were killed by gunfire in the United States

In a single year, 3,012 children and teens were killed by gunfire in the United States, according to the latest national data released in 2002. That is one child every three hours; eight children every day; and more than 50 children every week. And every year, at least 4 to 5 times as many kids and teens suffer from non-fatal firearm injuries. (Children's Defense Fund and National Center for Health Statistics)

Gun crime has risen by 35% in a year

Gun crime has risen by 35% in a year, new Home Office figures show.
There were 9,974 incidents involving firearms in the 12 months to April 2002 - a rise from 7,362 over the previous year.

RECORDED CRIME RISES
Overall crime: 9.3%

Gun crime: 35%

Robbery: 14.5%

Domestic burglary: 7.9%

Drug offences: 12.3%

Sexual offences: 18.2%

Source: Home Office

That represents an average of 27 offences involving firearms every day in England and Wales, with guns fired in nearly a quarter of cases.