The police doekt, large-scale trade in illegal weapons in West-Flanders, belgium: may 11 to conduct a search, 7 arrests, and 480 of prohibited firearms seized at

The judicial police and the public prosecutor’s office of West-Flanders, a large-scale trafficking of illegal weapons to shut down. With a total of 11 visits to the home in the past few months, and 480 which are prohibited or require a licence, firearms seized, 7 people arrested.

The study of the Flemish public prosecutor is already in mid-2018, when the information is related to the existence of possible illegal trading in licences for prohibited firearms” in the possession of me. The study, in co-operation with the local police forces Riho, and Flax, and the criminal investigation department of East-Flanders and Antwerp have resulted in the past few months, up to 11 homes in Wingene, Roeselare belgium, Zedelgem, belgium, Knokke-Heist, belgium, Europe, Aalter, belgium, Bruges, Gistel, and Pieterson.

Moreover, 7 people were arrested, two of them are a period of time in pre-trial detention continued, and one person has been released under conditions. The defendants risk up to ten years in prison for membership of a criminal organisation. In the illegal arms trade allows for a maximum sentence of five years. The seven turned out to have quite a long time in the business of trading.

480 the weapons seized

In total, 480 are prohibited or require a licence of firearms were seized. Then it is well to have a fully automatic submachine guns, semi-automatic weapons, revolvers, rifles, pistols, and if grendelgeweren. In addition, a few grenades, 500 reserveladers, excessive waste of ammunition, and preparations for the ammunition to be confiscated, reported to the public prosecutor.

in Addition to the weapons, there are tens of thousands of dollars have been seized from the market. The combination of both of the newer guns as collector’s items from the first world War. Some of the pieces will have a value of almost 4,000 euro.

“the Weapons were given to everyone to be sold”

Not all of the found weapons were destined for the criminal milieu, but were themselves sold to amateurs and non-licensed collectors. “At first it seemed, indeed, to the collectors, but anyway, the weapons everyone is sold on, and that can be dangerous. Also, the old weapons that are no longer in use, but is still ready to shoot, and that’s quite onerous,” says the public prosecutor Filiep Jodts.

“It’s necessary, and that there is still research to be conducted into the illegal arms trade. In spite of the recent amnestieperiodes to find that we still have large numbers of illegal weapons. It may be a very old weapons, but they can certainly be used in a criminal environment or even in areas of conflict,” says Kurt Desoete, the judicial federal police.”

After investigation, the goods are condemned and disposed of.

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