Published
Video length: 6 min
Weapons of war: investigation into trafficking which is on the rise in Europe
Weapons trafficking is on the rise in Europe. On French soil, these weapons are at the origin of deadly score-settling, like those that have occurred in Nîmes, in the Gard, in recent months.
(France 2)
Weapons trafficking is on the rise in Europe. On French soil, these weapons are at the origin of deadly score-settling, like those that have occurred in Nîmes, in the Gard, in recent months.
A month ago, a man was killed by Kalashnikov fire in Nîmes (Gard). The 20 Hours of France 2 recorded 105 shootings using weapons of war in 2023. M16 assault rifles, Uzi submachine guns, AK47s… The weapons are varied. In Nîmes, violence is increasing. Four deaths have been reported in recent months. On August 23, an 18-year-old young man died. Le 20 Heures located a video filmed that day in the heart of the Valdegour city. The man there is wearing a SIG-550.
Weapons from Switzerland
This assault rifle is manufactured in Switzerland, where weapons are more widespread and legislation is more flexible. There, the gunsmiths are full of weapons of war, including the SIG-550. Gunsmiths are regularly targeted for theft. One of them has been arrested four times since 2020. The perpetrators of one of these thefts were arrested in France, in Lyon (Rhône), a few months later. But of the 300 weapons stolen, only seven were found, according to our information. The others now supply the black market.
