From: "jim.craig", [EMAIL PROTECTED]
The Scottish Sunday Post has the following 'story' spread over it's front
page with a banner headline:
MACHINE GUNS FOR SALE ON THE INTERNET:
Lethal Kalashnikonv sub-machine guns and rifles are being sent to British
buyers by US arms dealers. A salesman for a US company, Kalashnikov-USA
Midwest, based in Michigan, last week confirmed that they have already sent
weapons to buyers from the UK. And he also claimed that they sold a number
of Kalashnikov rifles and ammunition to a group of Scots businessmen he met
at the 'Shot Show' in New Orleans, the world's biggest hunting and shooting
fair. We phoned a sales representative of K-USA who identified himself as
Don. he said he could ship lethal AK-103 portable sub-machine guns direct
to the journalist's home. We explained that we were representing a collector
who did not want to approach the company himself and were instructed to
phone Don's boss, Steve, on Monday to go over the order. Ironically, even
in the USA, where gun laws are extremely relaxed, dealers are not permitted
to sell Kalashnikov sub-machine guns to the public.
The weapons are lightweight, capable of firing rapid bursts in all weathers
and extremely easy to use. K-USA's
catalogue of weapons, ammunition and accessories are easily browsed online.
A member of a Scots shooting club, who did not want to be named, said, "
There is absolutely no legitimate use for Kalashnikovs in the UK because
they semi-automatic, which means that they can fire short bursts to deadly
effect. You would certainly not get a permit to own one of these weapons
here." A spokesman for HM Customs and Excise said' " We are concerned at
the import of firearms from abroad via mail order sources, particularly from
the USA. We have recovered a number of firearms in recent years, the most
notable being a rocket launcher.
People who try to buy from the States run a high risk of losing a lot of
money and facing arrest and conviction when caught. Most US companies
don't give a hoot about UK gun laws and will still take the money."
Even for the rabidly anti-gun Post this is a bit on the hysterical side to
say nothing of the usual crop of inaccuracies. I've written to them of
course but I doubt if my comments will ever see print. Their email address
is
[EMAIL PROTECTED] if anyone else would like to drop them a line!
--
That rocket launcher was a spent rocket launcher tube, that was
completely harmless and Customs should know better than to grandstand
like that.
If this story is accurate then the dealer is violating a large number
of gun laws, and also the Arms Export Control Act.
I can't comment on this particular company but I have been contacted
by another one that is pulling a similar sort of con, and I have
notified HM Customs about them.
It's very difficult for these companies to be prosecuted because they
are in a foreign juristiction, and in addition if they are in the EU
then in many cases it is perfectly legal for them to ship the item
to you. But it's illegal for you to receive it.
You will be the one who lands in it, not them, they haven't done anything
illegal, and even if they have, holding them to account will be next
to impossible.
Most companies I deal with are responsible, and they do go to great
pains to point out all the paperwork you will have to fill out and
so on, but some of them are unscrupulous - be warned. Some of them
even say things are legal here that obviously aren't.
Steve.
Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org
List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
____________________________________________________________
T O P I C A -- Learn More. Surf Less.
Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Topics You Choose.
http://www.topica.com/partner/tag01
