Where do they come from? Who are the middlemen that deal in these deadly weapons? And why have they become so popular again? Part of the answer can be found in a small cottage in the Balkan hinterland, beneath the mountains of central Montenegro.
In one of two bare rooms, Zeljko Vucelic draws hard on a cigarette. This is a poor place. Mould grows on the walls, damp seeps up from the floor, and the only possessions on show are an old TV, a cooker and a fridge. The family has just about made ends meet for generations. But now Vucelic is facing the realisation that his brother, Vlatko, had been trying to make a little money on the side — as a bit-part player in the vast weapons trade.
On 5 November Vlatko Vucelic was stopped on a German motorway with a whole arsenal in the boot: a revolver, two handguns, two grenades, g of TNT. And eight Kalashnikovs. Police have not linked Vlatko to any terror plot. His journey, as detailed by the satnav, traced what experts believe is a well-worn route for weapons traffickers: Montenegro, through Croatia, Slovenia and on into Austria to a border crossing point into southern Germany near Rosenheim.
The final destination was a car park in Paris. When police use the word Kalashnikov to describe weapons they have seized, they are referring to a legendary brand that has had multiple reincarnations. Designed by the Soviet general Mikhail Kalashnikov , the first model of the Kalashnikov gun, or AK, was introduced into active service in the Soviet army in Today, however, the name applies to types of AK-pattern assault rifles. They are manufactured — legitimately, for international trade — in more than 30 countries, with China leading the way.
But legal weapons can quickly become illicit contraband. China exports principally to African states. There, they can end up on the illicit market either because underpaid soldiers sell them on, or because states supply rebel forces in other countries.
Libya, with its own civil war to feed and a lawlessness unrivalled almost anywhere on the continent, has emerged as a huge funnel for the weapons. A report by a UN panel of experts on the arms embargo on Libya has found that weapons have been illegally passed to 14 countries outside its borders, although no evidence of Libyan-sourced firearms in Europe has yet been acknowledged publicly. Most experts believe, however, it is only a matter of time before they are found within the European Union.
As well as the constant production of new AKs, at the rate of a million a year, there are tens of millions of Kalashnikovs in the western Balkans, the former Soviet Union and north Africa that are still working effectively, despite dating back to the s and beyond. In Albania alone, after unrest in , about , Kalashnikovs disappeared, to become part of the black market in illicit firearms. These older weapons, often rebuilt or reactivated by middlemen, are used by criminals and terrorists exploiting their extraordinary durability.
It is tough, it works in all kinds of environments — hot and sandy deserts, or in Siberia. Wherever it is stored it is resilient, and this is why it is so popular. In Serbia there are estimated to be up to , illicit firearms, mostly AK-type military weapons. In Bosnia there are an estimated , illegal weapons. Many simply went home with returning fighters as the protracted Balkan wars wound down in the late s.
Much of the heavy weaponry used in the Paris massacres appears to have come from Balkan sources. Milojko Brzkovic, director of the Zastava arms factory in Serbia, said the serial numbers of eight rifles recovered by the French police suggested they were produced by his company.
The M70 assault rifles — the Yugoslav version of the AK — discovered in France were part of a batch sent to military depots in Slovenia, Bosnia and Macedonia by his firm.
But while discovering the origins of a weapon is helpful, it does little to help trace its path into the hands of an Islamist extremist. The demand for the guns will rise once the central police forces begin using them in place of the INSAS weapons.
While initially India and Russia were in talks for the manufacture of the AK, they eventually chose the AK — a 7. The AK is a derivative of the popular AK, used by military and terrorist groups across the world ever since its launch in There are roughly about 7. Known to be soldier-friendly rifles and operational in all conditions, the guns still enjoy a high global demand because of their reliability and operational ease with militaries of over countries that have been reportedly equipped with it.
It is often said that you can bury the AK in slush for months and then start firing instantly when you take it out. All you have to do is just shrug off the dirt with your hands. Also read: India signs contract for 72, assault rifles with US firm. Both weapons are quite similar in design and dimensions, with the AK being lighter. The AK weighs 4. Both use a 7. Their gas-operated, rotating bolt firing action has a maximum effective range of about metres.
While the AK has a partially enclosed front sight, the AK has a fully enclosed, hooded front sight. A folding spike bayonet on AK also differentiates it from the AK, which comes with a detachable bayonet. As per various reports, the layout and design principle were same as the AKM, but the caliber and muzzle were different.
This stems from its large gas piston and wide clearances between moving parts, which help to prevent it from jamming. And I hear American soldiers in Iraq use it quite often.
The hostage-takers who stormed the Olympic Village in Munich in were armed with Kalashnikovs, and mass shooters in the U. The U. With a service life of 20 to 40 years, AKs are easily relocated and repurposed.
The huge worldwide production of the weapon, particularly in countries with low labor costs, has driven prices downward. Kalashnikov died a national hero in at the age of Throughout most of his life, Kalashnikov rebuffed attempts to saddle him with guilt over the vast number of killings and injuries inflicted with his invention. He insisted that he had developed it for defense, not offense. It is the politicians who are to blame for failing to come to an agreement and resorting to violence.
Yet in the final year of his life, Kalashnikov may have experienced a change of heart. Guns, or those who carry them?
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