report in TOLOnews, Dec 16, 2023 at 8:44 PM
The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) said in a report that in the first operation coordinated across Asia by INTERPOL against illicit firearms, authorities in 10 countries have made over 1,700 arrests and seized 714 firearms, 921 parts and components, and 45,383 rounds of ammunition.
According to the report, in Central, South and East Asia, small and light weapons have become the norm for terrorist groups and criminal organizations as they are inexpensive and easy to conceal, transport and access.
Interpol noted in the report that they have discovered routes in Pakistan that were used to transfer firearms from Afghanistan to this country.
“This was evidenced in Pakistan, where several hundred firearms, their parts, and ammunition were recovered, mainly in the provinces bordering with Afghanistan. This led to 614 arrests, new investigations and greater insights into the routes used by trucks from Afghanistan to ferry firearms and ammunition into Pakistan,” the report reads.
“Firearms from Afghanistan are a threat to Pakistan and Central Asia and we are in greater need to limit the diversion and trafficking of these firearms to neighbouring countries and beyond. We hope to repeat this type of initiative in the future,” said Mohsin Hassan Butt, Director General of Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency.
Some military analysts said that the publication of such reports mostly seek political goals.
“What Pakistanis have to say on this issue today is a political issue. Additionally, Afghanistan is a member of Interpol. Has the Interpol Police taken any steps to ensure that there is peace in Afghanistan? I hope that the report they publish is not biased and the facts are included in it,” said Mohammad Zalmay Afghanyar, a military analyst.
The Islamic Emirate rejected the report’s claim, saying that weapon smuggling is not allowed in Afghanistan and anyone caught on this charge will be dealt with legally.
“One is government weapons, which are registered here and we reject smuggling of it by anyone. Therefore, the places where weapons are smuggled should be investigated exactly and the information should be shared with the Islamic Emirate,” the Islamic Emirate’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told TOLOnews.
Earlier, the Interior Minister of Pakistan claimed that TTP’s fighters are using military equipment left over from NATO in Afghanistan to attack Pakistan, a claim that has been denied many times by the Islamic Emirate.
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-186520
