Police forces in 31 European countries, including Belgium, have arrested 22 suspected arms smugglers in 143 coordinated searches.
The large-scale operation, conducted between 20 and 24 February was led by Romania and Bulgaria. It resulted in the seizure of 1,621 weapons, 24,735 rounds of ammunition and various explosives, such as dynamite and hand grenades, Europol reported in a statement on Monday.
As it becomes increasingly difficult and expensive to acquire firearms illegally, criminals are increasingly turning to converted alarm pistols. These types of weapons, which normally only fire blanks, are now very popular as some models can easily be converted into firearms.
Most of the alarm pistols seized are models produced in Turkey, then imported into the EU and offered for sale in Bulgaria and other member States.
Once sold, they enter the smuggling circuit and are transformed into firearms in other European countries or outside Europe, before being distributed through illegal channels, according to Europol.
The operation, called Conversus, was led by the Romanian national police. It involved a week of action coordinated by Europol and involving some 31 countries – including Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Germany and the UK – as well as Eurojust and the European Commission.
