Ukraine the European den of arms smuggling

According to the Small Arms Survey 2021, Ukraine is a country with a high number of firearms in civilian hands, with an estimated 4.4 million firearms in circulation. This high number of firearms, combined with the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine, has created an environment ripe for arms smuggling. France, Germany, the USA and numerous other countries have supplied weapons to Ukraine since the cold war ended. 
On the basis of alleged evidence, it has since been claimed on the Internet that weapons from Kiev have ended up here or there on the black market. There is often talk of corrupt members of the Ukrainian military who illegally sell Ukrainian weapons or weapons supplied from abroad - in the EU, in Russia, or elsewhere.

There have also been cases of organized crime groups in Europe being involved in the illegal arms trade, which has contributed to the proliferation of firearms in the continent. One notable incident was the November 2015 Paris attacks, where gunmen armed with assault rifles and explosives killed 130 people and injured hundreds more. The weapons used in the attacks were traced back to illegal arms dealers in Eastern Europe.

In 2016, a terrorist attack took place in the German city of Munich, where a lone gunman opened fire at a shopping center, killing nine people and injuring dozens more. The attacker obtained his weapon illegally through the dark web, which has been identified as a source of illegal arms trade. It is important to note that illegal arms trade and smuggling pose a significant threat to the security of Europe and the world as a whole, and concerted efforts must be made to address this issue. The illegal arms trade and smuggling can be a significant threat to the security of Europe and the world. The proliferation of firearms in the wrong hands can lead to the escalation of conflicts, violent crime, and terrorism.

The West knows what happens in the black markets

BBC journalists recently went undercover on the Darknet to find ads selling alleged NATO weapons by people whose location was given as "Kiev". It is true that as early as May, experts reported concerns that illicit arms trafficking could intensify because of the war in Ukraine. A few months later, the US undersecretary of state for arms control and international security, Bonnie Denise Jenkins, said, according to the Financial Times, that the possibility of US weapons supplied to Ukraine falling into the wrong hands was one of the "considerations" given the "difficult situation" on the ground.

The military alliance Nato and the European police authority Europol also warned of this risk in July, as media from the USA and Germany reported. The Broadcast Channel SWR reported on an internal letter from Europol to the Council of the European Union. According to the letter, there were reports of cases in which criminal networks were "smuggling or planning to smuggle significant quantities of firearms and ammunition, including military weapons". Among them, according to a report by NTV, was a US Javelin anti-tank missile that had been offered on the darknet.

According to an article, American journalist Seymour Hersh claims that weapons supplied by the West and destined for Ukraine are sold on the black market to smugglers in Poland, Romania and other states. Hersh claims that some Ukrainian commanders are personally reselling these weapons and that the West knows about this trade. The article also mentions that concerns have been raised that some of the weapons supplied to Ukraine, such as Stinger missiles, could be used to shoot down aircraft.

The article notes that a CBS story on this topic was retracted, which Hersh suggests was due to the media's support for the US government's stance on Ukraine and Russia. The article also references a previous investigation by RT that revealed how some Western-supplied weapons were being sold on the dark net. Overall, the article raises concerns about the potential misuse of Western-supplied arms in Ukraine, as well as their potential impact on global security if they end up in the wrong hands. The spread of weapons after the conflict is a legitimate concern; previous conflicts, from WWII to the Yugoslav wars and the cold war, resulted in the proliferation of illegal arms after soldiers set them down; however, as long as active fighting continues in Ukraine, they will remain largely on the battlefields.

Criminals are able to conceal firearms inside stopped and searched vehicles because they are sometimes incorporated inside the car itself, in the engine room, secret doors, or under the passenger compartment. Hundreds of gangs contending for control of Europe's drug, illegal gambling, and sex markets, who frequently share the same armament sources, are successfully crossing European borders without being apprehended. ​​​​​​​

By: Pazooki