Europol Reports Arms Smuggling From Ukraine

Criminal networks smuggle significant quantities of (military) weapons and ammunition from Ukraine, and European Union countries have reported to Europol.

This is apparent from a letter from the European Police Service to the European Union, which was reported by the German channel SWR.

The service knows several cases of people who tried to leave Ukraine with firearms and speaks of organized arms smuggling from Ukraine. Europol writes, among other things, about the terrorist threat this could pose to the EU.

Another problem is that some Ukrainians who have fled to the EU have left behind weapons and ammunition in the border area that they need for self-defense at home. Repositories have already been discovered, and Europol fears that these weapons and ammunition could fall into the hands of criminal gangs.

In addition, some Ukrainian refugees are suspected of secretly bringing firearms with them to sell in the EU. Taxi rides would have been settled with firearms.

Russia claimed at the beginning of this month that some weapons that Western countries have sent to Ukraine had been spotted on the black market in the Middle East. However, Moscow gave no evidence, and Ukraine has denied the allegations.