Weapons Trafficking

Illegal weapons trafficking accounts for only a small percentage of the billion plus dollar annual worldwide arms trade, but it plays a significant role in crime, terrorism, insurgency, drug trafficking, and other illegal activities. Transnational criminal organizations deal almost exclusively in illegal weapons. Individuals and organizations have used the illegal weapons trade to harm and intimidate unarmed civilian populations and to expand their criminal enterprises. Illegal weapons trafficking has had a significant impact on the spread of international drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) and has even had an impact in the human trafficking industry. Many of those directly affected by the resulting violence of the illegal arms trade are innocent civilians. The majority of the illegal arms trade involves weapons considered to be small arms and ...