Drizzt
April 28, 2003, 04:58 PM
BBC Monitoring Former Soviet Union - Political
Supplied by BBC Worldwide Monitoring
April 25, 2003, Friday
LENGTH: 185 words
HEADLINE: Minister opposed to free sale of firearms in Russia
SOURCE: ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow, in English 1145 gmt 25 Apr 03
BODY:
Text of report in English by Russian news agency ITAR-TASS
Khabarovsk, 25 April: Russian Interior Minister Boris Gryzlov said he was firmly opposed to the free sale of firearms to the population. It's premature even to raise such an issue, he said at a meeting with students of the Far Eastern State Railways University.
Russia has major problems with firearms, with more than 100,000 units of firearms estimated in illegal turnover, Gryzlov said, adding that this figure was based on information from a database for illegal small arms.
Purchase or sales of firearms do not resolve the population's self-defence problems, while the availability of a gun in one's pocket does not improve protection, he said.
Earlier, Gryzlov named six mostly criminalized industries in the Far East and promised "concrete measures" to fight the situation.
Huge fraud and embezzlements have been exposed in fishing, red caviar production, gold and precious metals mining, timber production, fuel and energy complex, and alcohol production where illegal distilleries flourish, according to Gryzlov.
Supplied by BBC Worldwide Monitoring
April 25, 2003, Friday
LENGTH: 185 words
HEADLINE: Minister opposed to free sale of firearms in Russia
SOURCE: ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow, in English 1145 gmt 25 Apr 03
BODY:
Text of report in English by Russian news agency ITAR-TASS
Khabarovsk, 25 April: Russian Interior Minister Boris Gryzlov said he was firmly opposed to the free sale of firearms to the population. It's premature even to raise such an issue, he said at a meeting with students of the Far Eastern State Railways University.
Russia has major problems with firearms, with more than 100,000 units of firearms estimated in illegal turnover, Gryzlov said, adding that this figure was based on information from a database for illegal small arms.
Purchase or sales of firearms do not resolve the population's self-defence problems, while the availability of a gun in one's pocket does not improve protection, he said.
Earlier, Gryzlov named six mostly criminalized industries in the Far East and promised "concrete measures" to fight the situation.
Huge fraud and embezzlements have been exposed in fishing, red caviar production, gold and precious metals mining, timber production, fuel and energy complex, and alcohol production where illegal distilleries flourish, according to Gryzlov.