The key facts
- Nine firearms, more than 750 rounds of ammunition and 1.4 kg of gunpowder seized in Ufa
- Two pistols were converted into rifled firearms; no permits existed for the shotguns
- Seven criminal cases opened; the man has been taken into custody
Clandestine Workshop in a Private Home
Officers of the criminal investigation department of the Ufa Linear Directorate of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs on Transport, while checking operational information, discovered in the private home of a 36-year-old Ufa resident a specially equipped room for manufacturing and converting weapons. According to the directorate's press service, the search uncovered lathes, milling and drilling machines, as well as devices for making ammunition.
What Was Seized
Nine firearms and more than 750 rounds of ammunition were seized from the man. Police paid particular attention to four pistols: according to expert examination, two of them had been converted into rifled firearms. In addition, the home held three rifled and two smoothbore hunting shotguns for which the owner had no required permits. Officers also seized three canisters of smokeless powder with a total weight of more than 1.4 kilograms. According to experts, the weapons found were suitable for firing, and the powder for explosive transformation.
Criminal Cases and Sales Investigation
According to the press service, the man had previously been held criminally liable for a similar offence. Investigators are checking whether he not only converted weapons but also sold them to other people. Following the investigation, seven criminal cases have been opened under articles on the illegal trafficking and manufacture of weapons. The suspect has been taken into custody. Police still need to establish where the discovered items came from and whether there were buyers.
Context: Nationwide Checks
Life.ru notes that the incident in Ufa occurred against the backdrop of large-scale checks on illegal arms trafficking across Russia. According to the outlet, in September officers of the FSB, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Rosgvardia suppressed the activities of 111 suspected clandestine gunsmiths in 43 regions of the country. Law enforcement shut down 37 workshops and seized 297 firearms, including assault rifles, machine guns, grenade launchers, pistols and shotguns, as well as 92,000 rounds of ammunition and more than 82 kilograms of explosives.
