Comment: Criminal gangs profit from Western arms supplies to Ukraine

organized crime

Weapons from the war in the former Yugoslavia were then smuggled into Sweden and have since been used extensively by criminal gangs. Yet we seem to have learned nothing, and now the West's unrestricted supply of arms to Ukraine risks creating an even more serious situation in Europe.

Published 29 July 2024
- By Jenny Piper
Many of the weapons destined for Ukraine may instead end up in the hands of organized crime.
This is an opinion piece. The author is responsible for the views expressed in the article.

In recent days, Swedish police have responded to several alarms about hand grenades, and according to explosives expert Professor Bo Janzon, the grenades are likely to have come from the Balkans.

As we know, hundreds of weapons seized in Sweden in recent years have been smuggled in as military weapons from the former Yugoslavia, many of which have been used by gang criminals in the never-ending spiral of violence.

But we have learned nothing, and of course the foolish decision by both Washington and the EU – including Sweden – to allow hundreds of billions of dollars worth of weapons to rain down on Ukraine for years without any control over where the weapons end up will have unpleasant consequences.

Speaking recently to members of the UN Security Council during a meeting on Ukraine, former Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl noted that Europe will have to face the consequences of an uncontrolled arms market in Eastern and Central Europe, with consequences that will be worse than during the war in the former Yugoslavia.

In due course, we will surely hear our leaders tell the old lie – we didn’t see it coming.

#vadåkonsekvensanalys
#vibetalar

 

Jenny Piper

All Jenny Piper's articles can be found on her blog.

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