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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| French police arrest dozens in raids against criminal arms smuggling ring | French police arrest dozens in raids against criminal arms smuggling ring |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| French gendarmes say they have smashed an international arms smuggling ring after arresting 45 suspects in a series of raids across the country on Monday. | French gendarmes say they have smashed an international arms smuggling ring after arresting 45 suspects in a series of raids across the country on Monday. |
| Hundreds of weapons, including machine guns, were seized in the operation against what officers described as an "exceptionally large" network of traffickers from Eastern Europe. | |
| French investigators said 45 suspects described as collectors – suspected of links with criminal gangs – were arrested in the Paris area, the regions of the Rhone, Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur, on the island of Corsica and in France's overseas territories and departments. | French investigators said 45 suspects described as collectors – suspected of links with criminal gangs – were arrested in the Paris area, the regions of the Rhone, Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur, on the island of Corsica and in France's overseas territories and departments. |
| "Several hundred weapons, including weapons of war, ammunition and spare parts, have been trafficked [into French territory] by this network since 2009," the gendarmerie reported in a statement. | "Several hundred weapons, including weapons of war, ammunition and spare parts, have been trafficked [into French territory] by this network since 2009," the gendarmerie reported in a statement. |
| It added that the investigations had shown the "flow between arms collectors and crime networks". | It added that the investigations had shown the "flow between arms collectors and crime networks". |
| The inquiry was sparked after weapons and ammunition were found during a search of the home of a suspect arrested over allegations of receiving stolen goods in February 2012. | The inquiry was sparked after weapons and ammunition were found during a search of the home of a suspect arrested over allegations of receiving stolen goods in February 2012. |
| More than 300 gendarmes were reportedly involved in Monday's roundup across France. The arms trafficking network was said to have been mostly between Balkan countries and France. | More than 300 gendarmes were reportedly involved in Monday's roundup across France. The arms trafficking network was said to have been mostly between Balkan countries and France. |
| By mid-afternoon on Monday police reported that 38 suspects had been remanded in custody. | By mid-afternoon on Monday police reported that 38 suspects had been remanded in custody. |
| "The criminals used the internet and the websites usually visited by collectors to buy long [barrel] guns, pistols and Kalashnikovs," a legal source told France Info radio. | "The criminals used the internet and the websites usually visited by collectors to buy long [barrel] guns, pistols and Kalashnikovs," a legal source told France Info radio. |
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