Suspected U.S.-Russia Arms Trafficker Arrested in Kyrgyzstan
January 31, 2025
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Law enforcement authorities in Kyrgyzstan on Thursday announced the arrest of a suspected arms trafficker who is accused of shipping weapons from the United States to sell in Russia.
According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), Kyrgyzstan’s State Committee for National Security said in a statement that the suspect is believed to be part of a criminal group that has trafficked hundreds of weapons from the U.S. to Kyrgyzstan and then sold them to unidentified individuals/parties in Russia.
Newsweek reached out to the State Committee for National Security via email on Thursday for comment.
Why It Matters
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in recent years has emphasized the importance of thwarting illegal arms trafficking, which is often carried out by transnational organized crime groups.
Last year, the UN General Assembly declared November 15 the International Day for the Prevention of and Fight against All Forms of Transnational Organized Crime as a call to action against weapons trafficking.
An cstyle semi-automatic rifle is seen displayed during the National Rifle Association (NRA) Annual Meeting at the George R. Brown Convention Center, in Houston, Texas on May 28, 2022. An cstyle semi-automatic rifle is seen displayed during the National Rifle Association (NRA) Annual Meeting at the George R. Brown Convention Center, in Houston, Texas on May 28, 2022. Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images
What To Know
Kyrgyzstan, officially the Kyrgyz Republic, is one of Russia’s Central Asian allies. It’s part of the Customs Union of the Eurasian Economic Union, which is made up of five former Soviet countries, including Russia, to allow easier travel and trade between members.
The AFP wrote that since Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Kyrgyzstan “has faced allegations of being a back door for Moscow to buy sanctioned Western goods.”
According to the State Committee for National Security, a Kyrgyzstani identified only by the initials S.M.M. purchased firearms through online stores in the United States. Other individuals were also allegedly involved in the trafficking scheme, but no identifying information about the other suspects was provided by Kyrgyzstan’s law agency due to the ongoing investigation.
Kyrgyzstan’s authorities said that after the illegal weapons were mailed from the U.S. to Kyrgyzstan, the suspected criminals then sold the arms in Russia. The law agency added that the criminal group is made up of citizens from Kyrgyzstan, Russia and the United States.
The group is accused of shipping than 300 weapons, including Glock pistols and AR-15 assault rifles.
What People Are Saying
According to AFP, the State Committee for National Security said in its statement that it had “uncovered and suppressed the criminal activity of a transnational group” that had illegally trafficked weapons and military uniforms.
The statement added that the suspect, S.M.M., was caught “red-handed” earlier this month when he received a package containing parts for a rifle and handgun.
What Happens Next
Kaktus Media, an independent news agency in Kyrgyzstan, reported that the Pervomaisky District Court of Bishkek on January 25 sent S.M.M. to the pretrial detention center of the State Committee for National Security of the Kyrgyz Republic for two months to await trial.
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