Paris, 15 December 2023 (dpa/MIA) - More than 1,700 people were arrested in 10 Asian countries in a broad operation against illegal firearms smuggling, the international police organization Interpol said in Lyon on Friday.

More than 700 weapons were confiscated in the force's first combined operation in Asia, called Operation Trigger-Salvo II, as well as hundreds of parts and more than 45,000 rounds of ammunition.

Conducted between November 13-24, the operation aimed to disrupt the cross-border movement of firearms and determine links between transnational organized criminal groups, firearms trafficking and terrorists.

In Central, South and East Asia, small and light weapons have become the norm for such entities, Interpol said, as they are cheap and easy to conceal, transport and access.

This was evidenced in Pakistan, where several hundred firearms, parts and ammunition were recovered, mainly in the provinces bordering with Afghanistan.

This led to 614 arrests, new investigations and greater insights into the routes used by trucks from Afghanistan to move firearms and ammunition into Pakistan, Interpol said.

Photo: MIA archive