Weapons smuggling ring linked to Libya, Iraq

February 13th, 2007

Rome - Italian authorities announced Tuesday they have uncovered an arms smuggling ring in which more than 600,000 weapons and millions of rounds of ammunition from Russia and China were apparently going to be funneled to Iraqi insurgents.

Italian authorities announced Tuesday they have uncovered an arms smuggling ring in which more than 600,000 weapons and millions of rounds of ammunition from Russia and China were apparently going to be funneled to Iraqi insurgents.

Italian military police arrested four people across Italy on Monday in connection with the arms smuggling ring, which police stumbled upon while investigating a drug ring in the central town of Terni, Lt. Col. Rocco Amoruso said. Twelve others were arrested in connection with the drug ring.

Among the four arrested was an Italian businessman with a company in Malta, a small island nation south of Sicily where police believe the weapons were to be transferred before reaching their final destinations.

According to Amoruso, a weapons deal to send arms from China to Libya was in an advanced stage, and six AK47 assault rifles had already been sent to the north African country as samples. He offered no further details on the final destination for the arms.

The second deal, which involved sending over 100,000 AK47s and machine guns from Russia to Iraq, was still in an early stage and no arms had been sent, Amoruso said. Rovaldi said it was unclear who would receive the weapons in Iraq.