'‘It’s not a piece of lumber, it’s not painted, it’s not restored, it’s not airsoft — it’s the natural product.’

‘Can I get it in St. Petersburg?’

‘That’s impossible’

'In October 2013, the US Justice Department announced the arrest of Ross Ulbricht, the founder and operator of ‘Silk Road,’ a massive online marketplace for drugs and other illicit goods. Authorities called it ‘the most sophisticated and extensive criminal marketplace on the Internet’ and estimated that it had facilitated the transfer of more than a billion dollars in drugs and other contraband over a two-year period (US FBI, 2013).

The diversion of conventional arms from licit to illicit entities can occur at any stage of the arms transfer chain. Preventing diversion therefore requires varied measures that effectively tackle the issue along the chain. Check out our infographic summarizing these possible measures.

The Libyan revolution deposed the Qaddafi regime in 2011 and with it brought to an end the tight regulation of the arms trade. Military stockpiles were raided, and small arms and light weapons made their way into the hands of non-state armed groups and private sellers.
 

The Small Arms Survey 2001: Profiling the Problem (Yearbook 2001) is an authoritative guide to all aspects of the problem of small arms and light weapons. It focuses on both small arms themselves (production, transfers, stockpiles), and on the processes and impacts of their world-wide proliferation.

The Small Arms Survey 2002: Counting the Human Cost (Yearbook 2002) includes new and updated information and analysis on global small arms production, stockpiles and legal and illicit transfers, and a review of international, regional and national measures to address the issue of small arms proliferation. The Small Arms Survey is now recognised as the principal international source of impartial and reliable information on all aspects of small arms.

The Small Arms Survey 2003: Development Denied (Yearbook 2003) presents the most complete assessment of the spread of small arms around the world and their effect on society. Stressing the link between small arms and global development, it includes special chapters examining the role of small arms in Africa (Congo), the Arab world (Yemen) and the former-Soviet Union (Georgia).

The Small Arms Survey 2005: Weapons at War (Yearbook 2005) is dedicated to exploring issues surrounding armed conflict, including the sourcing of weapons to conflict areas, weapons use, conflict deaths, and post-conflict disarmament initiatives.

The Small Arms Survey 2006: Unfinished Business (Yearbook 2006) offers new and updated information on small arms production, stockpiles, transfers, and measures, including a review of the International Tracing Instrument.