Italian police seize 800 shotguns bound for Belgium from Turkey

[LiberalArkie]

Italian police seized almost 800 shotguns bound for Belgium from Turkey from a truck that arrived in the northeastern port of Trieste, a statement said on Thursday.

The finance police, who are often in charge of port security, said that while customs rules had not been violated, the Turkish truck driver did not have the licenses needed to transport the 781 Winchester SXP shotguns.

Pump-action Winchester SXP rifles are made for hunting and are not considered assault weapons, but police said they had "substantially" increased their border inspections in the wake of the Nov. 13 Paris attacks and subsequent alert in Belgium.

"Given the delicate nature of the cargo, its origin and its destination, the documentation regarding the rifles was immediately examined," the statement said.

Snip

Read more at Reutershttp://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/26/us-italy-crime-shotguns-belgium-idUSKBN0TF1SV20151126#eLw2vIZ2qmjz8JSJ.99

[Lurks Often]

1. Turkey is a major maker and exporter of shotguns for many gun companies

around the world. This is undoubtedly a paperwork screw up and is not criminal or terrorist related.

[Brother Buzz]

2. Importing shotguns to Belgium?

Used to be, that was like carrying coals to Newcastle.

[Recursion]

3. Right?

I would have thought it still was. They're the best arms manufacturers in the world.

[Brother Buzz]

7. I don't disagree, but riddle me this...

Why does Winchester choose to produce a utilitarian grade shotgun in Turkey?

[Recursion]

9. Because money is green?

If there's a market, the product gets made...

[Brother Buzz]

11. And that same market allows the one percenters to chase the....

the exquisitely made Belgium guns with highly figured walnut stocks and fine steel engraving while Joe Six-pack will settle for the no frills field grade gun with composite stocks.

[Snobblevitch]

4. Reporting sure isn't what it used to be.

Why were rifles and assault weapons even mentioned in this story?

[magical thyme]

5. to make it clear that even though NATO idiot Syria has been aiding ISIS

and the shipment was headed to Belgium, where ISIS has just used as a base to carry out terrorist attacks in Paris, this particular shipment of weapons wasn't terrorist/ISIS-related.

[tkmorris]

6. For that matter why is this a story at all?

I can guarantee you the reason this guy didn't have the paperwork required to transport these guns is because no one ever gave a damn before. Then Paris happened and suddenly everyone has to have their paperwork in order and he didn't. Someone may try to make some PR outta this, that's just the mode they are in, but other than that this "story" isn't one at all.

[NickB79]

8. Turkey is developing a reputation as a manufacturer of solidly built, inexpensive guns

I just purchased a Webley/Hatsan air rifle, made in Turkey, for $60 through Amazon and it's a great backyard can plinker and small game hunter.

[LiberalArkie]

10. Do the Turks make the 781 Winchester SXP shotguns?

[Brother Buzz]

12. Just Winchester SXP - 781 was the number of guns seized

Yes, the Winchester SXP is manufactured in Istanbul (Not Constantinople), Turkey.

[LiberalArkie]

13. My reading of the article was that had import licenses for other weapons but not

that model. And naturally after the Paris attacks the customs folks are looking closely at things they probably overlooked just the week before.

[Brother Buzz]

14. My read: The Turkish truck driver did not have the licenses needed to transport the weapons

but the the actual cargo being imported was not a problem.