Europol states it has no records of weapons being smuggled out of Ukraine as yet
EUROPEAN PRAVDA – FRIDAY, 22 JULY 2022, 19:32
On Friday 22 July, the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) gave further details concerning its statement about the alleged smuggling of weapons out of Ukraine during the war. Europol clarified that it was talking about a potential threat, not specific incidents.
Source: European Pravda
Quote: "Europol is working closely with Ukrainian officials to mitigate the threat of arms trafficking into the European Union. We have full confidence in them as they implement new measures to monitor and track these firearms," the statement from Europol reads.
Europol also stated that judging by the experience of past military action in Ukraine, there may be a threat of firearms falling into the wrong hands.
"Regarding the war in Ukraine, Europol has warned that the proliferation of firearms and explosives in Ukraine could lead to an increase in firearms and munitions trafficked into the EU via established smuggling routes or online platforms. This threat might even be higher once the conflict has ended," the agency added.
On 21 July, Europol spokesperson Jan Op Gen Oorth said there were signs that weapons are being smuggled out of Ukraine. Oleksii Danilov, secretary of the National Security Council of Ukraine, then stated that he was planning to discuss the alleged cases of arms smuggling out of Ukraine.
Earlier it was reported that the EU is to crack down on the illegal trade of weapons in connection with the war in Ukraine. At the same time, the EU said that reports of "weapons being smuggled" out of Ukraine is Russian propaganda.
