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Guangdong a Hotbed of Guns in China

Posted: 05/23/2014 9:00 am

From the beginning of the year until May 20, Guangdong seized 805 illegal guns and 7,739,300 kilos of gun powder, He Guangping, deputy head of the Guangdong Police Department said in a press briefing on Thursday as the province steps up efforts to crack down on violent crimes following a spate of knife attacks in train stations and explosions across the country.

Illegal guns destroyed in Guangdong in 2013. Photo credit: Shenzhen Business Daily

A total of 232 people suspected of selling guns online have been arrested, China News reported. In addition, 9,130 detonators and 316,000 gun replicas were seized in the province. The report did not specify if the weapons were intended for use with domestic criminal gangs or for export. Private ownership of guns is banned in China, and gun-related crimes in the country are relatively rare.

The police said 338 gun-related cases were solved during this period, but also that crimes related to illegal gun use were on the rise in the province. For example, 48 cases involving illegal manufacturing, selling and trading of guns and gun powder were busted in Guangdong last year, a 23% increase over the year before, the report said. And some of the criminal gangs involved with gun-related crimes were also found selling drugs and committing robberies.

The City of Lufeng, notorious for gun use, was responsible for 90 gun-related crimes in 2013, a total of 7.4% of all gun crimes in Guangdong. A crime-ridden city in Guangdong, Lufeng is also notorious for drugs. Local drug manufacturers were seen armed with guns such as AK-47′s in one of its villages, Boshe, during a police drug raid in January this year.

The Guangdong Police Department said it will launch a clamp-down on gun-related crimes during the month of June.

Home page image: China News 

Haohao

Foshan man sentenced to 12-years in prison after accidentally shooting girlfriend to death

Posted: 05/15/2012 7:26 am

A 31-year-old Foshan drug dealer, identified as “Ou”, has been sentenced to 12-years imprisonment for drug trafficking, possession of an illegal firearm, and manslaughter, after accidentally killing his girlfriend.

On October 24th of last year, Ou and his girlfriend Ah Hong, were at his rented apartment in Foshan’s Nanshan District. The apartment was full of narcotics Ou used for trafficking, as well as a firearm he claims to have illegally purchased for self-defence. When Hong asked to see the gun, Ou removed the ammunition clip before handing it to her. Later, as a joke, Ou pointed the gun at Hong and pulled the trigger, assuming it wasn’t loaded. Unaware there was still a bullet in the chamber, the gun went off and struck Hong in the back, who immediately fell to the ground.

Ou rushed Hong to the hospital in an attempt to save her; unfortunately, she died soon after. Fearing the worst, Ou fled and remained in hiding until he was eventually caught and arrested a few weeks later. When police searched his apartment, they discovered the gun, and plenty of narcotics, including: 504.14 grams of ketamine, 3.52 grams of methamphetamine, and 0.19 grams of heroin.

Ou pled guilty to all charges and was sentenced to 12-years imprisonment, followed by 3-years probation, and a 10,000RMB fine. He told the court that he had no intention of killing Hong, and only wanted to “scare her”: “I was shocked when the gun went off” he said,  “I did not expect such a loud bang”. According to the jury, Ou was granted leniency on the grounds of economic hardship, and for attempting to save Hong’s life by taking her to the hospital.

Source: The Southern Metropolis Daily

Haohao
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