S12 slide 1

Arms for Sale

May 1999

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Arms for Sale

• While conducting a routine police raid by a vice officer of a suspicious situation in a hotel near the railroad station, the room occupant attempted to escape through a third floor window– He fell to death on the side walk below– In examining the scene the police find a

briefcase with one million DM and a leather bound diary

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Arms for Sale— cont’d

• The diary appears to be an account book containing some sort of short hand for arms sales activities in three countries; Bulgaria, Romania, and Slovakia – Accounts, dates and types of equipment as well as

code names for the individuals involved are included

– The destinations for the arms sales seem to be primarily the Middle East and the Balkans

• At this moment, the police and selected Ministry of Interior officials have access to this information

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Arms for Sale — cont’d

• Surprisingly the press office at the Ministry of Defense receives a query from an international news service about a rumor of the movement of Bulgarian manufactured weapons to “unsavory elements including terrorists.”

• Simultaneously, an internal audit of the defense privatization programs reports to the Prime Minister’s office that there are significant indications that something appears to be seriously remiss in the arms privatization and closure efforts

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Arms for Sale — cont’d

• After more detail examination of the briefcase, the police discovered a secret compartment containing several sheets of paper listing serial numbers of various small arms that conform to those used by Bulgarian arms producers

• Experts from the police and defense production offices conclude that they have uncovered an illegal ring that sell Bulgarian weapons and possibly weapons from other countries by manipulating serial numbers on the weapons

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Arms for Sale — cont’d

• An attempt by Kurds to take over a Turkish airline in Frankfurt foiled by German security forces– However, 15 people were killed (5 terrorists, 2

policemen and 7 innocent bystanders) and another 10 seriously wounded

– One of wounded terrorists stated that the weapons they carried came from Bulgaria