KNB Reports on Weapons Seized in Kazakhstan

Since the start of the year, Kazakhstan’s National Security Committee (KNB), working alongside police and the Prosecutor’s Office, has seized a large amount of illegal weapons, Orda.kz reports.

According to the KNB, it includes 12 machine guns, 41 pistols, 75 rifles, 36 grenades, and 1,603 rounds of ammunition of various calibers. Many of these weapons were stolen during the January 2022 unrest. So far, authorities have recovered 608 weapons linked to those events.

The problem is compounded by continued illegal arms smuggling into the country. In one recent case, the KNB uncovered a trafficking route from a neighboring country and detained a foreign national who attempted to sell 11 firearms.

The weapons had been hidden inside the upholstery of a car and smuggled across the border with the help of Kazakhstani accomplices.

The Committee emphasized that the actions taken helped prevent these weapons from being used in criminal activity.

Original Author: Olga Ibrayeva