Cheap Chinese pistols fuel HK crime

Hong Kong criminal syndicates are buying pistols to order from the mainland for as little as $2,000 each and having them smuggled in, fuelling a sharp rise in gun crimes and seizures in the past year, police sources say.

The number of confiscated guns has risen 57 per cent, from 14 in 2001 to 22 last year, according to figures to be released today. They include pistols which went missing or were stolen from the mainland army and police, but most are believed to have been manufactured in underground firearms plants.

One police source said: 'Very old handguns with several rounds of ammunition can be bought for as little as $2,000.

'Guns in good condition cost about $5,000 . . . the price is cheaper than in the past. The firearms are usually smuggled into Hong Kong by illegal immigrants to commit crimes or to be handed over to local buyers.'

The source said police believed there were a lot of underground firearm plants in Yunnan province, but criminals with the right connections could buy the illegal firearms in Shenzhen.

'Half of the pistols seized in Hong Kong last year are Chinese-made guns and most of them are the Black Star 7.62mm pistols,' the source said.

Another police source said the Black Star pistols were popular among criminals in Hong Kong because 'they are more powerful than revolvers used by Hong Kong police officers and there are many of them available in the illegal firearms market'.