(UK)Six-fold rise in stun gun smuggling

[Geezah]

Homeowners are buying illegal stun guns abroad and smuggling them into Britain to protect themselves from criminals, according to police and customs officers.

New figures show there has been nearly a six-fold increase in the number of these weapons being seized at ports and airports.

Last year, customs officers intercepted 672 stun guns, which can paralyse people with a 50,000-volt shock, compared with 120 eight years ago.

The National Criminal Intelligence Service, which is planning to launch an investigation into stun gun use, said this rise could partly be attributed to evidence that ordinary people and businessmen were buying them in France and Thailand, where they are legal, and bringing them back to the UK.

Customs said the weapons, which are prohibited in Britain under the Firearms Act, are also being smuggled in with other self-defence products, such as CS gas.

A senior customs source told this paper: "[Stun guns] are coming in through the internet or because people order them through magazines."

In January this year, a 38-year-old man was given a suspended jail sentence at Bristol Crown Court for importing enough components to make 100 stun guns. Jonathon Hart was stopped at Birmingham International Airport by customs officers as he tried to smuggle stun gun parts into the UK from Thailand. He said he intended to sell on the guns for up to £30 each.

Stun guns deliver a painful shock from two darts mounted on coiled wires. Human rights groups have raised concerns about the safety of electric-shock devices.

US research has shown that the guns can cause serious injury or death to people with heart problems.


Link (http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/crime/story.jsp?story=610588)

I'm not sure if they are actually talking about Stun Guns or Tasers here but I'm thinking the later.

And on a personal note, my Wife has a stun gun in her car while I have a can of CS Gas in mine(which has only been used once to defend a friend) amazing thing is the can of CS gas came form Germany;)

[BarkingSquirrel]

Stun guns deliver a painful shock from two darts mounted on coiled wires.Sure sounds like the latter to me. I know we can have stunguns here, but are tazers legal?

[Geezah]

Stun guns deliver a painful shock from two darts mounted on coiled wires.Sure sounds like the latter to me. I know we can have stunguns here, but are tazers legal?


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[BarkingSquirrel]

Thank you.

[Mr Gently Benevolent]

The stun gun seems to be kept in the car rather than the home over here probably something to do with road rage incidents. They are also being carried by halfwits on Saturday nights the type of **** that uses them is the mouthy f+cker who gets thumped a lot, I swear to God if anyone ever pulls one on me they will be in A&E by the end of the night getting bits of a broken Becks bottle picked from their lacerated fizog. Just call me old fashioned. :|

[Geezah]

The stun gun seems to be kept in the car rather than the home over here probably something to do with road rage incidents. They are also being carried by halfwits on Saturday nights the type of **** that uses them is the mouthy f+cker who gets thumped a lot, I swear to God if anyone ever pulls one on me they will be in A&E by the end of the night getting bits of a broken Becks bottle picked from their lacerated fizog. Just call me old fashioned. :|

My brother and me bought ours around the same time at a gun show in Richmond, In. We had a little play fight with ours they left little burn marks but nothing too bad, but they also didn't have contact for too long so I guess that's why they weren't that effective, not so much a surprise. Now we had stun guns not tasers as talked about in the article, those are completely different, not much you can do against them once they get hold, no amount of Becks bottles will hold the shock off.

[Mr Gently Benevolent]

The stun gun seems to be kept in the car rather than the home over here probably something to do with road rage incidents. They are also being carried by halfwits on Saturday nights the type of **** that uses them is the mouthy f+cker who gets thumped a lot, I swear to God if anyone ever pulls one on me they will be in A&E by the end of the night getting bits of a broken Becks bottle picked from their lacerated fizog. Just call me old fashioned. :|

My brother and me bought ours around the same time at a gun show in Richmond, In. We had a little play fight with ours they left little burn marks but nothing too bad, but they also didn't have contact for too long so I guess that's why they weren't that effective, not so much a surprise. Now we had stun guns not tasers as talked about in the article, those are completely different, not much you can do against them once they get hold, no amount of Becks bottles will hold the shock off.
Tazers turn up for sale sometimes though I reallly not sure of the going rate for one, they never seem to be in favour with crims for what reason I don't know, although CS and Pepper spray seems to be all the rage with them.

[Geezah]

The stun gun seems to be kept in the car rather than the home over here probably something to do with road rage incidents. They are also being carried by halfwits on Saturday nights the type of **** that uses them is the mouthy f+cker who gets thumped a lot, I swear to God if anyone ever pulls one on me they will be in A&E by the end of the night getting bits of a broken Becks bottle picked from their lacerated fizog. Just call me old fashioned. :|

My brother and me bought ours around the same time at a gun show in Richmond, In. We had a little play fight with ours they left little burn marks but nothing too bad, but they also didn't have contact for too long so I guess that's why they weren't that effective, not so much a surprise. Now we had stun guns not tasers as talked about in the article, those are completely different, not much you can do against them once they get hold, no amount of Becks bottles will hold the shock off.
Tazers turn up for sale sometimes though I reallly not sure of the going rate for one, they never seem to be in favour with crims for what reason I don't know, although CS and Pepper spray seems to be all the rage with them.

CS gas is potent, and gets the job done ;)

[Durandal]

Stun guns deliver a painful shock from two darts mounted on coiled wires.Sure sounds like the latter to me. I know we can have stunguns here, but are tazers legal?

Yes, just saw one in the local gun store. It looks all "Star Trek" too. They even have CCL hosters for 'em.

Maybe I'll carry one of those instead. :|

[BarkingSquirrel]

What, and leave the RPG-7 at home? ;)