According to the Interior Ministry, more than 10,000 weapons are missing in Germany.
3588 privately owned weapons were reported as lost by the end of 2020, and a further 6,914 weapons or weapon parts are registered as stolen in the national weapons register, the Federal Ministry of the Interior confirmed to SPIEGEL.
The newspapers of the Funke media group had previously reported on it.
According to the report, FDP domestic politician Konstantin Kuhle questioned the usefulness of the national weapons register, "if over 3500 weapons are registered as lost".
"These weapons pose a very significant threat to the population," said Kuhle.
The report points out that, according to a situation report by the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) on "gun crime", the illegal arms trade on the Internet increased from 352 violations in 2018 to 818 violations in 2019.
The guns would often be sent in the mail.
The Federal Ministry of Justice announced that it wanted to expand the »investigative powers of the law enforcement authorities in the area of postal service providers«.
In times of increasing digitalization and online mail order, the investigative authorities for law enforcement should not only be able to gain access to the consignments available from the postal service providers, but should also be able to find out from the mailing services "when, where and by whom a parcel with allegedly illegal content" was posted or was delivered.
In addition, the Federal Ministry of Justice wants to intensify the fight against drug trafficking, arms trafficking and child abuse on the Darknet.
According to the bill, in certain circumstances
Telecommunications surveillance and online searches can be used.
Icon: The mirror
bbr / AFP