Weapons put up for sale on Facebook in LibyaApril 7, 2016 - 12:05 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - A new study suggests there is a growing market in the illegal trade of guns and weapons in Libya via social media sites, in particular Facebook, BBC News reports. The report covered 18 months and found sales of a wide range of items - from handguns to rocket-propelled grenades. Most were offered for sale on "closed" or "secret" Facebook groups. The illicit sale of guns is a violation of Facebook's terms of service, and a spokesperson said they encourage people to report any such postings. The report was commissioned by the Small Arms Survey, and used data collected by Armament Research Services (ARES) on a total of 1,346 sales. Researchers believe this is just a fraction of the full trade taking place on social media. The study will be released on Thursday, April 7 but BBC Newsnight has seen an advance copy. Col Gaddafi was an obsessive buyer of weapons and tightly controlled the market. During his 40 years in power, it is estimated he spent more than $30bn on arms. When rebel forces toppled his regime in 2011, the stockpiles were thrown open and a large black market emerged. Researchers believe the trade on social media began to take off in 2013, and is still growing. They looked at the trade of small arms and light weapons across sites, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Telegram, and found the largest volume of sales on Facebook. The majority of weapons being traded were handguns or rifles. The most popular rifle was the Kalashnikov, which sells - they found - on average for 1,800 Libyan dinars ($1,300). Researchers found anti-aircraft systems cost up to 85,000 Libyan dinars ($62,000). One offer was of an anti-aircraft gun which came complete with a truck. Photo: Reuters/ Dado Ruvic Related links: Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. |