How Libyan gunmen trade weapons on Facebook?

(Baonghean.vn) - A study on April 7 by the Armament Research and Small Arms Investigation Organization (ARES) showed that there are more and more online transactions related to arms trading in Libya.

Facebook and other social media sites are becoming meeting places and conducting transactions for people looking to buy and sell weapons in Libya.

ARES experts say closed groups on Facebook and Whatsapp are currently the most popular trading venues, alongside apps like Instagram and Telegram.

ARES' report recorded 1,346 illegal transactions within one year by secret groups and individuals trading weapons online in Libya.

NR Jenzen-Jones, director of ARES, said data collected by ARES also showed similar trends in other conflict zones, including Syria, Iraq and Yemen.

In addition to light weapons, the New York Times also disclosed sales of heavy machine guns, rocket launchers, grenade launchers, anti-tank guided missiles and mobile air defense systems based on the ARES report.

Most of the transactions were carried out by militias and other armed groups, which used social networking sites to buy and sell weapons as needed, the report said.

Arms trade was tightly regulated in Libya during the Qaddafi regime. However, after the 2011 revolution, the dictatorship's vast arsenal was acquired by traders and armed groups, spawning a thriving black market that has emerged online in recent years.

Facebook and Instagram banned firearms sales on their sites in January 2016. Private groups discovered by Facebook were forced to close.

"We remove any content related to the sale of firearms as soon as we are made aware of it. We encourage users to report illegal activity on our site so our team of experts can review the content quickly," Facebook shared on CNN on Thursday, April 7.

Thanh Hien

(According to CNN)