Recommendation paper: The prevention of firearm trafficking through postal services

Firearm trafficking is a substantial problem within the European Union. This paper focuses specifically on the use of postal services to enable the trafficking process, which remains an (at times) overlooked facet of the issue. A barrier model is used to explore the facilitators (i.e. the use of straw men) and opportunities (i.e. the lack of surveillance) of every step of the associated business model. Based on this information, signals can be identified to reveal the phenomenon (i.e. nervous recipients or deliveries to abandoned locations) as well as barriers (i.e. improved cooperation and information exchange) in order to tackle the issue.

Finally, the paper focuses on two specific preventive tools. Firstly, effective detection technology combined with risk-based screening can accelerate the delivery process by only screening high-risk parcels. Yet this approach requires the collection of better data on the parcels and their senders. Secondly, markings remain important in an effort to trace firearms and identify the point of diversion. Simultaneously, the data on markings should be gathered in online databases that are easily accessible by the authorities.