Austria says alleged Russian arms smuggler arrested in Vienna

Austria's interior ministry said special forces arrested an alleged Russian weapons smuggler during an attempted arms deal in Vienna.

The 35-year-old suspect is accused of trafficking weapon parts that customers could assemble into working firearms, in some cases sending the goods abroad by post. The ministry said he was arrested on July 7 during the sale of Glock, SCT and Lone Wolf barrels and grips worth 4,500 euros, or $5,150.

The ministry said payment was made through a mixture of cash and cryptocurrencies. It said the suspect was already known to Austria's domestic intelligence services, has refused to testify so far and has been placed in pre-trial detention.

The ministry said the arrest was made possible by a 2025 tightening of Austria's gun laws, which made it illegal to buy or sell parts such as grip frames and gun barrels without a licence. Before that change, Austria had gained a reputation abroad as a source country for components that could be illegally assembled into working firearms, according to AFP.

Interior Minister Gerhard Karner praised the closure of the legal loophole and described the arrest as a significant blow to the illegal international weapons trade. He said the tightening of the Weapons Act was having an effect and that the illegal arms trade was being sharply curbed.

Austria is known for a gun culture focused on hunting and sports shooting and has one of Europe's highest levels of small arms in circulation per person. More than 1.5 million weapons were registered to about 370,000 owners in 2025.