Firearm sales up 70 percent in Brazil

By IANS/EFE,

Sao Paulo : The sale of firearms in Brazil has increased by 70 percent since 2005, authorities said.

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Brazilians approved the sale of firearms in the country in a referendum in 2005. About 59 million of the 92 million people who participated in the vote supported the sales.

In 2005, 68,000 firearms were sold nationwide; this rose to 116,900 in 2009, the state-run Controlled Products Management Directorate (DFPC) said Sunday.

DFPC said .32, .38 and .380 caliber revolvers and pistols are the favourite choices.

The import of weapons, excluding weaponry bought by the army and police, grew by 190 percent in the past five years, it said.