Thread: 2 Companies ejected from UK Arms Fair.

12 September 2013 Last updated at 03:59 GMT



London arms fair organisers eject two companies






David Grossman went along to the "world's largest" arm's fair


Two companies have been ejected from a UK arms fair for promoting illegal weapons, after an MP raised the issue.

A spokesman for the DSEI event in London's Docklands said they were French firm Magforce International and Chinese company Tianjin Myway.

Green Party MP Caroline Lucas said the companies were promoting handheld projectile electric shock weapons, weighted leg cuffs and stun batons.

Organisers said HM Revenue and Customs enforced the law at the event.

A spokesman said the two companies were "found with literature in breach of British law".


'Enormously worrying'

Ms Lucas, who raised the issue in the House of Commons, said: "I am very pleased that they have been ejected but I think it is enormously worrying that it takes a question in Parliament to make DSEI do their jobs properly.

"One can have no confidence that the policy on selling illegal weapons is being upheld properly at all."

Organisers said the stands of the businesses involved were immediately shut down and their staff ejected from the event.

A spokesman said: "This action highlights our commitment to ensuring that all equipment, services, promotional material, documentation and anything else on display... complies with domestic and international law.

"Enforcing the law at DSEI is the responsibility of HMRC who have teams on site throughout the show for this purpose.

"The literature in question has been confiscated and passed to HMRC for further investigation. DSEI's compliance team is also looking into the matter further."


DSEI 2013 - The World Leading Defence & Security Event, 10-13 September, London


www.bbc.co.uk



My question would be:- Why weren't these people arrested for possessing/selling illegal weapons.

Importing and selling (attempting to sell) illegal arms is a criminal offence after all.

The HMRC have these powers but did nothing other than to order them to pack up and go away. The announcement that both incompetent agencies (HMRC and DSEI) are now looking further into the matter can be looked upon as complete hogwash. They did nothing until an MP brought the matter up in Parliament.

The companies along with their illegal weapons will probably be long gone, having been given a head start by the DSEI.


Statement on compliance breach

We can confirm that the Tianjin Myway International Trading Co. and Magforce International have been ejected from DSEI having been found with literature in breach of British law. This action highlights our commitment to ensuring that all equipment, services, promotional material, documentation and anything else on display at DSEI complies with domestic and international law.

Enforcing the law at DSEI is the responsibility of HMRC, who have teams on site throughout the show for this purpose. Compliance checks are carried out by HMRC, supported by the Export Control Organisation and an internal DSEI compliance team, in the run-up to and during DSEI. These checks did not identify the compliance breaches in question.

DSEI takes the issue of compliance very seriously and once we became aware that Tianjin Myway International Trading Co. and Magforce International had breached British law, their stands were immediately shut down and their staff ejected from DSEI. The literature in question has been confiscated and passed to HMRC for further investigation. DSEI's compliance team is also looking into the matter further



It is hardly a compliance breach, it's a serious unlawful act, fully it seems, supported by the DSEI.