Stun Guns: Criminals' New Weapon Of Choice

Criminals are increasingly choosing illegally-acquired stun guns as their weapon of choice, a Sky News investigation has revealed.

The devices are sold openly on market stalls in the Far East - and some appear to be smuggled into the UK.

Assistant Chief Constable Sue Fish, of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), said there was anecdotal evidence that some criminals may be turning to stun guns in the belief they might escape a jail term if caught.

She said: "I think our concern is that we could see an increase around the use of stun guns, because there does seem to be a misguided perception that they are seen as less serious than conventional firearms, when in fact the law views them exactly the same as an illegal gun."

ACPO is to embark on a detailed study of stun gun use by criminals, but at present there are no national statistics on the numbers of such weapons seized by the authorities.

England's four biggest police forces, who do record stun gun seizures, have recovered around 900 of them since 2008.

Last year, the number of crimes which involved the use of a stun gun in England and Wales stood at 128, an increase of 33% but still only a tiny proportion of overall firearms offences.

However, many crimes involving stun guns may go unreported. There is evidence drug dealers are using the weapons as an enforcement tool and many of their victims - habitual drug users - are reluctant to report their attackers.

Although touted as a weapon of self defence, they are terrifying and potentially deadly in the hands of criminals.

Staff at the West Midlands Air Ambulance charity near Birmingham have faced that horror.

They were recently robbed by masked men carrying stun guns who broke into their head office. They were tied up, held hostage and threatened for almost an hour before the raiders escaped with £12,000.

One of the charity's managers Jason Levy said: "There were around five or 10 people that were here for a meeting that day and they rounded a number of people up and we were pretty much held hostage here.

"We were put to the floor and at that point we realised there was a Taser gun. We were all pretty calm but pretty concerned about what was happening and what would happen next."

No-one has yet been arrested in connection with that robbery.

The vast majority of illegally-held stun guns in the UK have been bought overseas.

Assistant Chief Constable Fish said: "The main source for stun guns is from websites and illegally importing them into this country is a significant criminal offence for the importation as well as the subsequent possession.

"There are two clear criminal offences there. The other way that we are also seeing some weapons being brought in is by people literally bringing them in when they've travelled abroad and purchased them and then, either coming in by air, or by vehicle across our borders."

On a market stall in central Bangkok, they were only too happy to demonstrate for Sky News an array of dangerous weapons, including numerous stun guns.

We were able to buy one for around £15 pounds. It was disguised to look like a mobile phone, but the ring tone on this phone came with a 50,000 volt electric shock.

The weapon was disposed of a short time later. However, many are being smuggled into the UK, it seems.

The most recent figures from HM Revenue and Customs estimated around 1,000 such weapons a year are recovered at UK ports and airports.

Keith Vaz, the chairman of the Commons' Home Affairs Select Committee, said: "One of the things we've got now is a border police force and therefore it is vital that there is proper monitoring and surveillance of what comes into the country.

"When it concerns a weapon of this kind, that has the potential to kill as well as to stun, it is important that we find out exactly how it's getting in... who's able to order this over the internet... and how we can stop it happening."

Devon and Cornwall police seized 60 mobile phone type stun guns in two separate operations recently. Detectives believe the weapons originated in the Far East.

They were the exact same type as those we were able to buy legally in Thailand.