Man Arrested for Trying to Sell Submachine Gun in Mexico

Mexico City, Dec 28 (IANS/EFE) A man carrying a submachine gun was arrested in downtown Mexico City, police said, adding that the suspect planned to sell the weapon and ammunition.

The man was spotted Saturday by two police officers, who noticed that he was hiding something under his clothes.

The unidentified 40-year-old suspect started to run when he saw the officers.

Police caught the man, who was carrying the Israeli-designed weapon and 20 rounds of ammunition, the Federal District’s Public Safety Secretariat said.

The suspect told police he wanted to sell the submachine gun, which he had acquired for 15,000 pesos (about $1,163), but he did not provide any additional details, the secretariat said.

A 21-year-old man was arrested earlier this month while carrying a machine gun in downtown Mexico City, the secretariat said.

The suspect was arrested in Tepito, a high-crime neighbourhood known as a centre for pirated goods, especially clothing, music and films.

Both arrests were made near Mexico City’s historic district, which draws large numbers of tourists and is a major gathering area for residents of the metropolis.

Mexico City, home to nearly 19 million people, is considered one of the most dangerous cities in the world.

Police have classified the historic district as a high-crime area.

Posted by Vamban on Dec 28, 2009 @ 10:31 AM Filed under America, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry