The Romanian authorities have reacted after a recent investigation of Sky News journalists has shown alleged gun dealers in Romania illegally selling weapons such as sniper rifles, semi-automatic rifles, and shotguns.

The Romanian Police said a statement that it had started investigating the information presented by Sky News immediately after the press material appeared. The first checks showed that the guns presented in the video were hunting weapons. Moreover, there is no data showing that the guns came from smuggling.

“These types of weapons are legally owned in Romania by members of hunting associations, collectors, and forestry staff,” reads the statement.

However, the Police announced that it would continue the investigation.

Daniel Horodniceanu, the chief prosecutor of the Directorate for Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT), also said on Monday that the guns appear to be hunting weapons. However, DIICOT will also look into this case.

The Sky News report has raised many questions. One of them is related to the alleged contraband weapons. Although the gun dealers in the video talk about AK-47 rifles, no such guns appear on the footage, according to local Mediafax. Another question is related to the fact that the alleged dealers easily accepted to talk to the journalists and two of them have let the journalists film them.

Due to the many controversies this news has raise, a member of the Romanian audiovisual watchdog CNA has asked the similar institution in Great Britain to check whether the Sky News journalists have respected the ethical principles when making this report.

The entire Sky News feature here.

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com