VZCZCXYZ0030
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSL #0356 1661335
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 151335Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY BRATISLAVA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1004

UNCLAS BRATISLAVA 000356 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
PM/DTCC - BLUE LANTERN COORDINATOR 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETTC KOMC LO
SUBJECT: BLUE LANTERN - 05-050045303 
 
REF: STATE 75544 
 
¶1. (U) Summary. Poloff visited BW Arms on June 13 with 
Bilateral Affairs Officer from Office of Defense Cooperation. 
Poloff found no reason that application 05-050045303 should 
not be approved. The Slovak Government has confirmed that BW 
Arms is fully licensed to trade in arms and ammunition. The 
Slovak Government has no/no reason to believe BW Arms is not 
in compliance with applicable Slovak law, and Poloff did 
not/not find any reason to suspect BW Arms has or will 
violate the terms of a U.S. import license. End summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) BW Arms, s.r.o. (Comment. s.r.o. is the Slovak 
abbreviation for a Limited Liability Company. End comment.) 
was established June 24, 1993. Since February 15, 2002 the 
sole owner of BW Arms is Miroslav Soltis, who resides at 
Malleho 13, 909 01 Skalica, Slovak Republic. Until February 
14, 2002, BW Arms was co-owned by David Goodwin who then 
resided at Park Homer Drive, Wimborne, United Kingdom. 
 
¶3. (SBU) BW Arms is a wholesaler of arms and ammunition. They 
sell exclusively to small retailers in the Slovak Republic 
and derive the majority of their revenue from sales of 
ammunition, small caliber rifles and air rifles. BW Arms 
provided Poloff with photocopies of invoices for the onward 
sales of all American-made products they have received. 
According to these documents, all of the American-made 
products were sold onward to small retailers in the Slovak 
Republic. 
 
¶4. (SBU) BW Arms stores weapons in a small warehouse that is 
separate from their main office. Bilateral Affairs Officer (a 
U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel) said the warehouse is 
triple-barrier and more than adequate for the caliber of 
weapons that BW Arms deals in. 
 
¶5. (U) Poloff explained that BW Arms may not re-export USML 
articles without USG permission. Mr. Soltis seemed to 
understand this. He said that BW Arms does not sell abroad 
and has no plans to sell abroad. 
 
¶6. (U) BW Arms provided Poloff with a photocopy of their 
firearms license and import license. It appears to be valid 
and up-to-date. Issuance and validity have been independently 
confirmed by the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of 
Justice of the Slovak Republic. 
 
¶7. (SBU) BW Arms has received a single shipment from Henry 
Repeating Arms. The shipment was sent on May 8, 2007 and 
included: 
- 10 Henry Lever Action .22 
- 2 Henry Lever Magnum .22 
- 5 Henry US Survival .22 Black 
- 3 Henry US Survival .22 Camo 
- 2 Henry Pump Action Octagon .22LR 
- 5 Henry Big Boy .357/38Spl 
- 200 Henry 2007 EXPORT CATALOGS (no value items) 
 
Mr. Soltis believed these items were sent on the basis of a 
2007 license. Mr. Soltis explained that Henry Repeating Arms 
had been unable to obtain the necessary export license in 
2006 and so BW Arms had not bought any materials from Henry 
in that year. The items shipped are, however, covered by the 
December 2006 license and Poloff was not able to determine 
the license on the basis of which the shipment came through. 
Mr. Soltis further explained that the items listed in BW Arms 
license application currently under review represent the 
total quantity of weapons they may purchase in 2007. Actual 
purchases will likely be smaller and will depend on demand 
and cash flow. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Post assesses that BW Arms is a reliable recipient 
of the materials listed in the application 05-050045303. 
 
¶9. (U) Please note that BW Arms s.r.o.'s proper registered 
address is Malleho 13, 909 01 Skalica. (The street name is 
written incorrectly in reftel.) This address is the residence 
of Mr. Soltis. The business office of BW Arms is at 
Clementisa 54, 909 01 Skalica, Slovak Republic. 
 
¶10. (U) Poloff will retain copies of all documents related to 
this case for at least six months. If copies are needed 
please contact chaseau@state.sgov.gov or by telephone at  421 
2 5922 3376. 
VALLEE