NC/SKY NEWS Romanian gangsters are prepared to ship high powered weapons to Islamist terrorists in Europe

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Eastern European crime lords have bragged it is “easy” to smuggle deadly weapons across the continent and say they are happy to provide Islamic State (ISIS) fanatics with “as much as they want” in return for a healthy profit. The shocking revelations will further raise fears that the EU’s beleaguered open borders system is proving a boon for terrorists following a spate of bloody attacks across France, Germany and Belgium in recent weeks.

An undercover investigation carried out by Sky News lifted the lid on the shocking scale of the arms trade in Europe, with many weapons being shipped illegally from war-torn Ukraine to customers across the continent. Because there are no border checks with the Schengen zone once criminal gangs have bundled the weapons - which include assault rifles, grenades and explosives - into the EU it is easy for them to transport them anywhere without being questioned.

SKY NEWS The revelations will raise fears about the impact of Europe's free movement policy

SKY NEWS The gangsters are prepared to sell to anybody, including terrorists

Romania is part of the EU but not currently part of the free movement zone, though border checks in parts of eastern Europe are lax and the remote mountains of the Balkans provide a perfect hideout for the gun smugglers. Amazingly the European Commission ruled in April that the country has now “met all the requirements” for membership, meaning it is legally obliged to join soon - although its application is on hold due to objections from the Dutch. Now Romanian criminals have told how demand for their goods has rocketed in the last two years, with AK-47 assault rifles the most regularly sought after weapon. And they say they are happy to sell to anyone to make a quick buck, even Islamist terrorists who are plotting to carry out massacres on the streets of western Europe. Security analysts say ISIS terror cells and "lone wolf" killers now consider automatic weapons such as the AK-47 - which was used by the Paris attackers - as the best way to carry out murderous rampages.

And Britain’s security services have warned of the growing threat of a Paris-style attack on our streets, although the UK is slightly better protected by not being part of the free movement zone. At a meeting with the gun smugglers in a remote Romanian forest Sky News told how they boasted about the types of weapons they could supply and said they were prepared to sell to anyone for a profit, no matter what their motives. The broadcaster spotted high quality weapons for sale including brand new sniper rifles costing just £2,540 and an Austrian military Steyr rifle complete with a top-end sight. Other weapons included semi-automatic rifles, shot guns, hunting rifles and pistols. And in pride of place was a mint condition AK-47 - their most popular seller in western Europe - which would set back a would-be jihadi just £1,440.

Europe prepares for terror attacks Thu, August 4, 2016 European Police are staging numerous training exercises to be best prepared for future terrorist attacks. Play slideshow AFP/Getty Images 1 of 48 Armed counter terrorism officers take part in an exercise on the River Thames