Illegal firearms easily available: Police<\/p>\n
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The recent murder of a computer firm president and his bodyguard
\nhas alarmed citizens since the perpetrators used high-caliber
\nfirearms in committing the crime.<\/p>\n
Police confirmed that many civilians possess firearms which
\nwere obtained illegally in the city.<\/p>\n
"Many weapons have been circulating in the city. The weapons
\nare allegedly smuggled from the conflict-torn areas of Maluku,
\nAceh and Central Sulawesi," said Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen.
\nMakbul Padmanagara on Friday.<\/p>\n
Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Prasetyo said that
\ncivilians are only permitted to possess registered firearms with
\na caliber of less than .32. Higher caliber weapons are only used
\nby the police and military personnel.<\/p>\n
He said that around 800 civilians are registered to own
\nfirearms in the city while the total number of registered
\nfirearms owners nationwide is 9,702.<\/p>\n
Firearm owners must undergo an annual assessment of their
\nsuitability to possess dangerous weapons. The assessment includes
\ntarget shooting and a psychological test.<\/p>\n
Among those who own firearms are lawyers, bank directors and
\nministry or administrative high-ranking officials whose
\noccupations are deemed risky.<\/p>\n
Police are currently investigating the shooting of PT ASABA
\npresident director Boedyharto Angsono and the Army's Special
\nForces (Kopassus) bodyguard First Sgt. Edi Siyet, said that the
\nbullets found in both bodies came from a military standard gun as
\nthey found nine-millimeter casings at the scene.<\/p>\n
"We have to further investigate the finding (of the use of
\nmilitary standard arms). But the use of military standard guns in
\na crime doesn't necessarily mean that the perpetrators are
\nmilitary personnel," Makbul said.<\/p>\n
His statement was based on several arrests this year in which
\nthe police seized military standard guns from suspects linked to
\nJamaah Islamiyah (JI) terrorist network and the Free Aceh
\nMovement (GAM).<\/p>\n
Nine alleged members of JI were arrested in Java. Police
\nseized ammunition, explosives and also firearms, including M-16
\nassault rifles at the scene of the arrests.<\/p>\n
Last year, police also arrested suspects accused of planting a
\nbomb at the Graha Cijantung mall in East Jakarta, close to
\nKopassus Headquarters.<\/p>\n
During the arrest, police confiscated from the suspects,
\nallegedly linked to GAM, several grenades, homemade bombs, 20,000
\nrounds of ammunition, more than 160 magazines, several detonators
\nand firearms.<\/p>\n
National Military Police Commander Maj. Gen. Sulaiman A.B.
\nrevealed that his office supported the police investigation of
\nthe firearms used in the shootings.<\/p>\n
"We have just a suspicion (that the shooting may be conducted
\nby military personnel), but we are still working on it," Sulaiman
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The public suspect that military personnel may be behind
\nBoedyharto's shootings, not just because of the use of a military
\nstandard weapon but also due to the fact that the sharp shooter
\nwas capable of killing an active member of Kopassus anti-terror
\nsquad.<\/p>\n
However, Prasetyo said that there was a great number of crimes
\ncommitted in the city which used illegal arms.<\/p>\n
"All crimes have been committed by armed perpetrators using
\nillegal weapons. It's difficult for the police to trace the
\norigin of the weapons and also the suspects," he said.<\/p>\n
"Otherwise, we will easily catch them as we have a databank on
\nregistered weapons possessed by civilians," he added.<\/p>\n
This year alone at least 14 cases of shootings involving
\ncivilians in the city have taken place.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/illegal-firearms-easily-available-police-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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