Illegal Airgun Trade Uncovered at Tanjung Priok Port
The illegal trade of airguns in the Tanjung Priok Port area of North Jakarta has been uncovered by police. A man was arrested along with dozens of airguns and ammunition. The case came to light following an investigation by the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Tanjung Priok Port Police, prompted by public information regarding the sale of airgun weapons. The Unit II team of the Tanjung Priok Port Police Criminal Investigation Unit then apprehended a suspect. The man, with the initials MF, was arrested after police conducted an undercover buy. During a search, police discovered dozens of airgun weapons. The investigation revealed that MF is a reseller who intended to resell the airguns. Police are currently continuing to develop the case, including tracing the origin of the airguns obtained by the suspect.
Head of the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Tanjung Priok Port Police, AKP AA Nugrah Made Pandu Prabawa, revealed that the arrest was made after information was received regarding the sale of airguns via WhatsApp. This information was then followed up with an undercover buy. “Officers conducted an investigation and an undercover buy, successfully apprehending a suspect as he was about to conduct a transaction in the Tanjung Priok Port area,” according to a statement from the Tanjung Priok Port Police on Thursday (25/6). Officers posed as buyers, ordering a black WG 321 ‘non-blowback’ type airgun, calibre 6mm, powered by CO2. On Wednesday (6/5), police communicated again and an agreement was made to conduct a direct transaction at a predetermined location on Jalan Panaitan, Tanjung Priok Port, North Jakarta.
The suspect arrived at the agreed location for the transaction on Wednesday (6/5) evening at 9:00 PM Western Indonesia Time. Officers immediately arrested MF. During a search, an airgun type weapon carried by the suspect was found. Police subsequently found other evidence at the suspect’s rented accommodation in the Jati Cempaka area, Pondok Gede, Bekasi City. “As a result of the development, officers managed to secure 22 airguns, 88 packs of steel pellets (gotri), 26 magazines, 300 boxes of carbon dioxide (CO2) gas cylinders,” he said. In addition, police also confiscated two gas cylinder mounts, 42 trigger pins, and other items from the suspect, 13 sets of pellet casings, two airgun gas cylinders, and 11 slide parts or cocking handles. A number of weapon repair tools, including needle-nose pliers, a flathead screwdriver, a Phillips screwdriver, locking pliers, wire cutters, and an airgun valve key, were also seized by police.
Further investigation revealed that the suspect had not only traded airguns this one time. The circulation of these illegal weapons had been ongoing since 2023. “The case of possession and circulation of illegal airguns is suspected to have been ongoing since 2023,” he said. Pandu stated that the suspect MF is a reseller who sold the airguns onward. The suspect resold the airguns to buyers for Rp 2.5 to 4 million per unit. “This perpetrator has been carrying out this criminal act since 2023 and is estimated to have gained a profit of more than Rp 200 million from this business,” Pandu explained. AKP Pandu stressed that strict regulations on airgun ownership are stipulated by law. “As for airsoft guns, they can still be used if there is a valid licence and they are only intended for sport,” he said. Pandu said the police investigation is still ongoing. Police are currently investigating the origin of the airguns. “We are still conducting an investigation to find the source from which the perpetrator obtained these items,” he said. For his actions, the perpetrator is charged under Article 306 of Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code, which regulates firearms, explosive ammunition, and other weapons. “The penalty is 15 years in prison,” he concluded.