Illicit gun trade links soldiers, smugglers, home industries

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Walking into his detention cell at Jakarta Police headquarters, Nugroho, 35, a member of the Demak gang, smiled when he was asked where he got the guns they had used in several robberies.

"It's easy for people like us to get guns. We can get several guns in a single day for only a few million rupiah. We have a number of sources that provide them," he said, refusing to give any details about his suppliers.

The gang, based in Demak, Central Jakarta, is one of several known to use weapons in their crimes.

After carrying out several armed robberies and allegedly killing several people while committing their crimes, several members of the gang, including Nugroho, were caught by police two weeks ago.

The police said they were still hunting down two other groups of armed robbers, including organized criminal groups in Banten, Palembang and Indramayu.

According to data from police, there has been a spate of armed robberies during the past two months, fueled by a large amount of cheap guns on the black market.

An ex-convict, Anto (not his real name), who lives in South Jakarta, for example, said he was offering an unlicensed gun and several rounds of ammunition for a mere Rp 2 million.

"I got this gun from a soldier, and he told me to help him sell it. I don't know if he's still with the military or not, but he said that he would give me a commission if I can sell the gun, and that he'd supply me with more," Anto said.

The involvement of soldiers in gun running has long been suspected, as most firearms confiscated by police are military- issue guns.

On Feb. 10, city police arrested an Indonesian Military (TNI) soldier -- Second Sgt. Alex A. -- for selling a gun to a civilian in Pintu Air, Pasar Baru, Central Jakarta, and confiscated two military-issue FN guns.

City Police general crimes chief Sr. Comr. Mathius Salempang said they believed that the guns came into the city from Bandung and they are searching for suppliers, including a person identified only as "D", in that city.

Military armaments manufacturer PT Pindad is located in Bandung, and critics say guns have been smuggled out of its factory to be sold on the black market.

While dismissing speculation that the cache of illegal firearms originated from the military, Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Firman Gani confirmed that each of the guns was an FN model and was factory-made.

"A homemade gun typically cannot withstand temperatures of 1000 degrees Celsius. It wouldn't last long. The guns could have also been smuggled in from abroad," Firman said.

He acknowledged that many guns were available for criminal use, citing the December case in which 534 smuggled guns were confiscated in Tanjung Priok.

Tanjung Priok customs and excise office confiscated on Dec. 1 31 boxes filled with 15 makes and models of guns -- along with thousands of rounds of ammunition -- which were unloaded within a shipment of plastic toys from Taiwanese vessel YM Moji.

Several people, including the owner of the importing company, were detained by the police, and the case will go to trial soon.

"Smuggled guns are the biggest problem. We confiscate only two or three illegal guns every month, but hundreds of guns can be smuggled in a single shipment. It's no wonder so many illegal guns are circulating in the city," Firman said.

Aside from smuggling, illegal guns also come from home industries scattered across several regencies in West Java, Central Java, Lampung, Bengkulu and South Sumatra.

A police raid on Jan. 27 on an illegal gun workshop in Temanggung, Central Java, turned out dozens of homemade guns, including several M16s and FN 45s, along with hundreds of rounds of ammunition.

Workshop owner Suyanto, who has been detained, said he had been making guns and bullets for four years.

A source at National Police headquarters said police had reliable information that several other workshops in West Java, Lampung, Bengkulu and South Sumatra were producing illegal guns.

"The quality of the guns they produce are just like factory- made guns. They are real and can kill just as well. We haven't been able to nab them yet because they move around from place to place," he told The Jakarta Post.