Tue, 07 Aug 2001

Police seize 2,900 bullet cases

YOGYAKARTA: Yogyakarta Police confirmed on Monday that it had seized six packages containing 2,900 U.S.-made empty bullet cases and projectiles last week at the city post office.

Yogyakarta Police chief of detectives Sr. Com. Toto Sunyoto, said on Monday that the 2,900 empty cases were sent from the United States to two false addresses in Sleman regency using delivery service company UPS.

"Now we're attempting to find out who ordered them. It's quite difficult because the case has been categorized as cybercrime. The buyer ordered the empty cases from the Internet by using someone else's credit card," he said from Yogyakarta Police Headquarters.

Yogyakarta Police chief Brig. Gen. Saleh Saaf had denied on Friday that the police had seized the empty bullet cases as reported in Friday's editions of local dailies Bernas and Radar Yogya. Saleh had said that the packages contained imitation bullet cases and projectiles.

Toto said on Monday that the police had yet to discover what the reason was behind ordering empty bullet cases.

He said police also found leaflets inside the packages which gave directions on how to fill the empty cases with gunpowder and how to affix the projectiles.

"The buyer knew that ordering live bullets from abroad is forbidden. That's why the buyer only ordered empty bullet cases, projectiles, and detonators," he said.

He also said that the empty bullet cases were high caliber, which could be used for M-16 rifles, revolvers and FN-type guns. (44)