Smuggled weapons confirmed as replicas
Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
Three days after examining evidence, Jakarta Police confirmed on Monday that hundreds of weapons smuggled through Tanjung Priok sea port last week were not real firearms, but replicas.
"The smuggled weapons which the police had taken last Thursday from the customs office at the port turned out to be replicas, not real firearms as people thought," city police detective chief Sr. Comr. Mathius Salempang announced on Monday.
He added that the police only needed general examinations, and not ballistic tests, to confirm that the weapons were only replicas.
He did not explain the presence of confiscated bullets.
Replica guns, even though they look very much like real ones, used pellets.
"Although the weapons were not real, the law on firearms considers them as real weapons. Therefore, we will be charging a person, FA, with violating Law No. 12/1951 on state emergency," he said.
To possess replica guns, civilians must register with the police although the requirements are less complicated than for firearms owners.
Gun owners must undergo an annual assessment of their suitability to possess a firearm, including target shooting and a psychiatric test. Only certain civilians are permitted to own weapons, including lawyers, bank directors and high ranking ministerial or administrative officials whose work is deemed risky. But they are only permitted to own registered firearms of less than .32 caliber, or 7.65 mm. Higher caliber firearms are licensed only to police and military personnel.
Separately, the director general of customs and excise Eddy Abdurrachman insisted that the weapons were real and not toys.
"The import order said they were plastic toy guns. But we categorized them as firearms, not toys," he said. "That's why we handed over the investigation to the police as it is their job."
The Ministry of Finance's Customs Directorate on Wednesday found 492 Carl Walter 7.65 mm pistols, 60 Smith & Wesson Springfield guns, blank bullets and silencers.
The customs office said arms smuggling was usually done in small quantities and via airports.
The weapons had been packed in 41 boxes shipped among plastic guns. The import order, dated Nov. 25 made by PT GM toy importer, declared that the contents of the container imported from Taiwan to be plastic toy guns.
In another haul, custom officials seized 300 6mm semi automatic air pistols. The air pistols were shipped from Taiwan and were imported by PT CPI. The company also claimed in the import documents that the goods were toys.
The importer, FA, will be charged for violating customs law, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and/or a maximum fine of Rp 250 million (US$27,700). He has also allegedly violated Emergency Law No. 12/1951, which carries the death penalty.