KANAGAWA (TR) – Police here have discovered a weapons cache including four handguns and over 80 rounds of live ammunition inside a minivan used by a 51-year-old Vietnamese national previously arrested for drug-related offenses, investigative sources revealed on Thursday.
According to the Sankei Shimbun (June 25), Kanagawa Prefectural Police re-arrested the suspect on June 23 on suspicion of aggravated possession under the Firearms and Swords Control Law, as well as violating the Explosives Control Law. Authorities noted that all four firearms were fully loaded when discovered.
The suspect’s legal troubles began in mid-February when police raided a residence in Isesaki City, Gunma Prefecture. Officers arrested the man on the spot on suspicion of possessing kakuseizai (methamphetamine) for the purpose of profit. He has since been served multiple additional arrest warrants for the use and distribution of stimulants.
During the drug investigation, officers searched a minivan frequently used by the suspect, which had been registered under a third party’s name. Inside, they uncovered the loaded weapons and ammunition.
According to ballistics testing by the prefectural police, the arsenal consisted of two semi-automatic pistols and two revolvers, all of which were capable of firing lethal rounds. One of the revolvers was determined to be a modified model gun. Officers also seized an additional replica handgun, the possession of which is prohibited by law.
Authorities are now intensely investigating how the suspect acquired the lethal weapons and his intended purpose for possessing them.
