HYOGO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 57-year-old male gun collector for the possession of 18 firearms at his residence in Kobe, reports NHK (Jan. 18).
In August of last year, police entered the home of Yasuyuki Kanazawa, located in Nishi Ward, and discovered 16 hand guns with the ability to injure a person and two imitation models capable of shooting bullets. No ammunition was found in the home.
Kanazawa, who faces charges of possession under the Swords and Firearms Control Law, admits to the allegations, telling police that he began buying the weapons 15 years ago from second-hand dealers. “I paid between 300,000 yen and one million yen,” the suspect is quoted.
An investigation into Kanazawa was launched after a detective noted he had purchased a gun on the internet in February of last year from a person in Osaka.
The seizure is the biggest for firearms in Japan over the past five years, police said.
