Police Nab Man for Selling Illegal DIY Firearm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Tebet Police Sector on Tuesday detained a former bank employee identified as RAG for illegally trading a self-assembled firearm. The arrest made after an investigation by the police’s cyber unit patrol.

According to the authorities, the suspect had allegedly offered to sell DIY firearms, which was closely monitored by the cyber police unit for one week. The suspect was tricked into a transaction after one personnel went undercover as a potential buyer for a Rp7 million DIY revolver-type handgun.

“For the meantime, the suspect’s motive is merely to look cool,” said Tebet Police chief Alexander Yurikho in a written statement on Thursday, August 19. “This self assembled gun has the appearance and quality resembling a factory-made gun.”

However, the suspect later confessed to police that he initially bought the firearm from social media in November last year and only has one in his possession. This was confirmed after a police raid into the suspect’s apartment. 

Police forensics deemed the gun to be operable and is able to shoot a bullet out of its barrel. The investigation on how RAG was able to own a handgun is still underway. The suspect is facing 20 years in prison sentence under the emergency Law No.12/1951. 

Read: Police Confirm 22,000 Firearm Owners in Central Java

ADAM PRIREZA