Japan has one of the strictest gun laws in the world. Unlike in the US, the archipelago is subject to strict controls on both the sale and possession of weapons. Except for soldiers and police officers, hardly anyone carries a gun. Despite this, former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was killed in a gunshot attack on Friday. The strict laws didn’t help: the killer used a “ghost weapon”.
These are unregistered homemade weapons, the existence of which is unknown to the authorities, and therefore do not appear in any registry. Photos of the gun used to shoot Abe show what appears to be an improvised firearm resembling a sawed-off shotgun.
3D Printed Weapon Speculation
The detail that a homemade weapon was used in Abe’s murder sparked speculation that it may have been a 3D-printed pistol. A few years ago there was an arrest in Japan: a man had made plastic weapons with his 3D printer and bragged about it on the internet. He was sentenced to several years in prison.
However, the images of the murder weapon suggest that the Abe hit man, whose apartment investigators say other homemade firearms and explosives were found, did not use a 3D printer.
It can be seen that the double-barreled construction includes metal pipes, a wooden board, tape, a handle and an electric firing mechanism – components from a hardware store, although it cannot be excluded that individual parts such as the handle were “printed”.
Japan has one of the strictest gun laws
Very strict requirements apply in Japan for, for example, obtaining weapons permits for hunters. In addition to presenting a drug test and a statement of consent from the police, potential buyers must obtain regular medical certificates proving that they are mentally and physically fit to carry a weapon. At the shooting range they also have to prove to the police that they can handle a weapon.
Possessors of a weapon must store it in a safe that is separate from the ammunition. The police should be notified of the exact location. Every purchase of ammunition is registered with the police. Anyone caught with illegal firearms faces jail time. According to experts, the zero-tolerance policy deters even the Japanese mafia, the Yakuza, from using firearms.
However, the deadly assassination attempt on ex-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe now teaches us that even Japan’s strict gun laws cannot prevent lone perpetrators from building such “ghost weapons”…
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
