Police in Kure, Hiroshima Prefecture, have arrested a dentist on suspicion of possessing three modified model guns capable of being used as firearms.
Mamoru Koi, 55, faces charges of violating the Sword and Firearm Control Law, Sankei Shimbun reported. Police conducted a search of Koi’s home on April 11. Officers seized three commercial model guns that had been modified into firearms. It has not been disclosed whether the handguns contained bullets.
Police said Koi admitted to owning the modified pistols.
© Japan Today
32 Comments
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Mark
He may have been using them it the treatment of a root canal, useful tools!!
Zaphod
There are different countries, different traditions, different societies and different laws. That is the way it should be. I find people who think US laws should apply in Japan just as annoying as people who think Japanese laws should apply in the US.
Strangerland
What part of a moronic American rule that the civilized world does not have do the Japanese police not understand?
All of it. It makes no sense. It's not only gibberish, it's anti-societal. Which apparently are the parts YOU don't get.
Is Japan a police state or a republic of free people, secure in their homes?
Japan is a country where we all walk around every day without even the idea that getting shot or needing a gun would ever be a possibility ever. In nearly 25 years in Japan, I've never once had the thought 'someone here may have a gun', or 'I need a gun'.
In America I look over my shoulder.
Strangerland
In my house I don't care whether they care or not, if it is something I care about.
If I pick my nose and stick my boogers to the wall in an homage to the human body, I have that right. If I don't want to show that to others, I have that right. If you think the police aren't going to look down on someone for doing that, you're not very intelligent.
Strangerland
Because people have a right to privacy. What if the person is having an consensual sex party inside? Nothing wrong, nothing illegal, and yet all the reason to not want the police inside my home.
On top of that, if police don't need warrants, they can walk into any house any time. Do you really want to give anyone that power? They can just go into houses and claim 'police business'? You don't think there should be any kind of oversight on that? You don't think anyone would abuse that? Talk about an authoritarian state.
Your premise entirely ridiculous, and completely devoid of any understanding as to why the right to privacy is essential.
William Bjornson
If you've lived in America, you know that the one thing 'gun owners' LOVE to TALK about is their guns...happens to equally unwise and loquacious 'felons in possession' often in the U.S....
Strangerland
Who needs any guns? One is too many.
Strangerland
Remember, if you are going to commit a crime, do it by yourself and don't tell anyone.
Whatever happened to ethics? How about "remember, if you're going to commit a crime, don't."
Zaphod
Danielsan
I do not know the "2nd Amendment" of the Japanese constitution. Can you remind us?
Danielsan
What part of the 2nd Amendment "shall not be infringed" do these cops fail to understand?
Is Japan a police state or a republic of free people, secure in their homes?
Zaphod
Kentarogaijin
Err, what? Switzerland and Norway are not civilized? For that matter, even Japan has lots of hunters with guns. What are you talking about?
socrateos
Jonathan Prin:
Somebody reported to the police in April.
2021年4月、寄せられた情報をもとに、警察が己斐容疑者の自宅を捜索したところ、拳銃が見つかり、鑑定した結果、殺傷能力があることがわかったとして、13日に逮捕した。
https://www.fnn.jp/articles/-/196034
Hiro
@justasking, you are acting like the police are paparazzi that would care what you secretly have in your house. Do you think they care if you were watching porn or hiding that you are gay? Do you think they would suddenly laugh at you and make pictures to spread to the world? They don't care. Their job is to find the illegal thing that they suspect you have committed. Do you care so much what the police think of you if your house was dirty? What kind of excuses are these? You prevent them from doing their job because you are annoy they might find something unpleasant inside your home?
justasking
You wish it's like this way because this is logical and lawful, but it's not, sorry to burst your bubble.
What if you live alone and your house is dirty?
What if you're hiding some sexual stuffs, like hiding the fact you're gay or something, and you have things in your house that reveals that?
What if you were watching porn when they arrived?
What if you have a girl naked on your bed?
There are million reasons why you won't let cops in your house, not only because you're doing a crime.
Hiro
In my personal opinion getting a warrant is nonsense. Why do you want to prevent the police work if you have done nothing wrong? People seems to be blinded so much by their so called rights that they forget that the police main job is to protect and safe guard the neighborhood. They would act on it if they suspect you and i myself am glad when they mobilize to do their work instead of sitting around waiting for paperwork and going through so many red tapes that the the suspects intentionally use to buy themselves more time and trying to cheat the law. This is also why the US police system are so mess up and why everyday there are still so much criminals still living freely there in the open. Police are so scared of them that they don't even enter certain neighborhoods because they fear for their lives.
If you have done nothing illegal, then even if they search your whole house, you will not feel offended and even get them to apologize to you. But if you have a guilty conscience then they pretty have their job that was expected of them to get you through any means necessary.
snowymountainhell
Perhaps @Lamilly 5:39pm, take an opportunity to explain the ‘context’ of your comment?:
The posters before you were questioning the possibility and probability of “unreasonable searches and seizures in Japan”.
Japan’s law enforcement tactics and judicial proceedings remain questionable at best. Despite the ongoing ‘gun problems’ and ‘police misconduct’, really don’t think anyone in the U.S. wants further complications now, especially without court-ordered search warrants.
Goodlucktoyou
Who needs three guns? Just one is enough. Maybe he takes three times to take one tooth out.
snowymountainhell
Anything… @JonathanPrin 11:21am, is possible here. Not enough details here to tell why he converted and who tipped them off.
Look at the May 26, 2021 “Crime” story:
Who knows why some businesses may ‘keep strange bedfellows’? Perhaps this dentist was a ‘hobbyist’, ordering and possessing the right tools and equipment without arousing NRA suspicions, then converting Japan’s ‘very realistic’ gun replicas into working firearms. It could be a very lucrative, yet illegal ‘side venture’ for machinists and other skilled technicians.
ian
patients must have opened their mouths
Robert Cikki
That is true and that is according to the law. However, imagine the following situation:
One or several police cars will arrive. Several men, some in uniform and some in plain clothes, will get out. The ones who aren't in uniform tend to be the worst because they're not identifiable at first glance. Just the fact that they're parked outside a building somewhere in the neighborhood is embarrassing enough for many Japanese. So they'd rather let them in so the neighbours don't see what's going on.
And if not a single uniformed police officer shows up, but often plainclothes officers, they start shouting, banging on doors, etc. They're the worst.
In many countries, if a police officer enters your property without any document or court order (etc), you can treat it as assault, trespassing and proceed accordingly. And I'm not talking about suspicion of a crime.
Here it is enough for a police officer without documents or a court order to close the door of an apartment and immediately it is an aggravating circumstance. Just turn away quickly from him and he can take it as you trying to assault him, etc. They can make up anything in here.
Sal Affist
"The Police were working on a tipoff" -
Remember, if you are going to commit a crime, do it by yourself and don't tell anyone. The vast, vast majority of criminals are rolled up because they brag about what they did, or an accomplice turns on them.
Thunderbird2
How can you turn a model gun into a real one? Surely the plastic would shatter if you tried to fire a bullet?
kiwi07
According to a Japanese article, the police were working on a tipoff, and all three converted pistols were modified airsoft revolvers, allegedly converted into firearms with enough power to kill.
You would have to go to a massive amount of trouble to modify an airsoft revolver into a workable firearm. You'd either need to replace nearly every part, or you'd end up with something that was liable to explode if it was ever fired.
didou
No. They might really force if they believe there is something suspicious inside and have got clear info about it.
If nothing suspicious, they will stay outside, and asks questions. If they want to come in, it is up to you to let them in or not, but they will not force.
I am quite sure they had a search warrant for this guy
Yes, that might also be the case.
Alfie Noakes
Mr. Koi is definitely going to be looking down in the mouth now.
Kumagaijin
They should have done a cavity search.
sir_bentley28
expatToday 12:15 pm JST
You are correct in your belief. This is the civil way. But this is Japan. Need I say more? Robert Cikki (comment above yours) said it best! The police just bust in without anything and expect to be let in. They will also force themselves in too and charge you with whatever they like.
Robert Cikki
Yup, I am sure they have told him like "look, if you confess, you will get released sentence and it will be quickly over". Things like this smell here with hostage justice
It happened quite a few times over the 30 years I am living here. Often Police would come without any warrant and just the fact police officers are there makes many people let them in. Especially in a crowded neighbourhood. I remember there was a raid in early 2000s in some extreme wing party, where the officers came without anything, just wanted in and being very loud. Some extremists inside did not let them in, some verbal exchange, but nothing physical. Then I just remember they have got something like obstruction of legal execution and so on. Probably because they did not have anything on them.
Jonathan Prin
And on what grounds they could conduct a search at a dentist's place ?
By luck ?
Dentist yakuza ?