TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

Two Indonesians detained in Japan for alleged weapons trading

In this Nov

The Jakarta Post
Jakarta
Fri, November 27, 2015

Share This Article

Change Size

Two Indonesians detained in Japan for alleged weapons trading In this Nov. 17, 2015 photo, people walk on a pedestrian crossing at a shopping street of Ginza area in Tokyo.(AP/Eugene Hoshiko) (AP/Eugene Hoshiko)

In this Nov. 17, 2015 photo, people walk on a pedestrian crossing at a shopping street of Ginza area in Tokyo.(AP/Eugene Hoshiko)

Japanese authorities had arrested two Indonesians on suspicion that they had violated local laws on rifle possession and trading, an official said on Friday.

Muhammad Iqbal, protection for Indonesian citizens director at the Foreign Ministry, said that a consular official at the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo received information about the arrest on Wednesday.

"IR (aged 31) and DN (aged 40) were arrested for allegedly violating foreign exchange currency and international trade Laws," he said as reported by Antara news agency.

Iqbal said the Tokyo police had observed the two Indonesians purchasing hunting rifles several times through online shopping portals. They also allegedly sent the rifles to Indonesia on two separate occasions via an express postal service.

According to Japanese regulations, hunting rifles must go through a tight permit process before they can be shipped overseas.

The police officers also said they had found 29 similar hunting rifles when they searched the Indonesians' apartment.

"The Tokyo Metropolitan Police suspect that they are related to foreign terrorist fighters," Iqbal said.

He added that police had also discovered a video of the deceased Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and footage and pictures of radical groups on the Facebook accounts of the two Indonesians.

The Japanese authorities made further inquiries into who the rifles were sent to and what their purpose was, he said.

The Indonesian Embassy in Japan has said that it would accompany the two Indonesians and make sure their legal rights were upheld, he said.

Iqbal said that the embassy had only received notification from the Japan authorities relating to IR, but not yet for DN. The embassy said it was still trying to ascertain if DN had requested that the embassy not be notified or if there was another reason behind it, he said. (rin)

{

Your Opinion Counts

Your thoughts matter - share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.