Hokkaido man may have made deadly firearm

Jiji Press

10:30 JST, January 12, 2023

SAPPORO (Jiji Press) — A man in Hokkaido who was indicted last year for allegedly possessing black powder, a bomb ingredient, now faces additional charges of making a deadly gun, it was learned Wednesday.

The Hokkaido police department sent the additional case to public prosecutors, alleging that the jobless man, Hironobu Suwa, 29, violated the law on controlling weapons manufacturing and the firearms control law, investigative sources said.

The homemade gun as well as explosives were found in Suwa’s home in Sapporo, according to the sources. The police examined the gun, finding it capable of killing humans.

He has admitted to the new allegations, the sources said. The police are investigating his motives while suspecting that he learned how to make guns on the internet. The gun in question is believed to have been made of steel pipes.

Suwa was arrested by the Hokkaido police in October 2022 on suspicion of possessing 316 grams of black powder at home. He was indicted the following month.