The 27-year-old, a college employee in the city of Kawasaki, was arrested after police found video online posted by Imura claiming to have produced his own guns. Gun possession is strictlly regulated in Japan.
Police raided Imura’s home and found five guns, two of which could fire real bullets, Japanese media said.
Police told media in Japan that Imura was not aware that it was illegal to produce the guns, even though no bullets were found for the guns. The 3D printer was purchased online for 60,000 yen (600 USD) and the blueprints for the guns were found on an overseas website. According to ANN News, Yoshitomo Imura allegedly downloaded gun blueprints from a foreign site and then printed the resin guns with his 3D printer.
Imura had apparently uploaded videos to YouTube in which he fired off what looks to be a 3D printed pistol. Last month, police seized five 3D printed guns from Imura’s Kawasaki City home. P
Owning a gun is not easy in Japan. But that doesn’t mean some people don’t try!
Read more. According to authorities, it was possible with two of the guns to pierce over ten pieces of plywood by firing rounds, and thus, the police deemed it was possible to use the guns to kill. 3D Printing Public Relations firm director Dick Kolber said ” this puts a black eye on the 3D Printing world, but like any PR problem, it doesn’t represent the whole industry.”
