Unlicensed Possession of Firearms Imported from Overseas Site... Suspended Sentence for Man in His 40s

Possession Without Permission After Importing Air Guns and Ammunition
Court: "Public Safety Threatened... Serious Nature of the Crime"

A man in his 40s who secretly imported firearms purchased from overseas websites into the country and possessed them without permission was sentenced to probation.

The Criminal Division 2 of Chuncheon District Court (Chief Judge Lee Young-jin) announced on the 6th that Mr. A, who was indicted for violating the Firearms and Ammunition Act, was sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in prison with a 2-year probation.

Mr. A was prosecuted on charges of importing parts such as one air rifle and six cans of smoke bombs twice through overseas websites without the permission of the Chief of the Provincial Police Agency from August 2020 to March 2021 at his home, and possessing them until May last year.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Additionally, during the trial, it was revealed that Mr. A had ordered five more firearm parts, including an air pistol body and one barrel, from an overseas website in January last year, but was caught during the customs clearance process.

According to the Firearms and Ammunition Act, it is prohibited to possess firearms and ammunition without permission. Even replica firearms are prohibited from manufacture, sale, and possession.

The court stated, "Firearms are dangerous items that can cause serious harm to human life and body depending on their purpose and method of use, and they pose a significant risk to public safety as they can be used as tools for violent crimes," adding, "Considering the period and frequency of the crimes, as well as the items imported and possessed, the culpability is not light."

However, the court added, "Taking into account that there is no clear evidence that the defendant committed the crime with the intent to harm others, and that there is no material to suggest that actual harm to others' lives or bodies occurred or that public safety was threatened, the sentence was determined comprehensively."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.