SINGAPORE - A 47-year-old man was arrested last Thursday (April 9), after 18 airsoft guns - replica toy weapons that shoot non-metallic projectiles - were found in his possession.
He was detained after the Singapore Police Force investigated a case in which a victim was hit by a plastic pellet in Lorong Melayu, near Kembangan, at around 7.30pm last Tuesday.
All 18 replica guns - of varying sizes and makes - as well as pellets were seized after officers from the Bedok Police Division identified the man and tracked him down.
The suspect is now under investigation for his involvement in a rash act and for possessing arms without a licence.
Airsoft guns and any other guns that shoot pellets using compressed gas are regulated under the Arms and Explosives Act. Under Section 13(4) of the Act, no person should have possession or control of any such arms.
If found guilty, a person who contravenes this law can be fined up to $5,000 for every gun, and jailed for up to three years.
Similarly, it is also an offence under the same Act to import or export any arms or explosives without a licence. If a person is convicted of doing so, he may be fined up to $10,000 and jailed for up to three years.
For a rash act, the suspect could also face a $2,500 fine, a six-month jail term, or both.
