It may sound like a fictional weapon from the arsenal of James Bond, but black market firearm makers in Indonesia have reportedly mastered the art of making deceptively deadly pen guns, which police say were sold to buyers online.
Yesterday, West Java Police arrested four people alleged to be makers of illegal firearms in the village of Cipacing, which is known for its thriving homemade air rifle industry.
Beyond the air rifle facade, police say the suspects were able to make working imitations of revolvers and handguns, as well as master the art of making pen guns, which they sold to buyers for IDR7 million (US$509.76) each.
The pen guns, which were confiscated along with the revolvers and handguns, measured 10-15 cm in length with a chamber that can hold a .22 long rifle bullet which can be deadly when fired from a short distance.
This Youtube video shows a pen gun with those specifications in action:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycmMxevwvOM
“In five meters it can be accurate, but it’s hard to aim with. From one or two meters, the bullet can pierce through [the human body], especially if it hits vital organs, then the victim is done for,” said West Java Police General Crimes Investigation Director Umar Surya Fana, as quoted by Detik today.
'Pena ajaib' seperti yang dibuat Komplotan Cipacing di Jawa Barat pernah dipakai di penjuru dunia. Bahkan, James Bond juga pernah pakai ini di filmnya!https://t.co/LKe3cIKibU
— detikcom (@detikcom) March 14, 2018
According to the police, the pen guns were sold online through the firearm makers’ own websites as well as on online marketplaces. The websites only advertised air rifles, but buyers could contact the firearm makers and mention the code word “pena ajaib” (magic pen) if they wanted to buy a pen gun.
The police have yet to find evidence that any of the pen guns were used in criminal activities, but they say other illegal firearms produced by the suspects have been used in several store robberies throughout the country recently.
The pen guns, on the other hand, were mostly sold to collectors, who the police are now pursuing.
The suspects could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of illegal firearm production.
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