TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have served a fresh arrest warrant on a 51-year-old company employee from Hyogo Prefecture for allegedly manufacturing a lethal firearm from scratch using materials purchased at discount stores, reports NHK (Oct. 20).
Kei Satsuba, a resident of Amagasaki City, is accused of violating the Weapons Manufacturing Law. Police allege that between early 2024 and April of this year, he built one fully functional handgun and modified three model guns to fire live ammunition.
Upon his re-arrest, Satsuba admitted to the allegations. “I was interested in the mechanics of real guns, and since crafting is my hobby, I made one from scratch,” he told investigators. He added that he learned the manufacturing process by watching tutorial videos on the internet.
According to the Metropolitan Police Department, Satsuba sourced his materials—including metal pipes and plates—from online retailers and local 100-yen shops.
Satsuba was initially arrested and indicted in September for the illegal possession of a modified “toy gun” capable of firing real bullets. Following that arrest, a joint investigation headquarters formed by the MPD and Hyogo Prefectural Police raided his home and seized multiple model guns.
Subsequent ballistics analysis confirmed that the items he built and modified possessed lethal capabilities, leading to the latest charges.
The investigation also revealed that Satsuba had been discharging the weapons indoors. Police confiscated punctured aluminum cans and cardboard boxes from his apartment, with the suspect reportedly confessing, “I test-fired them inside my home.”
Police are continuing to investigate the full extent of his illegal manufacturing activities.