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Gun collector jailed in China

Xinhua, November 14, 2015 Adjust font size:

A collector of imitation guns was jailed for four years on conviction of smuggling and illegally owning weapons that are prohibited in China, a court in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region ruled Friday.

A court investigation found that the defendant, Zhang Huiming, bought three imitation guns on Taobao.com from December 2013 to April 2014. The vendor, based in Hong Kong, declared the purchases were "tools and hardware" on the delivery waybills.

Two of the guns were seized by customs authorities when they entered Guangxi.

In a subsequent police raid of Zhang's home in Guangxi's Liuzhou City, 12 imitation guns, spares and plastic bullets were seized.

Zhang said some of the guns were bought online while others were gifts from his friends. His guns were mainly for collection but were also used in counter-strike games.

Police said his imitation guns and bullets were harmful enough to be categorized as lethal weapons, private ownership of which is banned in China.

Zhang was sentenced to four years in prison and fined 10,000 yuan (1,569 U.S. dollars). All his guns, spares and bullets, as well as his cell phone and the personal computer he used for online shopping, were confiscated.

Zhang said he is ready to appeal. Endi