North China police seize replica air guns

SHIJIAZHUANG, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- Police in north China's Hebei Province have crushed a gang which allegedly produced and sold replica air guns and bullets online.

Police seized nine gang members and seven replica air guns, and confiscated over 20,000 lead bullets in a recent crackdown against the online gun trade, said police in Handan city.

Local police found that some people were suspected of buying gun-making tools online in August 2017, according to the public security bureau of Handan.

Following an investigation, one suspect surnamed Wang, who allegedly produced and sold bullets for replica air guns online, was caught.

A bullet-making machine, some tools, and 220 bullets were confiscated from Wang.

Wang said he had been making lead bullets for air guns since 2016 and had been selling them via online platforms.

The police went to the provinces of Hubei and Guangdong as well as Chongqing Municipality and caught eight more suspects. They also seized seven replica air guns and 1,700 more bullets.

Police said that the replica air guns are almost as dangerous as real guns.

China bans the manufacturing, sale and public ownership of guns.

Anyone found guilty of owning a gun can face up to seven years in prison. Enditem