By MOMOE HARANO/ Staff Writer
April 2, 2025 at 17:50 JST
The handgun and bullets seized by Hyogo prefectural police from a Hawaiian tourist (Momoe Harano)
KOBE—Hyogo prefectural police have arrested a tourist from Hawaii who somehow entered Japan through Kansai International Airport with a handgun in his luggage.
Police announced on April 2 that papers were sent to prosecutors on the 73-year-old tourist who is accused of illegally possessing a gun in Japan.
He had departed Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu and arrived at Kansai International Airport on March 22.
The following day, the man realized there was a revolver in his suitcase. He told police he normally packed the weapon for protection.
As he was boarding a cruise ship at Kobe Port on March 23, the American told ship staff that he had a gun in his suitcase. Local police were called to the scene, and the man was arrested on March 24.
Police also found three bullets in a garbage bin at a restroom in Kobe Port.
The suspect told police he felt the charge against him would become more serious if he were found with both the gun and ammunition, so he tossed out the bullets.
An official with Osaka Customs, which conducts baggage inspection of incoming passengers at Kansai International Airport, declined to comment about the ongoing investigation but admitted knowledge of what happened.
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