If someone comes up to you and robs you while holding a gun up to your face, even in Singapore, the last thing you’re going to do is inspect it to check if it’s real.
No, you’d hand over your valuables, go home and change your pants, and head out again to the nearest police station.
This is why toy and replica guns are controlled items, unbeknownst to many residents here.
So, even if you’re bringing such items into the country for innocent purposes, you’re going to get into trouble.
ICA Uncovered Replica Pistols & Accessories Declared as ‘Kids’ Toys’
The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) uncovered a dozen sets of replica pistols recently in an operation at Pasir Panjang Scanning Station.
It detailed the discovery in a Facebook post today (13 Aug).
On 7 Aug, officers at the station noticed some anomalies in the scanned images of a container with a consignment declared as “kids’ toys”.
They then conducted what’s called an “unstuffing operation” – the removal of cargo from a container – at the operator’s premises.
There, they uncovered 12 sets of pistol replicas and accessories within the consignment.
As seen in the pictures, the replica guns came with fake bullets as well. While some guns, especially those in yellow, green, and black, were clearly replicas, others, such as those in silver, could pass for real ones, at least to the untrained eye.
Upon making the discovery, officers referred the case to the Singapore Police Force for investigations.
Why are Replica Guns Illegal?
As ICA noted in its post, replica pistols are controlled items under the Arms and Explosive Act. One would need a permit to bring such items into Singapore.
They are controlled because of how dangerous they can be; not everyone will be able to distinguish them from real guns, especially elderly people and children, and the guns may cause fear and alarm.
Last month, a man went on trial for allegedly possessing 156 battery-operated and spring-operated guns, which are considered arms under the Arms and Explosives Act.
The man, Liu Huijian, also ran a replica gun business on Carousell and even tried to get a Grab driver to deliver his replica gun to a customer.
The replica guns he sold shot gel beads as projectiles.
The man was later found guilty of several charges, including one for possessing a replica gun without an import permit.
Those found guilty of importing or exporting replica guns without a permit face a fine of up to S$100,000 – or three times the value of the goods, whichever is greater – two years’ imprisonment, or both, for first-time offenders.
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Featured Image: Facebook (Immigration & Checkpoints Authority)
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