Support The Moscow Times!

Lathe Factory Workers Jailed For Making Lethal Pen Guns

These harmless-looking writing implements are actually lethal weapons.

Two factory workers in the far eastern Amur region have been sentenced for fashioning and selling firearms similar in form and size to pens.

A 37-year-old former army officer and his 36-year-old accomplice handcrafted the miniature guns and sold them, initially, to acquaintances in their village of Vozzhayevka, Far East Federal District police said in a statement Tuesday.

The pair then sought customers farther afield, traveling to the neighboring Khabarovsk region to find interested buyers. Far East district police, hearing of the scheme, sought them out and made undercover purchases of the firearms.

The guns, though small, were powerful enough to inflict mortal wounds, police said.

"After they were detained, both men admitted their guilt and actively assisted the security services in the criminal investigation. They not only told of how they made the pens, but even showed [us] a place in the woods where they fired them," police colonel Vladimir Kovalchukin said a statement.

"The flight distance of the bullet from the handcrafted gun was about 10 meters, and the force was such that the payload broke through a thick tree!" he said.

The two men were sentenced to four years in prison for their crimes.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more