PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Customs officers seized hundreds of blank firing pistols before they reached their intended destination in Bucks County.
On April 29, Customs and Border Protection officers from Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia uncovered a shipment from Turkey containing 620 blank firing guns of various models, according to authorities.
The guns use "blank" cartridges that make a sound and a flash but do not fire a bullet. Authorities said Wednesday that 240 of the pistols were assembled in a way that allows them to be converted into a working firearm.
Officials say the seized weapons were valued at more than $19,000 and were headed to an address in Bensalem.
“Many communities continue to suffer under the siege of violent crimes often committed by armed and dangerous people, so keeping this shipment of easily converted firearms out of the hands of criminals is one way in which Customs and Border Protection can protect our families, friends and neighbors and help make our streets safer,” said Keith Fleming, acting director of field operations for CBP’s Baltimore field office in a statement.
The remaining 380 guns were released.