A company in Tokyo was filed on suspicion of violating the Foreign Exchange Law for trying to export precision parts used for drones to China without the permission of the government.

This part was also used in drone weapons found in the Middle East in the past, so the Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the details.

The documents were sent to the electronic equipment manufacturing company "Tonegawa Seiko" in Ota-ku, Tokyo, and the 90-year-old president.



According to investigators, the company was suspected of violating the Foreign Exchange Law in June last year when it tried to export 150 precision parts called "servomotors" to a Chinese company without the permission of the government. ..



This part is used in drones and industrial robots, and can be used for military purposes, so a national permit is required before exporting, and customs have noticed it fraudulently.



The company also deals with UAE = United Arab Emirates, etc., and it is pointed out in a UN report that this part was used for drone weapons found in the Middle East in the past.



The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the details and is increasing caution, saying that parts manufactured by Japanese small and medium-sized enterprises may be exported overseas and misused.

President Tonegawa Seiko "I forgot permission"

The president of "Tonegawa Seiko", who was sent the documents, told NHK that "I forgot that I need a permit to export to China. So far, I have followed the national guidance for exporting to overseas. It is unlikely that a product like the one in the UN report was used as a weapon. "

Expert "Technical measures are also required"

Professor Miyoshi Hiratsuka of Tokyo University of Science, who is familiar with the actual situation of drone weapons, said, "Drones can be procured cheaply on the Internet and are easy to assemble, so they are being abused as weapons in terrorism. It is also necessary to take technical measures such as attaching a certification chip to the product to enable tracking of parts that may be damaged. "