Four Russian security officers will visit Japan on Tuesday to discuss joint efforts to crack down on the smuggling of Russian-made guns into the country.
During their four-day visit, the Russians and their Japanese counterparts at the National Police Agency will discuss measures to deal with guns smuggled from the Russian Far East region, the NPA said Thursday.
Two are from the Khabarovsk branch of Russia's Federal Security Service and the other two are from the Sakhalin branch.
After the talks in Tokyo, the Russians will visit ports in Hokkaido through which Russian-made guns, including Makarov pistols, have been smuggled, the officials said.
The number of Russian-made guns seized in Japan last year jumped to 105, compared with only seven in 1999 and 27 in 2000, the NPA said.