The Shizuoka Police Department arrested Norihisa Kotani, a 32-year-old sheet-metal worker, on suspicion of violating the Explosives Control Law, a police spokesman said.

Kotani is suspected of sending a package containing live bullets that exploded Monday night at a branch of Yamato Transport, 100 kilometresmiles) southwest of Tokyo, injuring an employee of the major trucking firm.

Jiji Press said the suspect sent the bullets he had collected to a buyer who made the order through an Internet auction.

Kotani also allegedly sent 10 other parcels containing bullets and other military equipment to other people, but special teams of the Self-Defence Forces had already seized the packages.

The suspect, who lives near US and Japanese military drill fields, started collecting military equipment such as bullets and uniforms about 10 years ago, Jiji and Japan's public broadcasting network NHK said.

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