Police have launched crackdown operations on major online illegal gun traders and seized huge amounts of illegal firearms and ammunition worth about 50 million baht.
Pol Gen Roy Ingkapairoj, deputy national police chief, on Monday told a press briefing that the 4th operation unit was tipped off about the illegal online firearms trading by two Twitter users named "Los Santos" and "Texas Gun".
An investigation showed the two Twitter accounts linked to a Line account named "Los Santos Shop" and a "lossantos.lnwshop.com" website, offering a range of firearms, including rifles, and ammunition.
Police officers acting on the tip-off, posed as customers to buy some illegal guns, which led them to the traders' operation bases in Chiang Mai, Surin, and Chon Buri.
The first raid was in tambon Ton Pao in San Kamphaeng district of Chiang Mai where a gun shop named "Shooter Tactical CNX" was being operated by two suspects, identified only as Mr Itthidech and Ms Phacharathon.
Police arrested the pair and seized 24 rifles, six pistols, 16,578 rounds of ammunition, about 3 million baht in cash, five luxury cars, and four Harley-Davidson motorbikes.
A house in tambon Nok Mueang in Muang district of Surin was subsequently raided. A suspect, only identified as Mr Sarayut, was arrested with the seizure of 16,300 bullets.
The probe also led to a house in Ban Bung district of Chon Buri, where police discovered 30 guns, more than 32,000 bullets for various types of firearms, five luxury cars, and cash. Police arrested a man called Mr Anutak and three associates.
Total assets seized were worth about 50 million baht.
All suspects face charges, including collusion in distributing and possessing ammunition and illegal and legal firearms without permission.
