Ex-police officer caught selling modified BB guns as firearms
A former police officer was apprehended for modifying and assembling BB gun parts into firearms capable of shooting live ammunition and selling them upon request. Yesterday, January 15, police from Sai Noi district, Nonthaburi province, arrested 55 year old former Border Patrol Police officer, Manut Wongsuwan.
The arrest took place in a department store car park in Sai Noi, where police seized several modified firearms, including a Colt M16 A4 with a scope and a magazine capable of holding 30 rounds, and two Colt M4 A1 rifles with 15-round magazines.
Additionally, two magazines containing 5.96 mm rounds were confiscated, all of which were originally BB guns altered to fire live rounds.
The arrest followed a tip-off received by Sai Noi police about an impending illegal arms trade scheduled to occur at the mentioned car park. Police planned and executed the operation, leading to the arrest at around 2.30pm when a suspect, matching the description given, arrived in his vehicle.
He was taken into custody and brought in for questioning alongside the seized items, reported KhaoSod.
Manut admitted to purchasing BB gun parts, assembling them, and modifying the barrels to shoot live rounds, specifically using .22 calibre ammunition. He clarified that these weapons were not sold generally but were made upon specific customer requests, with prices negotiated with the buyers.
Initially, he was charged with possession of firearms without authorisation and carrying firearms in public places without valid reasons. He was subsequently handed over to investigators for further legal proceedings.
In related news, police in the capital of Thailand, Bangkok, arrested a 23 year old man for allegedly selling illegal firearms online. The suspect from Nakhon Sawan reportedly concealed the weapons in snack tins for delivery. This arrest by police is part of a broader crackdown by the police on illegal arms trafficking.
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