Machinist in Nonthaburi arrested for allegedly making, selling guns

Today, a factory machinist in Nonthaburi, a province north of Bangkok, was arrested for allegedly, illegally making, modifying, and selling guns out of a worker’s dormitory.

Prajak Phoonphian, a 39 year old factory machinist was arrested early this morning after CSD police, acting on a warrant searched his dormitory at a lathe plant in the Pak Kret district in Nonthaburi. The warrant for Prajak’s role in allegedly producing/modifying guns, importing or selling firearms and possessing firearms without permission.

Reportedly, police had to rouse Prajak awake to arrest him. Then, authorities searched his room, they found pen guns, blank guns, and gunsmithing tools, says police.

Veeracharn Khunchaikaew, superintendent of the CSD sub-division says police were acting on information someone had provided them about a gang that was illegally making and selling guns online.

When police questioned Prajak, he reportedly said that he works at the factory, but his income was too low to cover his basic needs. Thus, he worked with friends to make guns that were later sold to a trader who then sold them online. According to police, Prajak says he had been moonlighting as a gunmaker for 2 years and sold more than 100 guns in that time.

Prajak allegedly put the skills to use that his school taught him to make guns at the factory when no one was around.

Thai media says that each pen gun cost about 400 baht to make, but was sold for 1,100 to the trader, who in turn sold them for 1,600 baht. Blank and BB guns, when fitted with barrels could be sold for somewhere between 16,000 and 20,000 baht, relative to the gun being sold.

Also, part of the gun crackdown, Crime Suppression Division police moved on 14 other locations to arrest other suspects in the illegal gun dealing business. The locations are Nakhon Sawan, Phetchabun, Ubon Ratchathani, Amnat Charoen, Chon Buri, Samut Prakan, Ayutthaya, Ang Thong, Nonthaburi and Nakhon Pathom.

Last month, the CSD also busted suspects in a gun dealing network in Bangkok.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post