Police seize lethal weapons cache in Chon Buri

In the latest chapter of the firearms crackdown saga unfolding in Chon Buri, the local law enforcement authorities successfully seized bundles of lethal weapons and ammunition from a Thai national who had a penchant for brandishing his arsenal on social media. However, the suspect gave the police a slip by swiftly disappearing into a nearby patch of woodland.

This operation of the anti-weaponry campaign was set in the Nong Pla Lai sub-district, within the boundaries of the Banglamung district, located in Chon Buri province. After obtaining a court-backed search warrant, the police carried out a sudden raid on a residential building today. The suspected firearm collector who lived there had been caught flashing his guns on Facebook, prompting this brazen move by the police.

Despite their stealth, the police’s presence didn’t escape the homeowner’s notice as he arrived back home. The man, later identified as Watchara Kamjam, a national of Thailand, seemed to sense danger and immediately bolted from his abode to the surrounding greenery before the police could nab him. Despite splitting up and giving chase, the police were outsmarted by Watchara’s superior knowledge of the area.

Undeterred by the suspect’s successful escape, the police decided to press ahead with their search, uncovering an alarming stockpile of weapons inside the house. This included two Glock 19 handguns, one of which was 9 millimetres in calibre and the other 11 millimetres, a Remington 870 shotgun, numerous rounds of ammunition for both handguns and the shotgun, a pair of bulletproof vests, and an array of gun parts.

Watchara’s wife was present during the search, and the police are trying to persuade her to coax him into surrendering. Yet, they did not reveal her identity to the press.

This high-profile incident followed hot on the heels of a similar crackdown in Chonburi, where the police outwitted a duo who attempted a gun sale yesterday. The pair walked into a carefully crafted trap laid by the police at a condominium complex, mistakenly assuming they had found a customer for their firearm, which came with a hefty price tag of 30,000 baht. Their gun met the same fate as Watchara’s armament, being impounded by the police, while they have now found themselves mired in a set of legal complexities, reports The Pattaya News.