Four arrested with AK-47s bound for Phuket
Phang Nga police apprehended four people with AK-47 assault rifles and ammunition in their possession at a checkpoint on Phang Nga-Thap Put Road on Saturday, March 22. The group claimed they were transporting the firearms to Phuket.
The arrests took place at the Wang Mo Kaeng checkpoint in Mueang Phang Nga district, led by officers under Police Captain Boonserm Phengkliang, as reported by Phang Nga police.
Police stopped two vehicles during the operation: a grey Mitsubishi registered in Pattani and a Toyota registered in Songkhla. The Mitsubishi was driven by 49 year old Abdulromae Awaedo from Pattani, with 28 year old Faisal Waemalee from Yala as a passenger.
The Toyota was driven by 28 year old Zul Affal Suemae from Narathiwat, accompanied by 27 year old Saowarus Mama from Pattani. A search of the Toyota revealed four AK-47 rifles and 54 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition, hidden in a white sack behind the rear passenger seat.
The suspects were taken to Phang Nga City Police Station, where they reportedly confessed to transporting the weapons to Phuket.
They face charges for the possession of illegal weapons, while police continue to investigate the origin of the firearms and the suspects’ intended purpose, reported The Phuket News.
In related news, Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul previously have pulled the trigger on a one-year freeze on gun carry permits on February 14.
The suspension of Por 12 licences follows a disturbing surge in gun-related incidents across the nation. Unnecessary gun possession, according to the government, has sparked numerous violent crimes, endangering innocent lives and disrupting the peace.
In other Phuket news, a man was caught with a firearm and 20 rounds of ammunition during a routine police checkpoint in Phuket earlier on the morning of March 21.
Police seized the weapon and ammunition as evidence before transferring him to the investigation unit for legal proceedings.
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