Phuket man arrested for illegal firearms, ammo possession

Thalang Police in Phuket apprehended a man in Srisoonthorn for the illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. The arrest took place yesterday evening after law enforcement received a tip-off regarding suspicious activities at an unregistered house.

Officers arrived at the residence at 8pm, where they found Amarin Khanitthanam standing near the open front door. After identifying themselves, the police questioned him, who admitted to possessing firearms and ammunition.

He voluntarily showed the officers the locations of the weapons both in his house and behind another nearby property.

According to the police, Amarin has no prior criminal record, and no drugs were discovered during the search. The firearms in his possession included a handgun he bought for 2,000 baht approximately 18 months ago, which he had repaired with a friend.

Another gun was purchased from an acquaintance for 3,000 baht three years ago.

More recently, Amarin acquired a firearm and three rounds of ammunition through Facebook for 3,950 baht, which he received on May 9.

The payment was traced to a transaction from his Krungthai bank account to a Siam Commercial Bank account under the name of Chonpreeya Nakwichet, from whom he further bought an additional firearm from the seller a year ago for 1,500 baht.

His most previous order was reportedly made on May 11, purchasing ammunition from the same seller, confirmed the police.

The arsenal of weapons seized in the operation included multiple Thai-made firearms, mostly pistols. A shotgun and a pen gun were also seized in the search. Confiscated alongside the guns were a substantial amount of ammunition for the firearms, totalling six .38 calibre rounds and 18 shotgun shells.

Amarin was taken to Thalang Police Station where he was subsequently charged with illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, reported Phuket News.

In related news, A Thai man was apprehended by Pattaya City police in the early hours of May 4, following allegations of threatening his girlfriend with a firearm and discharging it into the air at Pattaya Beach on March 13.

The unsettling event caused quite a stir among foreign and local beachgoers, given that the area was still bustling with activity when the shooting occurred, despite the proximity of a police station.