CHACHOENGSAO, June 5 – Combined government forces have continued cracking down on illegal weapons in upcountry following the May 22 bloodless coup in Thailand, officials said Thursday.
In the latest incident, police and soldiers searched a house in a village of Sanam Chai Khet district of the eastern province of Chachoengsao and seized both licensed and illegal weapons — 40 pistols, 20 rifles, bullet-proof vests, a large amount of ammunition, and a book listing customers who bought arms.
The owner of the house reportedly told police that he collected the weapons for “sport.”
In another incident, government personnel took possession of five bombs left at the roadside of Jomtien Beach resort. The bombs were lived, able to be detonated.
Police initially believed the bombs were discarded by their owner after the National Council for Peace and Order coup last month announced that it would take drastic action against owners of illegal weapons.
Provincial Police Region 1 and the 1st Army Region jointly announced that government forces seized of 316 weapons, of which 204 are unlicensed, more than 2,000 cartridge and detained or questioned 1,167 suspected drug addicts during the past week.
