The two, named as Romket Thimthong, 28, and Thanongsak Kritkhamjorn, 27, were taken into custody at a house in Soi Sai Nam Yen at about 10pm last night (Oct 9).
Leading the raid were officers from Region 8 Police, joined by more officers from Phuket Provincial Police, Crime Suppression Division and Patong Police.
Seized in the making the arrests were seven modified and unmodified firearms, 143 rounds of blank ammunition and 79 rounds of real .38-calibre ammunition.
Also seized was equipment used to modify the handguns, including drills and screwdrivers
Undercover police had contacted Romket, asking to buy from her a modified gun that could fire real ammunition. Romket agreed, saying the gun would cost B15,000, and that the gun could be collected from a house in Soi Sai Nam Yen, Patong, at 5pm.
At the house, Romket told the undercover officer that Thanongsak ‘Phet’ Kritkamjorn, will bring the firearm. When Thanongsak arrived and presented the gun, officers moved in and arrested both Romket and Thanongsak.
Thanongsak had brought with him a ‘blank gun’ that had been modified to fire .38-calibre bullets. He also brought five rounds of .38-calibre ammunition. Thanongsak was to be paid B13,500 for the gun.
During questioning, Thanongsak confessed that he modified guns to fire real bullets. He did so at his rented room in Soi Nanai 2.
Officers then searched Thanongsak’s room and seized the firearms and ammunition found.
Romket and Thanongsak were both taken to Patong Police Station for further questioning and to be charged.
Romket was charged with selling firearms and ammunition without a licence.
Thanongsak was charged with illegal possession of firearms and ammunition; illegally assembling, repairing and changing the characteristics of a firearm; and selling firearms and ammunition without a licence.
The move to crack down on ‘blank guns’ modified to fire real bullets follows a 14-year-old boy killing two people and injuring several others in a shooting spree at the Siam Paragon shopping mall in Bangkok last Tuesday (Oct 3).