PATHUM THANI -- A young man has been arrested for having built home-made guns for sale to vocational students and illegal firearms dealers.
Pol Maj Gen Thaworn Khaosa-ard, the provincial police chief, said Phukan "Pae" Supinnapong, 23, was arrested at his home in tambon Pracha Thipat in Thanya Buri district on Monday night.
His detention followed a lengthy investigation by police into the sources of weapons, particularly locally-made guns, used widely by vocational students in clashes with their rivals.
Mr Phukan was arrested with seven home-made pistols, an amount of assorted ammunition and more than 30 pieces of equipment used in making the weapons.
The man allegedly confessed to having sold at least 15 pen guns to vocational students at 1,000 baht each.
He said the pistols seized on Monday night were intended to be sold for 8,000 baht each via Facebook to illegal gun dealers.
Mr Phukan said he was good at repairing guns of all types even though he had never been trained as a gunsmith.
He completed only Pathom Suksa 6 (Grade 6) at school, but he liked to tinker around, learn and invent things. He just kept practising until he had taught himself how make and repair to firearms, he said.