Police have arrested a 26-year-old man suspected of manufacturing pen guns to sell online in his hometown in Chiang Rai province.
Police display pen guns, bullets and pen-gun parts confiscated in a crackdown on illegal firearms. The items were advertised on Facebook by a man in Chiang Rai province. Patipat Janthong
Police said they caught Prakit Phomma at his home in tambon Sri Don Chai of Chiang Rai as part of a police crackdown on illegal firearms on Sunday and Monday.
The crackdown was launched in 26 different areas nationwide targeting key producers, distributors and buyers of illegal firearms.
Police said they confiscated 13 pen guns with .22mm bullets as well as springs and steel pipes which they think he used to make the guns.
Pol Col Ruechakorn Jonjaewut, acting commander of Metropolitan Police Division 8, said pen guns are used by students in fights between rival colleges.
The crackdown was ordered after police recently arrested a 17-year-old from Prachuap Khiri Khan for selling pen guns online.
An undercover police officer contacted the teen to buy a gun from him.
Not realising the true identity of the buyer, the suspect supplied the gun to the officer, police said.
Pol Col Ruechakorn said they tracked down the suspect to a post office in Hua Hin district of Prachuap Khiri Khan province where he was caught.
Police said they found parcels which the suspect had posted at the post office.
They contained two pen guns with .22mm bullets.
According to police, the suspect said he usually mailed his products to customers who placed orders via Facebook.
He had allegedly supplied more than 50 pen guns to customers, mostly youngsters, over the last two months.
The suspect also allegedly confessed to selling pen guns which were supplied by a group of friends in Chiang Rai province who produced and supplied pen guns for him to sell online.
Police said they arrested 20 suspects involved in the home-made gun trade and seized several types of pen guns along with ammunition during their weekend raids looking for illegal arms.
The suspects were charged with making and distributing illegal guns and ammunition, police said.