Military top brass on Tuesday vowed to suppress illicit arms trade by some low-ranking soldiers who have been involved in stealing and selling state weaponry online and across the border.
Army commander-in-chief Chalermchai Sitthisart said on Tuesday that 12 soldiers and seven civilians were arrested for illicit trade in weapons via Line mobile application and Facebook.
He identified one of the arrested soldiers as Sgt Thanakorn Boonyakan of the army's 1st Engineer Battalion in Bangkok's Bang Khen district.
The sergeant and accomplices started with trading in both registered and non-registered guns before stealing explosives and bullets for such sales, Gen Chalermchai said.
Their arrest followed the discovery of eight M67 grenades and bullets in two parcels at a private courier's branch in Bangkok last Friday.
Their customers mainly bought bullets and grenades, the army chief said.
Gen Chalermchai also admitted some soldiers had teamed up with counterparts in a neighbouring country to supply arms to ethnic groups in another neighbouring country. He declined to name the countries.
The general referred to the arrest of a flight sergeant whose pickup truck turned over in Trat province, bordering Cambodia, on Saturday. The truck was carrying 33 machine guns, dozens of grenades and thousands of bullets.
The weapons were being sent to ethnic groups unable to buy arms from a legal source, Gen Chalermchai said.
Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon said on Tuesday that illicit arms trade involved non-commissioned soldiers and security measures were tightened to stop the business.
Deputy Defence Minister Udomdej Sitabutr said Gen Prawit already ordered police to nail masterminds in the illicit arms trade and loopholes at military arsenals were being plugged.