AYUTTHAYA: Police on Thursday arrested five people for alleged involvement in the theft and sale of 11 brand-new handguns from the provincial police investigation unit.
Sacked Pol Cpl Santi Jabthian of the Ayutthaya police is the prime suspect in the theft of the Sig Sauer pistols. (Photo from Sunthorn Pongpao)
Pol Col Pattarapat Nuchawong, investigation chief of Ayutthaya police, announced the apprehension of four civilians and one official of the Ayutthaya Municipal Office for selling the missing 9mm Sig Sauer P320SP pistols.
The five were allegedly in cahoots with Pol Cpl Santi Jabthian, a detective assigned to the Ayutthaya investigation sub-division, who was arrested, sacked and charged on Wednesday.
Pol Col Pattarapat said the suspects had bought the pistols from Pol Cpl Santi and sold them to customers, most of them in Ayutthaya, for 20,000 to 28,000 baht apiece.
The names of the suspects were not disclosed. They were initially charged with theft of state property and possession of stolen goods. They were being interrogated. Police wanted to know if there were other accomplices.
Pol Col Pattarapat said all 11 handguns had now been recovered, but would give no further details.
The issue came to light on Feb 14 when Wang Thong Lang police in Bangkok arrested Arthit Harnpanitchakit and found a Sig Sauer with a police emblem in his possession. The serial number showed it had been issued to police in Ayutthaya.
A subsequent check at the Ayutthaya depot found a total of 11 pistols were missing, with 10 empty gun cases left behind.
The Royal Thai Police ordered 150,000 of the Sig Sauer P320SP handguns in 2015 to replace the ageing revolvers provided to police under a welfare project. The pistols were delivered in 2017. The same Sig Sauer model is used by US agencies including the Marine Corps and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is made by Sig Sauer Inc, based in the United States, and Sig Sauer GmbH of Germany.
National police chief Pol Gen Chakthip Chaijinda on Thursday ordered all units to account for all the handguns issued to them and report their findings to the Logistics Office by March 15.