Prawit orders weapon sweep

Prawit orders weapon sweep

In this screehshot from a TV report of the National Broadcasting Services of Thailand, police check weapons found in a canal in Khukhan district of Si Sa Ket province on Thursday.
In this screehshot from a TV report of the National Broadcasting Services of Thailand, police check weapons found in a canal in Khukhan district of Si Sa Ket province on Thursday.

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon has ordered a serious crackdown on illegal weapons of war after many of them were found in an irrigation canal in Si Sa Ket province on Thursday.

After a massive weapon discovery in the irrigation canal in Ban Khanoon Nuea village of tambon Sano in Khukhan district of Si Sa Ket, Gen Prawit said on Friday that authorities would conduct comprehensive checks for illegal weapons.

Police were investigating the source and trail of the discovered weapons, he said.

On the remark of deputy national police chief Pol Gen Srivara Ransibhramanakul that the weapons were similar to those earlier seized from a hardcore red-shirt activist group, Gen Prawit said it was an assumption and the investigation had not been concluded.

A local fisherman was using his net in the irrigation canal when he discovered the well-packed arms — 27 rocket-propelled grenades, 24 rounds of ammunition for M79 grenade launchers, 700 bullets of AKA assault rifles and 48 detonation caps.

Meanwhile, Maj Gen Akaradet Boonthiam, deputy chief of the 2nd Army, said in Nakhon Ratchasima province the weapons were found in a border area which was once a battlefield during a civil war in the neighbouring country. The discovered weapons were from that period, about 40 years ago, he said.

But Pol Gen Srivara said later on Friday the arms were brand-new and ready for use. He believed the weapons were from Russia.

Pol Maj Gen Tawatchai Mekprasertsuk, deputy commissioner of the Police Forensic Science, said AKA rifles and rocket-propelled grenades had been used for more than 50 times near U-thong Nai Road, Government House and Dusit Thani Hotel during political demonstrations from 2010 to 2014.

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