Police have seized large quantities of illegal guns and ammunition and arrested 966 suspects in a month-long nationwide crackdown that began on July 1, deputy police chief Pol Gen Torsak Sukwimol said on Sunday.
As of July 21, the police had raided 1,658 targets nationwide, arrested 966 suspects, seized 911 illegal guns, 44,540 rounds of assorted ammunition, two explosives and 6,239 methamphetamine pills, he said.
In one of the raids, police from Khao Phanom district, Krabi province, laid siege to a house in tambon Na Khao which belonged to a suspect called Boom, 28, who was wanted under three warrants on drug and attempted murder charges.
The suspect fled on a motorcycle from the back of the house. When the police followed, he opened fire at them with a gun, Pol Gen Torsak said. The suspect was killed in an ensuing exchange of fire.
Found by his side were a 9mm Mauser pistol, one M67 hand grenade and two smoke grenades.
The operation targeting illegal weapons, gunmen for hire and the illegal weapon trades is being conducted from July 1-30 under the supervision of assistant police chief Pol Lt Gen Samran Nualma - with information from the Metropolitan Police Bureau, Provincial Police Regions 1-9, Central Investigation Bureau, Narcotic Suppression Bureau, Tourist Police Bureau, Immigration Police Bureau, Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau and Border Patrol Police.