A police special weapons and tactics unit (Swat) team has raided a house in Bangkok and arrested two suspects accused of modifying and selling guns online.
The suspects, identified as Natthakiat, or New, 29, and Suppasit, or Peach, 31, were arrested on Thursday at a residence in Suan Luang district, according to the Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA). Their surnames were not released.
The raid was prompted by complaints from people in the area that the suspects had been posting pictures of weapons and ammunition for sale on Facebook, said Chaiwat Chuntirapong, the director-general of the department under the Interior Ministry.
They were often found carrying guns around in public, which terrified nearby residents, he added.
Investigators found that Natthakiat had been freed from prison in 2019 after serving a sentence for a drug offence. He was now making a living by selling vintage clothes and accessories — along with weapons — on Facebook, Mr Chaiwat said.
The illegal goods included modified blank guns and ammunition, sold at prices ranging from thousands to tens of thousands of baht.
The suspects said they had been buying, modifying and selling weapons for about a year. The weapons were popular among technical student gangs who have become notorious for violent and sometimes fatal clashes.
They were initially charged with possessing weapons without permission and modifying them for sale, Mr Chaiwat said.
Officials display some of the weapons and ammunition found inside the residence in Bangkok on Thursday. (Photo: Department of Provincial Administration public relations)