Guides arrested over military weapons

[webfact]

Guides arrested over military weapons

By Pathinya Srisupamart 
The Nation 

 

 

Two tour guides were arrested in the North over the weekend for possessing military weapons.

 

“We believe their work allowed them to acquaint themselves with members of minority groups engaged in the illegal weapons trade,” Provincial Police region 5 chief Pol Lt General Poonsap Prasertsak said on Sunday. 

 

The two suspects have been named as Prachan Jawana and Akara Pattarataweekul. 

 

Police and soldiers raided Prachan’s house in Lamphun province on Saturday morning after receiving reports that he often intimidated others with guns. 

 

“An investigation was launched after police received complaints,” Poonsap said. 

 

Enquiries led to a search of Prachan’s house, where a huge amount of military weapons were found. 

 

Prachan told police the weapons had been deposited there by Akara, so a search was then conducted at Akara’s house in Chiang Mai on Saturday evening. Among items found there were M16 machine-gun parts and more than 1,000 rounds of assault-rifle ammunition. 

 

Akara said he had been paid by a Tai Yai man, known as Saeng, to store the weapons. 

 

“I have kept such things for him three times before,” he said. 

 

Poonsap said police would investigate further to nail down all culprits.

 

“There must have been more accomplices and this network must have had links to drug-trafficking gangs,” he said. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30332015

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-11-20

[Thechook]

Those pesky tourists can get a little rowdy and out of control.  A guide has to protect himself

[tracker1]

Just items they aquired during their guided tours !

 

[Tradewind777]

This raid certainly torpedoed their errant ways!  Perhaps they planned to smuggle them to DPRK? The mind boggles at the kind of tourism haunts they explored!

[Bill Miller]

Curious about what constitutes "...a huge amount of military weapons..." Maybe a quibble, but I think of the M-16 as an automatic rifle, not a machine gun per se. 1,000 rounds of ammo is not that impressive either, for anyone accustomed to US gun culture.
One does wonder why a tour guide would require these items, though.
Just where are they taking people? Are Van Damme and Seagal associated with these tours?
 

[steve187]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Enquiries led to a search of Prachan’s house, where a huge amount of military weapons were found. 

 

15 minutes ago, Bill Miller said:

Curious about what constitutes "...a huge amount of military weapons..." Maybe a quibble, but I think of the M-16 as an automatic rifle, not a machine gun per se. 1,000 rounds of ammo is not that impressive either, for anyone accustomed to US gun culture.
One does wonder why a tour guide would require these items, though.
Just where are they taking people? Are Van Damme and Seagal associated with these tours?

the photo looks like '' a huge amount of military weapons'' to me, but then i'm not a gun crazy colonial

[The Deerhunter]

2 hours ago, Bill Miller said:

Curious about what constitutes "...a huge amount of military weapons..." Maybe a quibble, but I think of the M-16 as an automatic rifle, not a machine gun per se. 1,000 rounds of ammo is not that impressive either, for anyone accustomed to US gun culture.
One does wonder why a tour guide would require these items, though.
Just where are they taking people? Are Van Damme and Seagal associated with these tours?
 

One house only had those items  The others were at the other house,  Read the report again slowly and note the names.  And look at the photo.

Edited November 20, 2017 by The Deerhunter

[farcanell]

25 minutes ago, The Deerhunter said:

One house only had those items  The others were at the other house,  Read the report again slowly and note the names.  And look at the photo.

You usually seem to know about such things.... Are they mortar rounds I see????

next to hand grenades?

 

[Bill Miller]

4 hours ago, steve187 said:

 

the photo looks like '' a huge amount of military weapons'' to me, but then i'm not a gun crazy colonial

I am reminded of the scene in Crocodile Dundee; "THIS is a knife."

THIS is a large collection of weapons. Yes, Americans are nuts.

"One house only had those items  The others were at the other house,"
How did you come to the conclusion that this was the haul from only one house , Deerhunter?

It is obviously down at headquarters where the intent is to allow photo ops to show what a huge haul it was. Nowhere from the article could you come to the conclusion that they kept the two "hauls" segregated.
 "Read the report again slowly and note the names.  And look at the photo."
Follow your own snarky advice.^^

And yes, I do actually have in excess of one thousand rounds for just one of my weapons back "home". It does not take long to burn through that much if you are going to spend a day  sighting in at various ranges out to 1,000 meters..

Edited November 20, 2017 by Bill Miller

[Thechook]

7 hours ago, Bill Miller said:

Curious about what constitutes "...a huge amount of military weapons..." Maybe a quibble, but I think of the M-16 as an automatic rifle, not a machine gun per se. 1,000 rounds of ammo is not that impressive either, for anyone accustomed to US gun culture.
One does wonder why a tour guide would require these items, though.
Just where are they taking people? Are Van Damme and Seagal associated with these tours?
 

I guess for your average American that cache would be for a 5 year old and perfectly acceptable under their Rediculous gun laws

[The Deerhunter]

19 hours ago, farcanell said:

You usually seem to know about such things.... Are they mortar rounds I see????

next to hand grenades?

 

Probably.  We never sold those in the gun shop I owned for over 20 years before retiring here.

[The Deerhunter]

18 hours ago, Bill Miller said:

I am reminded of the scene in Crocodile Dundee; "THIS is a knife."

THIS is a large collection of weapons. Yes, Americans are nuts.

"One house only had those items  The others were at the other house,"
How did you come to the conclusion that this was the haul from only one house , Deerhunter?

It is obviously down at headquarters where the intent is to allow photo ops to show what a huge haul it was. Nowhere from the article could you come to the conclusion that they kept the two "hauls" segregated.
 "Read the report again slowly and note the names.  And look at the photo."
Follow your own snarky advice.^^

And yes, I do actually have in excess of one thousand rounds for just one of my weapons back "home". It does not take long to burn through that much if you are going to spend a day  sighting in at various ranges out to 1,000 meters..

No one blinks over 1000 rounds legally held where you and I come from.  I always had that at home and much more in my gun shop.  The point is that this photo was taken here in LOS where such things in general are not common or legal.  And according to the pic, these guys had grenades mortars and other stuff that is not legal here or probably not legal where either you or I came from.  These guys were up to no good and presumably not legally in possession of any if it.  As regards details as reported in the article, my comment is unchanged.

[Bill Miller]

16 hours ago, Thechook said:

I guess for your average American that cache would be for a 5 year old and perfectly acceptable under their Rediculous gun laws

Very few people have such large accumulations, but it is ridiculous that anybody does.
I have one rifle, one shotgun, and one revolver at my farm in AZ.
I also live an hour away from town in an area where we have mountain lions, badgers, rattle snakes, and at one time meth lab operators.
I have shot one snake that was too interested in a box of newborn kittens... he really should not have come into the house. I have fired rounds over the heads of persistent coyotes, and twice to shoo off cattle that were trying to help themselves to my horses hay.
Although it would be legal I do not strap on a six shooter to go into town grocery shopping, though some do. I do not understand that mind set at all.
 

[Bill Miller]

1 hour ago, The Deerhunter said:

No one blinks over 1000 rounds legally held where you and I come from.  I always had that at home and much more in my gun shop.  The point is that this photo was taken here in LOS where such things in general are not common or legal.  And according to the pic, these guys had grenades mortars and other stuff that is not legal here or probably not legal where either you or I came from.  These guys were up to no good and presumably not legally in possession of any if it.  As regards details as reported in the article, my comment is unchanged.

No argument at all that something was amiss and awry. I was attempting to be a bit humorous, thus the Crocodile Dundee reference.
I still think you were wrong that there was a second cache of weapons not shown in the photo, though. Why ever would the cops, having impounded the stuff and transported it to headquarters, make a point of saying "Oh, no, these were found in Prachan's house. We cannot allow them to all be photographed together!" Or are you under the misapprehension that the photo was taken at one of the suspect's houses?
Still. I must say I do not have a good handle on Thai police thought  processes yet. Perhaps they would go to the extra effort. You tell me.

[farcanell]

11 minutes ago, Bill Miller said:

Still. I must say I do not have a good handle on Thai police thought  processes yet. Perhaps they would go to the extra effort. You tell me.

??????

thai police thought process???    ????

extra effort???     ?????

ah.... priceless.... 

[The Deerhunter]

29 minutes ago, Bill Miller said:

No argument at all that something was amiss and awry. I was attempting to be a bit humorous, thus the Crocodile Dundee reference.
I still think you were wrong that there was a second cache of weapons not shown in the photo, though. Why ever would the cops, having impounded the stuff and transported it to headquarters, make a point of saying "Oh, no, these were found in Prachan's house. We cannot allow them to all be photographed together!" Or are you under the misapprehension that the photo was taken at one of the suspect's houses?
Still. I must say I do not have a good handle on Thai police thought  processes yet. Perhaps they would go to the extra effort. You tell me.

Thanks for the reply.  No I have no further insight.  I assume that some were found in each house and as they were arrested as part of the same investigation the goodies were displayed together.   Over & out

[The Deerhunter]

1 hour ago, Bill Miller said:

Very few people have such large accumulations, but it is ridiculous that anybody does.
I have one rifle, one shotgun, and one revolver at my farm in AZ.
I also live an hour away from town in an area where we have mountain lions, badgers, rattle snakes, and at one time meth lab operators.
I have shot one snake that was too interested in a box of newborn kittens... he really should not have come into the house. I have fired rounds over the heads of persistent coyotes, and twice to shoo off cattle that were trying to help themselves to my horses hay.
Although it would be legal I do not strap on a six shooter to go into town grocery shopping, though some do. I do not understand that mind set at all.
 

Some people are really genuine gun collectors where it is legal and never do anything awry.  We mostly try (tried) not to widely advertise our possessions.    I think I must have shot quite a few thousand more pest animals than you, but all introduced noxious pest species in my home locale.   Your restraint is to be admired.  I let some snakes around our farm in Thailand alone but dangerous pit vipers and cobras around the house with pets and children get the chop.  Killed a Malayan pit viper 2 days ago near the houses.  They have a reputation of being venomous and unpredictable with a high rate of fatal attacking this part of Asia.   We let a biggish python go a year ago but now he is even bigger and killing a local sister in laws chickens, ducks and dogs.   Perhaps we made a mistake letting him go.   Maybe he should not come back here if he thinks he will get a second reprieve.

[Bill Miller]

4 hours ago, The Deerhunter said:

Some people are really genuine gun collectors where it is legal and never do anything awry.  We mostly try (tried) not to widely advertise our possessions.    I think I must have shot quite a few thousand more pest animals than you, but all introduced noxious pest species in my home locale.   Your restraint is to be admired.  I let some snakes around our farm in Thailand alone but dangerous pit vipers and cobras around the house with pets and children get the chop.  Killed a Malayan pit viper 2 days ago near the houses.  They have a reputation of being venomous and unpredictable with a high rate of fatal attacking this part of Asia.   We let a biggish python go a year ago but now he is even bigger and killing a local sister in laws chickens, ducks and dogs.   Perhaps we made a mistake letting him go.   Maybe he should not come back here if he thinks he will get a second reprieve.

Yeah I used to be death on ground hogs on our farm in New Jersey. Some folks in my new digs in AZ regularly decimate the local prairie dog populations, but I do not keep horses anymore.
 I think I suffer from late onset "Bambi Syndrome", of maybe an attack of incipient Buddhism. I would probably prefer to plink an assortment of US pols these days if I was in a vermin plinking frame of mind.
Good points about the reptiles here. Several articles lately about large pythons being rounded up, and released into the jungle. I always wonder just how far did they go to the jungle? Happily they so far do not seem to like the eighth floor. 
Pax vobiscum.
 

[The Deerhunter]

2 hours ago, Bill Miller said:

Yeah I used to be death on ground hogs on our farm in New Jersey. Some folks in my new digs in AZ regularly decimate the local prairie dog populations, but I do not keep horses anymore.
 I think I suffer from late onset "Bambi Syndrome", of maybe an attack of incipient Buddhism. I would probably prefer to plink an assortment of US pols these days if I was in a vermin plinking frame of mind.
Good points about the reptiles here. Several articles lately about large pythons being rounded up, and released into the jungle. I always wonder just how far did they go to the jungle? Happily they so far do not seem to like the eighth floor. 
Pax vobiscum.
 

Been Jack Rabbit (or  was it Jackalope) hunting near Tucson & saw a big mob of mule deer and lots of nasty cactus.  Killed a moose in Russia (delicious) and lots of deer in a few countries where they are pest proportions.

[The Deerhunter]

11 minutes ago, The Deerhunter said:

Been Jack Rabbit (or  was it Jackalope) hunting near Tucson & saw a big mob of mule deer and lots of nasty cactus.  Killed a moose in Russia (delicious) and lots of deer in a few countries where they are pest proportions.   I was staying at the time in Tucson with an ex airforce colonel namesake of yours, (since deceased).  In the 60's I also knew his dad who lived in in Costa Mesa, Ca.   And here was me thinking you were more a pax romanus kinda guy.

 

Edited November 21, 2017 by The Deerhunter

[Bill Miller]

14 hours ago, The Deerhunter said:

 

555. I am a Pax Romana kind of guy.. When it comes to people.
I love a nice bit of venison, Caribou may be my lifetime favourite.
As I say, it just changed for me somewhere in the last sixty.
I remember my dad having regrets over a bear that he killed for the sake of a rug.
If I had a passel of young uns at home hungry, I am glad to say it would be an entirely different story...that was us in the fifties after dad came home from Europe.