Undercover amulet group busted for illegal firearm sales in Samut Prakan

[webfact]

 

Police have successfully dismantled a covert operation where a group of young individuals used a Buddhist amulet trading group as a front to sell illegal firearms. The proceeds were used to purchase kratom juice and cannabis for consumption.

 

A substantial cache of weapons and ammunition was seized during a raid on an apartment in Samut Prakan province yesterday.

 

Leading the operation, the Divisional Commander of the Special Operation Unit, along with other high-ranking officers, executed a search warrant issued by the Samut Prakan Provincial Court. The search led to the arrest of 21 year old Chalothi Charoen and the discovery of an unregistered sawed-off shotgun, a modified Uzi converted from a blank gun, and various calibres of ammunition totalling over 70 rounds.

 

Investigations revealed that Chalothi used Facebook pages บังดิสจัดให้ and its backup account to advertise and sell illegal weapons, explosives, and ammunition. He confessed to the police that all the items seized belonged to him and that he had indeed been selling firearms on social media, with several transactions already made to various customers.

 

Further probing into his activities unveiled his role as an admin of a Line group dedicated to trading Buddhist amulets, which he exploited as a platform for more than 100 members to engage in illicit arms trading.

 

Chalothi acted as a middleman, coordinating the buying and selling of firearms and ammunition among the members. The money earned from these transactions was mainly spent on purchasing kratom juice and cannabis for recreational drug use within his social circle, reported KhaoSod.

Chalothi now faces charges for possession of firearms without permission for trade, violating Section 24 of the Firearms Act, and possession of firearms without permission from the registrar, under Section 7 of the same act. He is currently under the custody of the investigative officers at Samrong Nua Police Station, Samut Prakan, where legal proceedings are underway.

 

by Nattapong Westwood

Picture courtesy of KhaoSod

 

Source: The Thaiger 2024-03-18

 

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[flyingtlger]

4 minutes ago, webfact said:

Police have successfully dismantled a covert operation where a group of young individuals used a Buddhist amulet trading group as a front to sell illegal firearms. The proceeds were used to purchase kratom juice and cannabis for consumption.

Bad KARMA!!!!

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The proceeds were used to purchase kratom juice and cannabis for consumption.

Thai entrepreneurs.

[worgeordie]

If the amulets did not work ,you could buy a gun ...

 

regards Worgeordie

[SABloke]

"The proceeds were used to purchase kratom juice and cannabis for consumption."

 

The obligatory "kratom and cannabis bash" slipped into the caption. So we're not expected to believe that the proceeds were used for anything else like food or clothes or petrol or booze or literally dozens of expenses that we all have (criminals included)?? Absolute trash reporting from KhaoSod.

[brianthainess]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Investigations revealed that Chalothi used Facebook pages บังดิสจัดให้ and its backup account to advertise and sell illegal weapons, explosives, and ammunition.

Did they trace their customers, before all PR or was that more important, than finding illegal weapons out on the street. Rhetorical Question  

[Emdog]

Am I to understand that amulet selling is a stepping stone to illegal gun sales, drug use and abuse, etc?