6,000 Guns And Explosives Stolen From Thai Army Barracks

[Route21]

Last thing I heard, the army had called on "divine" assistance from the GT200 team!

[Phatcharanan]

Did anyone wonder, what's an "Engineering Regiment" doing with/or storing 6,000 assault rifles???

The engineers aren't usually the ones up front doing all the shooting....

No one is wondering.

Same as every Army in the world...........soldier first, trade second.

A battalion of cooks (if there was such a thing) would equally be equpped with assault rifles, along with knives forks and spoons.

Oh.....and Engineers are often front line, clearing minefields, building pontoon bridges etc, often under fire.

Guess you're a 'civvie'.

[liloldspirut]

Hmm? Does not this smell like a frame up for the Red Shirts? Being associated with the Southern insurgents and 'LLOST?' weapons. Or is this just me?

[dviol]

Do any of you actually know how systems like the GT 200 work???? I was at one time a certified user of a similiar peice of equipment.

A test strip made of fabric is wiped accross a surface, then feed into a field test unit which vaporizes the foreign particles on the strip. The machine identifies the presence of chemicals found in explosives. That's it.

It's not 100%. If you walked down a street after a celebration and stepped where firecrackers were used, your shoes would test positive for black powder. If you take nitro glycerin for your heart your sweat would test positive.

And so on. The system only tells you where you might want to focus a search. A positive match doesn't mean there are explosives present.

[Phatcharanan]

Depending on the size of transport trucks used your talking about what? 60 to 100 transport trucks just for the rifles stolen, minimum.

You are kidding right?

Assume they are old issue M16's crated 8 at a time.......you would only need a maximum of 6 '3 tonners'.......if that.

Edited March 7, 2010 by Phatcharanan

[dviol]

Kidding? No. If crated or racked you can transport about 100 to 140 rifles if the accompanying ammunition is transported also in say a 2 1/2 ton truck. Logistics isn't my area of expertise, but on many occasions I supervised transport of rifles and equipment and personnel. As a 15 year Infantry veteran that has been my experience.

If you just threw the rifles in the back of a truck without the crates or ammunition, sure you could do it with alot less trucks.

[DavidHouston]

From The Nation:

"http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/2010/03/07/national/Arsenal-theft-may-be-an-inside-job-Panithan-30124130.htm

"A police source said that about 3,000 ammunitions of rifles; M-16, AK-16, as well as 20 grenades were stolen."

[ding]

Kidding? No. If crated or racked you can transport about 100 to 140 rifles if the accompanying ammunition is transported also in say a 2 1/2 ton truck. Logistics isn't my area of expertise, but on many occasions I supervised transport of rifles and equipment and personnel. As a 15 year Infantry veteran that has been my experience.

If you just threw the rifles in the back of a truck without the crates or ammunition, sure you could do it with alot less trucks.

That's why I figured 23 trips with Toyota Hilux pickups, to show it was less likely to be a pick-up group of southern insurgents. Seems more likely to be a high level, long-term organized, inside job. The Thai government will need to drop its guard on the Redhsirts and hunt this down, risking vulnerability to major takeover target(s) in Bangkok. Sounds like strategy.

I hope the UN s being contacted.

[Phatcharanan]

Kidding? No. If crated or racked you can transport about 100 to 140 rifles if the accompanying ammunition is transported also in say a 2 1/2 ton truck. Logistics isn't my area of expertise, but on many occasions I supervised transport of rifles and equipment and personnel. As a 15 year Infantry veteran that has been my experience.

If you just threw the rifles in the back of a truck without the crates or ammunition, sure you could do it with alot less trucks.

Now you are being silly.

And since when was SOP to include ammo with the transportation of firearms? Not even the Yanks did that and we unloaded all their stuff at Basra port.

3 ton covered flat-bed, crated 5 across and 9 high by 3 crates lengthwise. Least that was howt the Yanks wanted it doing.

Us poor Brits......we carried them.

[Phatcharanan]

What will actually happen is that the papers will eventually report that an Engineer Regiment, with 6000 M16's within its arsenal, discovered the loss of 18 rifles along with the Generals toothbrush and a book on 'Better Math with Brian'.

The discrepency in numbers is due to the poor English training by TEFL'er Tom from Teffleton

Hence why all TEFL teachers should be shot on sight.

Edited March 7, 2010 by Phatcharanan

[HerbalEd]

What a bunch of bozos.

[dviol]

Hey, the insurgency in the south raided another military depot in 2004. Anyone remember how much stuff was taken or the government response?

[gregb]

Do any of you actually know how systems like the GT 200 work???? I was at one time a certified user of a similiar peice of equipment.

Do YOU know how a GT-200 works? No? That's because it doesn't.

A GT-200 is a molded piece of plastic like a children's toy. That's it. It is not an explosives detector. There is no active electronics or any detection equipment at all.

It is a complete fraud. That is not to say there are no such things as explosives detectors, but please do not insult our intelligence by claiming the GT-200 is anything other than the fraud it truly is.

If you really were at one time a user of a similar piece of equipment, then you were also a victim of fraud.

[hhgz]

"the probe is focusing on whether it was an inside job."

Gosh, do ya think? That reminds me of the story when the Alaskan oil pipeline was under construction when 40 miles of pipe was stolen from the material depot: "We think it's an inside job."

At least we know which side the army favors.

[OZEMADE]

Obviously it had to be an inside job of sorts. Depending on the size of transport trucks used your talking about what? 60 to 100 transport trucks just for the rifles stolen, minimum. That is a large coordinated effort.

Someone obviously noticed that kind of opperation going on. The article says they were taken from a barracks. That is a generic statement. It could just as easily mean a warehouse. Still, I'm sure there are guards and security.

This is either an act of support for a faction without certain powers admitting to supporting a group, or a group in the region has supporters in the military who looked the other way.

Oh, to answer previous comments, 6000 rifles is about right for a regiment. It does not matter if they were engineers, they still carry rifles in combat.

And no, explosive "sniffers" can be very expensive to own and require a trained individual to opperate them. A small military installation would probably not have them.

What concerns me is the "large" amount of explosives. Has anyone heard of what type of explosives or what additional equipment to detonate explosives where stolen????

Are we talking grenades which have a small bang and a kill radius of 3-5 meters or C-4 with Det cord or time fuze which requires someone trained to use it????

It does not take much to set C4 off.

It can be lit with a match for an instant fire to boil the billy with no explosion.

It can be used with det cord, ie detonator and cord light the fuse.

It can be set off electrically with detonator and electric wire attached to a clacker as used in the Vietnam War, to mention a few.

[mirthseeker]

6000 guns! and explosives!

maybe they can use the GT-200's to find them?

sounds like an awful amount of tea money to me!

particularly given the current political situation!

I'll believe they were "real" guns when the police find them, and display them all the same way they do with their drug seizures!

[tedjohn09]

This is so bad. It may be caused by Tharsin's follower.

Edited March 9, 2010 by Wolfie
/URL's Removed - please dont link to other sites in your post unless they are a valid news source and relevant to the discussion - thanks!

[Scott]

This thread isn't about the GT200. There are threads that discuss that issue and for those that are interested, they can do so.

[luangtom]

Didn't a certain general tell the world that there would be a "People's Army"? Here ya are.......

[Thai at Heart]

I don't know which is of most concern:

a. 6000 guns have been stolen from an army storage

b. We believe that army is so incompetent or corrupt that it is perfectly feasible for it to have happened.

The mere fact that we are sitting here discussing this in realms of being possible is absolutely astonishing. There should be no way for 6000 guns to go missing without a bullet being fired.

If it is true, the level of day to to day corruption in the army must be astonishing. If it isn't true, the army must really think that the entire nation is thicker than pig S**t to believe such a stupid story.

[Loz]

At the top of this thread,

Ads by Google Body Armor Bulletproof Vests Bulletproof Jackets Body Armor Plates

Uplifting start to the morning...

[animatic]

Looking at it from the disinformation angle.

Just taking them and hiding them down south in a field,

would make for some very nervous security personal at the demo,

when 6 long range snipers start taking quick shots at them...

Are there six or 6,000, could make for some panicking and rash actions.

600 is an accounting snafu or loss, 6,000 sounds MUCH more deliberate...

"Maybe it's a lie."

Maybe it's a whole Russian Doll set of lies within lies.

Riddles wrapped in conundrums;

no matter what, who has the most to worry about it?

But they forgot the bullets and the det cord.

Who says that would come from there, or that it was forgotten?

If stored separately this seems organized enough to just have gotten that too,

just not discovered missing, yet. Or just not mentioned.

Edited March 8, 2010 by animatic

[LivinLOS]

Do any of you actually know how systems like the GT 200 work???? I was at one time a certified user of a similiar peice of equipment.

A test strip made of fabric is wiped accross a surface, then feed into a field test unit which vaporizes the foreign particles on the strip. The machine identifies the presence of chemicals found in explosives. That's it.

It's not 100%. If you walked down a street after a celebration and stepped where firecrackers were used, your shoes would test positive for black powder. If you take nitro glycerin for your heart your sweat would test positive.

And so on. The system only tells you where you might want to focus a search. A positive match doesn't mean there are explosives present.

Well as a 'certified user' then you should be aware the GT200 is not a particle sensing device like you portray.

[LivinLOS]

What will actually happen is that the papers will eventually report that an Engineer Regiment, with 6000 M16's within its arsenal, discovered the loss of 18 rifles along with the Generals toothbrush and a book on 'Better Math with Brian'.

The discrepency in numbers is due to the poor English training by TEFL'er Tom from Teffleton

Hence why all TEFL teachers should be shot on sight.

And predict they then hold him accountable for the whole thing !!

[chantorn]

Do any of you actually know how systems like the GT 200 work???? I was at one time a certified user of a similiar peice of equipment.

Do YOU know how a GT-200 works? No? That's because it doesn't.

A GT-200 is a molded piece of plastic like a children's toy. That's it. It is not an explosives detector. There is no active electronics or any detection equipment at all.

It is a complete fraud. That is not to say there are no such things as explosives detectors, but please do not insult our intelligence by claiming the GT-200 is anything other than the fraud it truly is.

If you really were at one time a user of a similar piece of equipment, then you were also a victim of fraud.

GT200 works. It save the live of more than 7,000 people claimed by thye Army.

[dviol]

Okay, I apologize to anyone who read my comment about the super "GT-200" I made the comment after reading an article (written by the manufacturer) and mistakenly assuming it was similliar to equipment I had used from Honeywell.

My statement was dead wrong and ignorant.

[animatic]

if Abhisit and the democrats not act swiftly things will be completely out of control.

Recommended Agenda for this week

Indictment of PAD - SERIOUS AND URGENT so that they can't work around at the expenses of Thai people

Call for an election.

After the election, indictment of the coup leaders from 2006, regardless of their self honored amnesty.

Why did they need a self amnesty if a coup would be legal by any means?

Who else you think is interested in troubles? Smell the coffee.

This is stupid the Democrats were elected honestly and fairly they joined with a collation to form the government this is a legit administration. But they are far too lilly livered to do very much about the real threat that they and the country face.

Why did Abhisit himself say that he isn't happy about the way his admin came to power. It is legal no doubt. But still, no excuse to hang on. Why did the former coup leader admit that the coup was wrong? With a wrong coup the nation got a wrong constitution with no option for people to choose.

The Dems centeres a coalition government after PTP failed to make one.

PTP had first shot at it and couldn't hold one together with love nor money.

No 'excuse' is needed top 'hang on', he is PM and is doing the job, that is reason enough to continue.

If by lily livered you mean not having the power to lop of the heads of the military and install new ones?

Well Thaksin tried and on top of that was a crook, he made it easy fro them to move him out.

Abhisit is clean and that changes to equasion, still rebuilding the army from top down is not something easily done.

Any politician would prefer a full election rout victory, but getting to do the job is rarely turned down.

The General stated that the coup was technically wrong, but clearly didn't apologize for the coup.

Because the instigation for the coup was from his point of view stronger than the detractions.

All coups are technically wrong, even if done for the right reasons, and accepted by the majority of the populace.

Part of the local problem of course, still Thaksin was off the reservation and going farther afield.

Sometimes, sadly, extraordinary situations call for extraordinary actions, this likely was one of those times,

as sad as it is that it did take a coup to pull Thaksin, kicking and screaming, from his position of graft and cheating.

There is no such thing as a wrong constitution.

Either it is voted in, or not voted in. it was voted in by comfortable MAJORITY.

The similarities between 1997 and 2007 are closer than the differences,

and

Thaksin was so far prosecuted and convicted under laws applicable to BOTH 2007 AND 1997.

The main difference is graft is harder to do under 2007, which is it's MAIN set of changes. GOOD!

The people voted yeah or nay on one constitutional choice SAME AS 1997 choice.

There has never been a 'vote for constitution A B or C' vote EVER in Thailand.

[scotbeve]

There has never been a 'vote for constitution A B or C' vote EVER in Thailand.

--------------------

Hence, there is NO constitution!!!

[Acharn]

Informed sources claim about 6,000 assault rifles and a large amount of explosives ~~~ was only discovered on Tuesday.

Mr. Panitan said the investigation was focusing on the possibility the theft was "an inside job" ~~~~

Nah, ya don't say?

~~~ said the Army had no such intelligence.

This should read the Army had no intelligence (whatsoever). Turn the lights off Bruce, there's no one here! This is priceless.

One has to be rational about this, you cannot distance the military, the police or any other agency from the political movements. Army and police ranks are made up of sympathizers of both red and yellow shirts.

You only need one of them to decide that the arms will better serve the people in the hands of their political faction than the army and you have a situation on your hands.

Your main point is right on. We don't have enough information about the storage facility where the weapons were kept, but assuming it was not simply an unguarded warehouse which was checked whenever someone needed to take something out of it (like once a month or so), I would think it would need a lot more than one person to accomplish. We also don't know how large the quantity of explosives was -- two or three truckloads? More? Less? Enough to carry in a pick-up truck? 50 pounds of C-4 (one person could carry in a back-pack)?

I tend to feel skeptical about this. As other posters have pointed out, this story could be a complete fabrication to provide an excuse to attack the UDD rally with deadly force. Any story in The Nation has to be taken with a grain of salt.

[animatic]

I don't know which is of most concern:

a. 6000 guns have been stolen from an army storage

b. We believe that army is so incompetent or corrupt that it is perfectly feasible for it to have happened.

The mere fact that we are sitting here discussing this in realms of being possible is absolutely astonishing. There should be no way for 6000 guns to go missing without a bullet being fired.

If it is true, the level of day to to day corruption in the army must be astonishing. If it isn't true, the army must really think that the entire nation is thicker than pig S**t to believe such a stupid story.

Not if a real, but renegade, General level person showed up with papers made out correctly,

and doesn't volunteer information about what he was doing with the materials.

If later in thr week you hear about the 'Peoples Army' and possibly treasonous actions, and put two and two together,

and THEN tell your superior, well then the cat is out of the bag, but the arsenal is also out of the depot.

Why would a general not be able to move around munitions and armaments

on just his say so with papers appearing in order?

Go up the chain of command enough and no second lui will dare question your actions,

no matter what echelon you're from...