U S: Berkeley Woman Held On Suspicion Of Unlicensed Export Of Guns To Thailand

[webfact]

Berkeley woman held on suspicion of unlicensed export of guns to Thailand
By Doug Oakley
Oakland Tribune

BERKELEY -- Federal agents arrested a Berkeley woman holding Thai citizenship over the weekend for allegedly exporting firearms parts from the U.S. to Thailand without a license.

Supanee Saenguthai, 35, was taken into custody in Berkeley at the same time five others -- four men and another woman -- were arrested in the Seattle area, Los Angeles and Las Vegas, said Emily Langlie, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Justice.

According to an indictment, the six conspired to violate the Arms Control Export Act with 240 shipments from 2011 until their arrests. It says they used fake names and fake invoices and packed the parts in specific ways to avoid x-ray detection of parts that included .45 caliber handgun ammunition magazines and rifle and handgun barrels.

The indictment does not say where or to whom the gun parts were going once they were received in Thailand, but the case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice's national security division counterespionage section and the U.S. attorney's office.

Some of the parts were labeled as "glow in the dark marker sets" and "replacement springs and metal caps for bottling machine," according to the indictment.

The other five arrested included Naris Lekhakul, 42, a Thai citizen arrested at Sea-Tac airport near Seattle; his brother Nares Lekhakul, 36, a lawful permanent resident of Bellevue, Wash.; Witt Sittikornwanish, 24, a U.S. citizen in Los Angeles; Wimol Brumme, 41,

Source: http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_23380402/berkeley-woman-held-suspicion-unlicensed-export-guns-thailand

-- Mercury News 2013-06-04

[manarak]

interesting story.

I hope we will know more

[gosompoi]

normal for the land of smiles but a big no no for USA.

[Payboy]

The indictment does not say where or to whom the gun parts were going once they were received in Thailand

That's a Pandoras box no one will be interested in opening at this end.

[lomatopo]

The duty/excise tax/other taxes on imported firearms here makes them quite expensive, so they grey-market import business is probably quite lucrative.

"Not many foreigners buy guns in Thailand because the price is really expensive, compared to the United States and other countries, because of our importing quota and taxes," says the Firearms Association of Thailand's director of international relations, Polpatr Tanomsup.

"Guns are really expensive, so it is considered a sport for the rich. Like cars, and stuff like that. It is like a Louis Vuitton for guys, or a Hermes bag for guys," Polpatr says.

"Let's say a Glock in America costs US$500. After it comes here to Thailand, it will probably cost up to 75,000 baht [$2,500]."

http://travel.cnn.com/bangkok/shop/bangkok-gun-shops-why-you-dont-want-buy-glock-thailand-009893

[Rimmer]

One post removed

[SOTIRIOS]

...why do you give here esteem by calling her...a Berkeley woman......this tarnishes that name...and implies she has some virtues....

...the Russian was referred to 'an arms smuggler'....

[Jingthing]

...why do you give here esteem by calling her...a Berkeley woman......this tarnishes that name...and implies she has some virtues....

...the Russian was referred to 'an arms smuggler'....

Because the story was published in an Oakland California newspaper, which is close to Berkeley California. It would be normal to localize such a story in such a way: Berkeley woman.

Go Bears!

[how241]

interesting story.

I hope we will know more

+1

[unanimosity]

...why do you give here esteem by calling her...a Berkeley woman......this tarnishes that name...and implies she has some virtues....

...the Russian was referred to 'an arms smuggler'....

Because the writer of the OP in Oakland got a discount on .45 ammo?

[unanimosity]

normal for the land of smiles but a big no no for USA.

Unless you are Attorney General Eric Holder and selling guns with impunity to Mexican drug cartels, which may be where the Berkley babe got the idea in the first place.

[Joe Mamma]

After having to carry one and use it as a peace officer. I am glad to retire the guns and uniform.<br />It is not the massive quantity of guns the USA has that scares me, but the massive amount of idiots who have no respect for firearms or other people! Please keep them out of here.

[lomatopo]

Forty per cent of the guns purchased in the United States are bought from private sellers at gun shows, or through other private exchanges, such as classified ads, which fall under what is known as the “gun-show loophole” and are thus unregulated.

Pretty easy for anyone; illegal immigrants, people on tourist visas, mentally unstable individuals to get guns and ammo. Like many luxury items which are marked up five-fold or more here, the incentives to get into the export/import business are financially lucrative.

[Scott]

This topic is not about gun control in the US. It is about a Thai person who is exporting firearms parts from the US to Thailand.

Please stay on topic.

[capt_canada42]

After having to carry one and use it as a peace officer. I am glad to retire the guns and uniform.<br />It is not the massive quantity of guns the USA has that scares me, but the massive amount of idiots who have no respect for firearms or other people! Please keep them out of here.

Here here for back home, but i have never seen so many people any where carrying guns as in Thailand ...

[IsaanUSA]

The gun market is crazy right now in the US. With all the talk of possibly banning specific parts, people have been buying anything they can get their hands on. You can buy the parts at a retail store if you know when the shipment arrives, and resell them online for 200-400% profit. I have several friends who have been flipping the high capacity magazines as well as ammo and making quite a bit of money. So knowing that, I think you can reasonably infer that these people were not exporting the gun parts internationally for money. They had other reasons to do it. And as somebody else said above, that would be opening Pandora's box.

[GentlemanJim]

Well, there is no buying their way out of this one. I imagine a plea bargain will bust open pandora's box without the need for co-operation here, and at that point, whoever was receiving them is fair game for extradition. Long sentences for this in the US. I don't think the thais concerned know what is about to hit them.

[Sing_Sling]

Damn, and they managed to get out of Thailand and get residency . . . possibility of being sent back to Buriram after they serve their sentences

[lomatopo]

What is this “Pandora’s Box” which some refer to cryptically? Is it some taboo subject here on TV?

The implication seems to be that these folks were motivated by something other than greed/money?

If insurgents in the restive south need any sort of weapons they just overrun a military or police facility. Based on their raids to date they must have more firepower than the average U.S. citizen.

[belg]

creative those overseas thais...

so nobody can figure out to where they sent the packages? no addressee in thailand?

[Tomtomtom69]

creative those overseas thais...

so nobody can figure out to where they sent the packages? no addressee in thailand?

They should all be deported back to Thailand after serving their prison sentences. Wait a minute...they almost certainly will be! Anyway, how dare Thais start criminal enterprises in America...that's reserved for US citizens. Why is there no mention of their "work visas and work permission", lol.

[dighambara]

After having to carry one and use it as a peace officer. I am glad to retire the guns and uniform.<br />It is not the massive quantity of guns the USA has that scares me, but the massive amount of idiots who have no respect for firearms or other people! Please keep them out of here.

Thailand is much more dangerous - more people are killed with guns here than in the US. http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_mur_wit_fir-crime-murders-with-firearms

[lomatopo]

After having to carry one and use it as a peace officer. I am glad to retire the guns and uniform.<br />It is not the massive quantity of guns the USA has that scares me, but the massive amount of idiots who have no respect for firearms or other people! Please keep them out of here.

Thailand is much more dangerous - more people are killed with guns here than in the US. http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_mur_wit_fir-crime-murders-with-firearms

As this nugget has been mined many, many, many, many, many times here over the past eon, it has also been debunked many +1 times. I can't recall the exact error but vaguely recall someone slipped a digit or three.

[lomatopo]

Believe the total number of murders in Thailand in 2010 was 3,654, and in 2011 was 3,307. Hard to believe the total number of murders committed with firearms could somehow exceed the total number of murders, assuming you can't kill someone more than once, with a gun or by some other means. Think the total number of murders continues to decline here. Also believe that NationMaster figure was off by a factor of 10; so maybe 2,000 murders associated with firearms? But feel free to cower in fear.

[Potosi]

Believe the total number of murders in Thailand in 2010 was 3,654, and in 2011 was 3,307. Hard to believe the total number of murders committed with firearms could somehow exceed the total number of murders, assuming you can't kill someone more than once, with a gun or by some other means. Think the total number of murders continues to decline here. Also believe that NationMaster figure was off by a factor of 10; so maybe 2,000 murders associated with firearms? But feel free to cower in fear.

You have no idea how ingenious Thai statistics are in order to look better. Tourist arrivals count in the transit passengers and frequent expat visa-runners, the actual number of tourists to Thailand is perhaps half of what the statistics suggest. The homicide statistics are separated in with and without firearms, and further cooked by refering to violent deaths in the South as terror-related.

[lomatopo]

^ We're running a bit far afield here. Are you suggesting that whoever "they" are, are the same people tallying tourist arrivals along with murders? Seems like an odd combination of government functions? But feel free to expand on your point(s). My only point was to debunk that clearly erroneous, but easily Googled NationMaster stat. I would have no issues separating out the deaths ( ~ 5,300 over the last 9+ years) associated with the violence in the restive south as those are unique and confined to a specific area.

[IsaanUSA]

They should all be deported back to Thailand after serving their prison sentences. Wait a minute...they almost certainly will be! Anyway, how dare Thais start criminal enterprises in America...that's reserved for US citizens. Why is there no mention of their "work visas and work permission", lol.

They are probably US residents or citizens. You don't need a work visa or permission if you are a resident or citizen. You do need to declare the income on your taxes though.

As a convicted felon, I'm not sure how that effects their status. I imagine they could lose residency and get deported, but if they are citizens, then no deportation.

Edited June 5, 2013 by IsaanUSA

[Sayonarax]

creative those overseas thais...

so nobody can figure out to where they sent the packages? no addressee in thailand?

They should all be deported back to Thailand after serving their prison sentences. Wait a minute...they almost certainly will be! Anyway, how dare Thais start criminal enterprises in America...that's reserved for US citizens. Why is there no mention of their "work visas and work permission", lol.

Its reserved for the Government..

[Scott]

Off-topic posts deleted. The topic is about a Thai national in Berkley and gun parts, just in case some posters didn't have time to read the OP.