Arms cache found in tourist boat links to a retired senior Thai navy officer

[webfact]

Arms cache found in tourist boat links to a retired senior navy officer



BANGKOK: -- Crime Suppression Division (CSD) and marine police yesterday arrested a Southerner after a search of a tourist boat docked at a Chao Phraya river pier produced a cache of ammunitions and drugs.

The arms cache was believed to have no connection with political unrest in the past years.

The man identified as Paitoon Onchompoo from Narathiwat province denied owning the ammunitions saying the cache belongs to a son of a retired Navy officer who left it for care in the boat by the officer.

The search came after CSD police received a tip-off about a vessel, The Admiral, docked at Wat Khlong Phum in Bangkok’s Yannawa district for years might involve in illicit activities.

Found on board the tourist vessel, which was modified from fishing boat, include C4 explosives weighing 2.5 pounds, 224 rounds M16 ammunition, 207 rounds of M60 machine gun ammunition, a rifle, a hand grenade, a smoke bomb and a Claymore mine.

Four grammes of methamphetamines was also found.

Paitoon said he is a mechanic and was hired in 2006 to take care of the boat by a senior navy officer.

He said a son of the officer, identified as Oat, had asked him to store the firearms and explosives on board and admitted to have sold some of the firearms over the years to buy drugs for personal use.

CSD acting commander Pol Col Akkaradej Pimolsri said police investigators believed the arms cache might not involve in political unrest.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/arms-cache-found-in-tourist-boat-links-to-a-retired-senior-navy-officer

-- Thai PBS 2015-06-03

[Bluespunk]

"CSD acting commander Pol Col Akkaradej Pimolsri said police investigators believed the arms cache might not involve in political unrest."

Does it matter?

Find out who is responsible for them, find out where and how they got them and lock them up.

Edited June 3, 2015 by Bluespunk

[NeverSure]

M60 Machine gun ammunition. I wonder where the gun is.

Edited June 3, 2015 by NeverSure

[Goanna]

It's good to see that the army and navy are getting on top of everything. Article 44 gives them that power. And immunity from prosecution. Fantastic.

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

Holy sh!!, 2.5 pounds of C4 and a Claymore??? <deleted>? Makes you wonder what the hell else people are wondering around with. That ain't no walk in the park!!

[Transporter]

The endless list of crimes committed by corrupt high ranking officials continues daily.

Its just the same in England only here its more transparent.

The high ranking scum in the UK are better at hiding it.

[oneday]

Oh, say it isn't so. ANOTHER military officer linked to criminal activity? Oh my gosh!!!

[Artisi]

Just another day in the land of "I can do what ever I want cause I'm someone special".

However, good to see the special people are slowly becoming not so special anymore.

[Lupatria]

Rule #1: Never ever look under any carpet in this country and everyone is happy.

[Ulic]

Immediate finger pointing.

[klauskunkel]

The man identified as Paitoon Onchompoo from Narathiwat province denied owning the ammunitions saying the cache belongs to a son of a retired Navy officer who left it for care in the boat by the officer.

Thailand, the land where retired Navy officers and their progeny have no names...the care takers, however, do...waddayasay Paitoon?

[mathias67]

It's good to see that the army and navy are getting on top of everything. Article 44 gives them that power. And immunity from prosecution. Fantastic.

If what you say is true about Article 44 then that should be changed sooner rather that later. That Article gives them a blank cheque to do what they want legal or not

[Oziex1]

Meth, and this arsenal, great combo.

[trogers]

They should have a similar Article 44 in USA, to rein in abuses in the financial sector.

[jackanapes]

police received a tip off about a boat suspected of carrying arms so they rushed down to have a look the boat had been modified from a fishing boat to a tourist boat the police found an arms cache and methanphetamines great stuff I wonder who tipped them off?

[Wombat6]

It's good to see that the army and navy are getting on top of everything. Article 44 gives them that power. And immunity from prosecution. Fantastic.

Excuse me Genius...the accused owner of ammo etc. is not a member of the Military/Navy therefore your rant is wasted.

[The Deerhunter]

M60 Machine gun ammunition. I wonder where the gun is.

m60-machine-gun-15702.jpg

7.62x51 NATO is .308 Winchester by another name. Invented in about 1953 and is in millions of bolt action sporting rifles as well as many military firearms including sniper rifles, many now obsolete military rifles and of course the M60 (developed from the German MG38/43 "Spandau" machine gun.) I used to own a single shot Russian hunting rifle and several other guns at various times in that caliber. A nice hunting and very accurate target caliber. If the ammo is headstamped other than ".308 Winchester" which seems highly likely, then it most probably is military type ammo with subtle differences from the domestic hunting stuff. If it was actually in M60 machine gun belts then it can legitimately be claimed as M60 ammo but not every round of .308Win is M60 ammo, but of course it will fit.. Bearing in mind the inclusion of plastic explosives, grenade & mine in the collection it very likely is all ex military. Forgive my little rant but I get a little jaundiced with Journos trying to make things sound more "off the wall" than they are. However, sure doesn't belong where found and the inclusion of drugs in the find is an unwelcome feature. Someone is looking for an @55 kicking.

Edited June 3, 2015 by The Deerhunter

[EnglishJohn]

It's good to see that the army and navy are getting on top of everything. Article 44 gives them that power. And immunity from prosecution. Fantastic.

So are you telling us the guy will not get prosecuted because of article 44, or are you just talking horse sh*t ?.

Thanks for reminding me why I respect people who supported the coup much more than those who whine about it.

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

police received a tip off about a boat suspected of carrying arms so they rushed down to have a look the boat had been modified from a fishing boat to a tourist boat the police found an arms cache and methanphetamines great stuff I wonder who tipped them off?

Let see how many police officers have been "transfered" by the army in the last year ? In the past week we have seen deposit slips of a 3 star general turning up in the media and now a boat full of weapons, owned by a retired senior navy officer. Maybe its part of a fight between two uniformed branches that hate each others guts.

[bangon04]

Oh, say it isn't so. ANOTHER military officer linked to criminal activity? Oh my gosh!!!

whether it is a genuine crime or a frame-up, you don't need to feel too much sympathy....

[bangon04]

"and admitted to have sold some of the firearms over the years to buy drugs for personal use."

well that will cross him off the senior navy officer's Christmas card list....

[Acharn]

It's good to see that the army and navy are getting on top of everything. Article 44 gives them that power. And immunity from prosecution. Fantastic.

If what you say is true about Article 44 then that should be changed sooner rather that later. That Article gives them a blank cheque to do what they want legal or not

Oh, you hadn't noticed that before? Funny, a lot of people were saying that before it went into effect. I kind of don't think the next coup makers will get rid of it, either. I also kind of think it will be a permanent part of the new constitution, whether there's a vote on that or not. After all, it basically says that despite a constitution or laws, whatever the chairman of the National Peace and Order Restoration Council wants will be the supreme law of the land. Thank goodness General Prayut is an honest and trustworthy man. Who comes after him, well, we'll just have to wait and see.

[Acharn]

This is just normal after every coup that I've seen. After a couple of years the military leaders start getting complacent and don't take pains to cover up what they're doing. Since there are other military officers looking for ways to kick them out so they themselves can take the position, the information soon becomes public, and the highest leadership is forced to take notice so that their own corruption doesn't get discovered. Then they turn the mess over to a new civilian government and things stay covered up for a while, and then the stories start leaking out again. It's just the way things work in a hierarchical society.

[geriatrickid]

The endless list of crimes committed by corrupt high ranking officials continues daily.

Its just the same in England only here its more transparent.

The high ranking scum in the UK are better at hiding it.

Rubbish.

First off, this case involves an allegation related to a retired senior ranking military officer, an admiral of the RTN.

Secondly, military personnel have been alleged to have been implicated in the supply of arms to various paramilitaries in the south.

Now please tell me when any allegation has ever been made about England's military supplying paramilitaries in the country or having had its senior personnel mixed up in human/drug/gun trafficking?

You use the word transparent, but you obviously do not understand its meaning.

As for your comment that "high ranking scum in the UK are better at it", it is a vile and unfunded comment. In the UK, there is a function justice system. It is not perfect and it sometimes makes mistakes, but UK citizens need not fear of bias or corruption from their courts.

[Bellacissa]

A Claymore mine? Yeesh... I hope there aren't many of those floating around the general population.

[visarunner]

who stayed in the army and never bought ammunition out of the camp?

Jesus, the guy did not know know how to dispose it off.

Have some mercy

[NeverSure]

M60 Machine gun ammunition. I wonder where the gun is.

7.62x51 NATO is .308 Winchester by another name. Invented in about 1953 and is in millions of bolt action sporting rifles as well as many military firearms including sniper rifles, many now obsolete military rifles and of course the M60 (developed from the German MG38/43 "Spandau" machine gun.) I used to own a single shot Russian hunting rifle and several other guns at various times in that caliber. A nice hunting and very accurate target caliber. If the ammo is headstamped other than ".308 Winchester" which seems highly likely, then it most probably is military type ammo with subtle differences from the domestic hunting stuff. If it was actually in M60 machine gun belts then it can legitimately be claimed as M60 ammo but not every round of .308Win is M60 ammo, but of course it will fit.. Bearing in mind the inclusion of plastic explosives, grenade & mine in the collection it very likely is all ex military. Forgive my little rant but I get a little jaundiced with Journos trying to make things sound more "off the wall" than they are. However, sure doesn't belong where found and the inclusion of drugs in the find is an unwelcome feature. Someone is looking for an @55 kicking.

Yes, I own a .308 bolt action rifle and a 7.62x51 NATO AR-10. I also reload for them because I can get surplus NATO brass. But if someone tells me it's M60 ammo it's in a belt. If it's not in a belt then their reporting is suspect.

They called it machine gun ammo which makes me wonder why else they thought that.

[fred Kubasa]

Military/police/ranking public officials do these things as they know the worst punishment will be 2 to 30 years at UPI, ( (Unassigned Post Island ), or a desk in the government office, with the same duties as when on the job, namely, no duties,

365 vacation days a year/uniforms/free medical and a nice pension upon retirement. I think some, considering the options,

snitch on themselves !

[Linzz]

It's good to see that the army and navy are getting on top of everything. Article 44 gives them that power. And immunity from prosecution. Fantastic.

Excuse me Genius...the accused owner of ammo etc. is not a member of the Military/Navy therefore your rant is wasted.

I think Wombat was being facetious

[SOTIRIOS]

......this is the rationale that is rampant in these parts...