Bangkok: A committee has been formed to investigate the facts surrounding the discovery of firearms belonging to a Chinese national from Sai Mai Police Station's arsenal.
According to Thai News Agency, the commander of Metropolitan Police Division 2 revealed that the Bangkok Metropolitan Police Commissioner has ordered the formation of a committee to investigate the facts surrounding the case of firearms belonging to police officers from Sai Mai Police Station ending up at an arsenal in Chonburi belonging to a Chinese national.
Pol. Maj. Gen. Kiatikul Sonthinern, Commander of Metropolitan Police Division 2, disclosed progress in the case involving a Glock 26 9mm pistol, one of the weapons seized from Mr. Ming Chen Shan, a young Chinese national residing in Chonburi Province. The investigation is ongoing due to suspicions of possible terrorist acts. The firearm was previously registered under the name of a police officer, a Deputy Inspector at Sai Mai Police Station.
Pol. Maj. Gen. Kiatikul stated that after Pol. Lt. Gen. Siam Boonsom, the Bangkok Metropolitan Police Commissioner, ordered the formation of a fact-finding committee, the investigation has been expedited to clarify the matter as quickly as possible.
Police have conducted initial investigations with two officers regarding the purchase and sale of the firearm before it ended up with Mr. Ming Chen Shan. These officers include a deputy inspector from the Metropolitan Police Bureau, who previously possessed the firearm, and a lower-ranking officer from Huai Khwang Police Station, who witnessed the transaction that ultimately passed on to Mr. Ming's ex-wife through a former deputy inspector from Huai Khwang Police Station.
Initial investigations confirmed that the deputy police inspector at Sai Mai Police Station personally purchased the firearm, and his name still appears on the registration certificate (P.4). The transaction, which involved multiple exchanges, did not involve any name changes on the registration. Further investigations will be conducted, and police officers involved in the firearms sale will be invited to provide detailed information to the fact-finding committee.
Regarding the origin of the firearm, initial findings indicate it was purchased by a deputy inspector at Sai Mai Police Station. At the time, he was a non-commissioned officer before being promoted to a commissioned officer (Cadet 53). He bought it as a personal firearm, and his name appeared on the gun registration certificate (P.4). He later pawned it to a fellow police officer at Tao Poon Police Station, who was then affiliated with the Metropolitan Police Division 2 Investigation Bureau, for 50,000 baht. After that, the firearm was sold to another non-commissioned officer in the Metropolitan Police Administration Division for the same price. This officer has since been promoted to deputy inspector at his original unit. This was the third transaction before the gun was sold to a deputy inspector at Huai Khwang Police Station for 50,000 baht. This officer has since been dismissed from service and is serving a prison sentence for a bribery case at an e-cigarette checkpoint three years ago.
Ultimately, the gun was sold to Mr. Ming, a Chinese national, through a transaction facilitated by Mr. Ming's ex-wife, for 100,000 baht. However, the gun registration certificate (P.4) remains in the name of the deputy inspector of Sai Mai Police Station, with no name change.
Further reports indicate that the case involving the Chinese man's arsenal of weapons at Na Chom Thian Police Station in Chonburi Province is being investigated to identify the person who sold C4 explosives to Mr. Ming. Police now know the identity of the suspect.