Pattaya —
Police have arrested a 27-year-old man suspected of selling illegal firearms to young people in Pattaya. The arrest was made following an undercover operation that was part of a broader crackdown on criminal activity in the city ahead of major forthcoming festivities.
According to Pattaya police, they received information from an undercover source that Mr. Prateep “Ta” Upawong was using the Facebook alias “President Hong” to sell illegal firearms. The police then planned a sting operation to purchase a pistol from Mr. Prateep.
On November 24th at 05:00 AM, police officers positioned themselves at the designated meeting spot in the middle of an alley in the Nongprue sub-district, Banglamung district, Chonburi. Shortly afterward, Mr. Prateep arrived on a black Yamaha X-Max motorcycle. The police promptly apprehended him and conducted a search of his belongings.
During the search, Pattaya police found a black plastic box containing a homemade pistol and a mobile phone. The mobile phone contained evidence of conversations related to the purchase and sale of the firearm made between the suspect and undercover agent.
Upon initial questioning, Mr. Prateep admitted that the seized weapon was indeed his. He claimed to have purchased it online for 13,000 baht about one year ago. He stated that he normally kept the firearm for self-defense purposes. However, due to the recent continuous police crackdown on criminal activities, he became fearful of being arrested. As a result, Mr. Prateep alleged he decided to sell the firearm to get rid of it.
Pattaya police are actively cracking down on criminal activities at present ahead of several upcoming events such as the Loy Krathong festival and the New Year’s Eve celebration.
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