Police in Khon Kaen and Chiang Rai arrested three people with about 3,500 guns and nearly 1 million bullets stocked for online sales on Wednesday.
Pol Lt Gen Kornchai Klaiklueng, commissioner of the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau, said in Khon Kaen on Thursday that police arrested a 38-year-old man identified only as Danunai in Khon Kaen as well as Sorawee and Kultirat, both 43, in Chiang Rai with illegal guns and bullets altogether worth about 50 million. The arms were stored in five locations in the two provinces.
Police searched three houses belonging to Mr Danunai in tambon Sila of Khon Kaen's Muang district. There they found 1,414 illegal rifles, 122 unregistered pistols and 920,000 rounds of ammunition.
In Chiang Rai, police searched two air gun shops in Muang district and found 1,786 unregistered rifles, 224 illegal pistols and 57,500 bullets.
Pol Lt Gen Kornchai said Mr Danunai ordered guns, bullets and gun accessories from suppliers in Bangkok and southern provinces. The guns had been smuggled into the country from Indonesia, Sweden, the United States, Turkey, Spain and China.
He said Mr Danunai published a website to advertise his guns. Customers around the country placed orders via the Line chat app and made payments via banks. They would receive the illicit merchandise via a parcel delivery company.
The gang had operated for about five years, had over 50,000 customers nationwide and sold hundreds of guns daily, Pol Lt Gen Kornchai said.
The gang even started a YouTube channel to present reviews of its products, he said.
