A man has been arrested in Pattani for allegedly sending 36 grenade launcher rounds through a parcel delivery service from Narathiwat to a buyer in Tak province.
Col Ekwarit Chobchuphon, deputy spokesman for the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) Region 4, said on Thursday that soldiers arrested Gizam Wuthangkur on Wednesday in Nong Chik district, Pattani, after discovering his link to the shipment.
He was initially taken to Ingkhayutthaborihan Camp in Nong Chik for questioning before being transferred to the 46th Ranger Regiment Task Force in Narathiwat’s Muang district for further interrogation as authorities sought to identify other suspects.
‘Authorities are conducting an in-depth interrogation to find more people involved and to determine the source of the ammunition,’ Col Ekwarit told reporters.
The arrest followed a report from a logistics company to Bang Klam police in Songkhla, which said it had discovered a suspicious parcel at a distribution centre. The parcel, sent from Narathiwat and bound for Mae Sot in Tak, was found to contain 40mm grenade rounds, typically used in M79 launchers.
Isoc did not specify the exact number of seized rounds, but a photo on its official Facebook page showed 36. Col Ekwarit said Mr Gizam had confessed to sending the parcel.
Under Thai law, possession or transfer of war weapons is prohibited without official authorisation.
A preliminary investigation found that both the sender and recipient used fake names and prepaid phone numbers to conceal their identities. Mr Gizam reportedly told investigators he had been contacted via social media between July and August by an acquaintance seeking to buy 40mm rounds.
After agreeing on a price, he arranged a handover with a supplier at a petrol station in Yala’s Muang district on Monday, before mailing the ammunition from Narathiwat. The parcel was intercepted before delivery.
Authorities said the seized rounds were not from army stock, as none matched the military’s inventory records.
It remained unclear whether Mr Gizam resided in Narathiwat, where the parcel was sent, or in Pattani, where he was arrested.
Col Ekwarit said the grenade rounds did not belong to the army, as none of them were recorded in its inventory.