PHUKET, Thailand – Authorities arrested a 29-year-old man after finding a CZ handgun and 30 rounds of ammunition hidden under the driver’s seat of a BMW during a checkpoint operation in Phuket. The arrest took place on the night of August 10 in Koh Kaew subdistrict, Mueang Phuket district, after Phuket Governor Chotnarin Kerdsom assigned Deputy Governor Lt. Col. Khetrath Chansin to lead local administrative officers in setting up a checkpoint and inspection point in the area. Officials stopped a suspicious BMW for inspection and searched the vehicle. During the search, officers found a CZ handgun with a magazine containing 30 rounds of ammunition concealed underneath the driver’s seat.
The driver, identified only as 29-year-old Nat, was unable to produce a license to possess and use the firearm or a license permitting him to carry the weapon. Authorities arrested the man and informed him of charges relating to carrying a firearm in a public area without permission and possessing a firearm without permission. He was then taken, together with the seized firearm and ammunition, to investigators at Mueang Phuket Police Station for further legal proceedings.
Officials said the case was the first reported firearm arrest following the introduction of strengthened security measures in Phuket. The suspect faces the maximum penalties provided under the law if found guilty. The operation forms part of wider efforts by Phuket authorities to strengthen inspections and prevent firearms from being carried in public areas, with officials stressing the importance of maintaining public safety amid heightened security concerns.
