Police raid home workshop in San Sai, seize arsenal and arrest 50-year-old gunsmith
Thailand's Provincial Police Region 5 arrested a man in Chiang Mai yesterday after raiding a home-based workshop that had been supplying high-powered air rifles to a Facebook group with 22,000 members. The suspect, identified only as Duangchan, had been manufacturing and selling the weapons from his residence in Mae Faek subdistrict, San Sai district, for over a decade.
The raid on October 7 was led by officers from the News Analysis Division of the Crime Suppression Division, acting on a warrant from the Chiang Mai Provincial Court. Region 5 commander Pol Lt Gen Pratya Prasansuk, alongside deputy commander Pol Maj Gen Thawatchai Phongwiwatthanachai, announced the bust and displayed the seized evidence.
Modified air rifles sold online for around 10,000 baht
The operation targeted what authorities described as an illegal online gun factory. Duangchan confessed to manufacturing and selling pre-charged pneumatic (PCP) air rifles for more than 10 years, with some involvement in high-power spring rifles stretching back over 15 years. Police said he sourced parts from online platforms including Lazada and Shopee, assembled the firearms in a back room of his house, and sold them through the Facebook group for 9,500 to 11,500 baht each — roughly one to one-and-a-half times Thailand's monthly minimum wage.
Investigators estimate the suspect earned a monthly income of 20,000 to 50,000 baht from the sales before expenses.
Four complete rifles and .22 ammunition among items seized
Police seized four PCP air rifles, two scopes, three separate air cylinders, and equipment for making lead-head pellets. They also recovered 17 rounds of .22 ammunition along with various parts and assembly tools.
Region 5 commander Pol Lt Gen Pratya Prasansuk emphasized that the modified air guns could be lethal due to their adjustable high-pressure capabilities, and warned the public about the dangers and legal risks associated with illegally manufactured weapons.
Duangchan, 50, has been charged with making, assembling, possessing, or selling firearms or ammunition for trade without permission. Authorities indicated that further arrests are anticipated as the investigation continues.
