A non-commissioned Nonthaburi province police officer admitted to stealing greater than 100 guns from the police department. The officer, Chaowalit Pumkajorn, is in custody on theft costs after being arrested in the northeastern province of Nong Khai. According to Thai PBS World, the person is accused of selling or pawning the weapons which he had stolen from the Pak Kret district’s police store room over five years. He says he took two to 3 guns at a time however then falsely stated the guns were distributed to police officers on the station.
Chaowalit tried to flee into neighbouring Laos after the investigation implicated him as being the reason for the weapons’ disappearance. Deputy national police chief, Surachate Hakparn, says the person was flown to Bangkok for additional questioning. He says the case should function a lesson for different police station chiefs who should be checking their gun inventories regularly.
A bag of 27 handguns was reportedly set in front of the police station with officers saying they’re believed to be part of plenty of stolen weapons. They say the proprietor should have returned them over fears of being prosecuted.
The information comes after a 34-year-old former police officer by the name of Panya Khamrap, broke into a Nong Bua Lamphu province daycare centre and killed 37 people, together with 24 youngsters. Under wraps had just appeared in courtroom earlier that morning on a drug cost. He was beforehand fired from the police pressure for failing a drug check..