A nationwide crackdown on influential criminal figures and hitmen on Friday resulted in more than 200 arrests, with one suspect killed and 219 guns seized.
About 4,000 officers from the Central Investigation Bureau, the Metropolitan Police Bureau, Provincial Police Regions 1-9 and other agencies were dispatched to search 667 locations across Thailand.
A total of 218 suspects were arrested and 239 guns – 109 pistols, 76 homemade guns, 52 rifles and 2 war weapons — were seized, said Pol Lt Gen Akkaradej Pimolsri, an assistant national police chief.
Also seized were 5,314 rounds of bullets of various calibres, 16 other items of munitions, nine explosives of various sizes, 16,161 speed pills and 108 grammes of crystal methamphetamine.
The operation targeted influential criminal figures, hitmen and other criminals, said Pol Lt Gen Akkaradej.
One suspect was killed in an exchange of gunfire with officers in Ranong on Friday morning, said Poj Maj Gen Pornchai Khachonklin, deputy commissioner of Provincial Police Region 8.
Theerawat Arunchot, 44, alias “Noom Bang Non”, was wanted an arrest warrant for drug offences, said Pol Maj Gen Pornchai. Police initially surrounded the suspect’s house and ordered him to surrender. When he refused, a task force was deployed to move in and arrest him, but the suspect opened fire.
He tried to flee and fired shots to cover his escape. Ranong police returned fire. Theerawat was shot and later pronounced dead at a hospital. The officers searched his house and found 400 speed pills inside, said Pol Maj Gen Pornchai.
Officers pose with some of the more than 200 illegal guns, including war weapons, that were seized in raids at 667 locations across the country on Friday. (Photo supplied/Wassayos Ngamkham)