Mae Sot: A songthaew driver was apprehended by military personnel after being found in possession of firearms and explosives while en route from Mae Sot District to Tha Song Yang District in Tak Province. The arrest occurred during a routine inspection by the 35th Ranger Regiment Task Force at a checkpoint on the Mae Sot-Tha Song Yang road.
According to Thai News Agency, the driver, identified as Mr. Phon, aged 60, was operating an orange passenger bus on the Mae Sot-Mae Tawo route when military personnel discovered a concealed white sack behind the front passenger seat. Upon inspection, the sack contained two Sig Sauer 9 mm handguns, four 9 mm ammunition magazines, 200 rounds of 9 mm ammunition, an M67 hand grenade, and a K75 hand grenade.
The driver claimed ignorance of the contents, stating that he had been hired by a man named Ploi to transport the package from Chumphon Khiri Municipality School in Mae Sot Municipality to a location in front of Mae Salit Noi Temple in Mae Song Subdistrict. Mr. Phon revealed that he did not inspect the package before accepting the job, for which he was paid 200 baht, and was unaware of the explosives contained within.
Military officers subsequently seized the weapons and explosives and escorted Mr. Phon to Mae Ramat Police Station for further legal proceedings.