Malaysian Caught Smuggling Firearms And Ammunition Into Thailand

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp for the latest stories and breaking news.

A Malaysian man has been arrested after he was found with two M4 assault rifles and 400 rounds of ammunition in Thailand's Songkhla province

According to the Thai Examiner, the 45-year-old suspect, identified as Mr Yeb, was arrested after behaving suspiciously at a roadblock at Sadao.

A subsequent search of his car uncovered two M4 assault rifles hidden under the vehicle's rubber floor mat, along with 400 rounds of ammunition of various calibres.

Yeb confessed he was part of a cross-border arms smuggling network

He admitted that he was hired by multiple groups of people in Malaysia to traffic arms, and that he was promised RM10,000 per trip.

For this particular trip, an individual in Penang had allegedly hired him to smuggle these firearms into Thailand.

Investigators believe that he had carried out similar smuggling operations before, and that he was part of a well-organised network.

Yeb remains in Thai police custody while the investigation continues. He faces charges of illegal firearms possession and arms trafficking, as well as other serious offences under Thai law.

Thai authorities say his arrest could also uncover further criminal activity within the network.

Thai police say the man is not linked to southern Thai insurgencies, but he was part of a transnational network with multiple players

Thai authorities are stepping up efforts to curb criminal groups that operate along the border, and that they would work closely with their Malaysian counterparts.

The Malaysian-Thai border has long been a smuggling hotspot, with not only drugs and firearms moving across, but also migrant workers and victims of human trafficking.

Meanwhile, the ongoing insurgency in Thailand's southern provinces has claimed more than 7,000 lives, as ethnic and religious separatists battle the Thai government across sporadic bursts of violence.