M’sian arrested in Thailand after being found with assault rifles & ammunition in his vehicle

Malaysian man detained in Thailand over M4 assault rifles & ammunition found in his vehicle

A 45-year-old Malaysian national was arrested by Thai authorities on Sunday (31 Aug) after firearms and ammunition were found in his vehicle at a roadblock.

Detained during roadblock with weapons & ammunition seized

The suspect, Yeap Soon Eie, was driving a Malaysia-registered car when he was detained at a police roadblock in the southern province of Songkhla.

The roadblock, targeting drug smugglers and security threats, led to the discovery of rifles and a large quantity of ammunition in the KIA Optima vehicle:

• Two M4 rifles

• 300 rounds of 5.56 mm calibre ammunition

• Seven 5.56 mm magazines

• 100 rounds of .45 mm ammunition

• 50 rounds of 9 mm ammunition

According to Sinar Harian, all the weapons and ammunition have been seized as evidence for further investigation.

Yeap was also found to have been under the influence of drugs at the time.

Suspect hired to smuggle firearms for S$3,000

Following the arrest, Kedah Police Chief Datuk Adzli Abu Shah stated that the Malaysian authorities were made aware of the situation via social media and other sources.

“Let the Thai authorities investigate the suspect’s purpose of bringing the firearms first. An investigation must be carried out according to the laws of the country,” he stressed.

Police investigation into smuggling operation underway

During investigations, Yeap confessed that he was hired by a Malaysian in Penang to smuggle the firearms for a fee of RM10,000 (S$3,050).

According to Khaosod, this incident is now suspected to be part of a larger transnational arms trafficking operation.

The Thai police also indicated that this was likely not the first time the suspect had been involved in such activities, citing two previous border crossings between Thailand and Malaysia.

Preliminary charges have been brought against Yeab for illegally possessing firearms and ammunition without the necessary license, using methamphetamine without authorisation, and driving under the influence of methamphetamine.

Investigations are ongoing.

Also read: M’sian man arrested after robbing S$275K worth of gold in Thailand, linked to 10 murders back home

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Featured image adapted from ข่าวรอบรั้วเมืองสงขลา – Songkhla News on Facebook