A couple involved in an international arms trafficking network was intercepted, seized with AK47 rifles and over 7,000 rounds of machine gun ammunition intended for northern clients. They confessed to working on orders from a prison acquaintance. The weapons are suspected to have been smuggled from a neighboring country amid clashes.
At 14:00 on 26 May 2026, Police Colonel Buraphat Buriphakdee, Deputy Commander of Ubon Ratchathani Provincial Police (Security Division), together with Police Colonel Sanit Chaisatit, Deputy Commander of Ubon Ratchathani Provincial Police, and Police Colonel Weeraphan Naksuk, Superintendent of Det Udom Police Station, jointly announced the arrest of Mr. Surachet, 46, and Ms. Supansa, 39, two suspects in a transnational arms trafficking network.
The evidence included five AK47 rifles, five ammunition magazines, and a total of 7,118 rounds of various calibers: 6,450 rounds of 7.62 mm, 168 rounds of 12.7 mm, and 500 rounds of M60 machine gun ammunition. The suspects were arrested along with a Toyota sedan registered in Rayong.
This arrest followed intelligence received by the Det Udom Police investigation team from informants about a large shipment of illegal arms entering the area. They reported to Police Major General Patiyut Singsamrot, Commander of Ubon Ratchathani Provincial Police, who ordered joint operations with provincial investigators and highway police to set up an ambush on Highway 24.
At approximately 23:00, officers spotted a suspicious sedan matching the informant’s description passing near Ban Nakrasang. They signaled the vehicle to stop and conducted a search. Mr. Surachet was driving, with Ms. Supansa as passenger. Upon opening the trunk, officers were shocked to find a large cache of AK47 rifles and military ammunition concealed inside. Both were taken in for interrogation and further investigation.
During questioning, Mr. Surachet fully confessed, implicating his close friend Mr. Wichaya, who had served time with him in Rayong prison. After release, Wichaya hired him for 10,000 to 20,000 baht per trip, depending on quantity. He was instructed to collect weapons from an unidentified man at a gas station in Prasat District, Surin Province, then package and forward them to destinations in Chiang Mai and Lamphun. The shipments used private transport companies. This was his third trip when he was caught.
Military sources in the area added that this batch of weapons is believed to have been smuggled from Cambodia, consistent with prior information from 2 January 2026. Then, Warin Chamrap Police had received reports from a private transport company about concealed AK47 ammunition shipments, along with high-energy food and Cambodian military clothing. These arms are thought to have been collected following border clashes and are sold to enthusiasts and collectors of military weapons.
Initially, police recorded the arrests and charged Mr. Surachet and Ms. Supansa with illegal possession of firearms and ammunition without a license, and carrying firearms and ammunition in public without lawful reason. Authorities are gathering further evidence to issue warrants and dismantle this network, including the main organizers and northern recipients, to prosecute them firmly under the law.