Chiang Mai authorities are cracking down on illegal firearms after a man posted guns for sale on social media. Police raided and arrested him at his home, and are now expanding the investigation to identify buyers and pursue legal action.
At 06:00 today, 20 August 2026, Pol. Maj. Gen. Yuttana Kaenchan, Commander of Chiang Mai Provincial Police, along with Pol. Lt. Col. Anon Cherdchutrakulthong, Deputy Chief of Investigation at Mae Ping Police Station and head of the technology crime suppression team, led a search warrant operation at a residence in Yang Kram Subdistrict, Doi Lo District, Chiang Mai, under Chiang Mai Provincial Court warrant number K.454/2566.
The search resulted in the arrest of Mr. Sorakarn Manopan, 37, and seizure of evidence from his bedroom including a .22 caliber long gun with ammunition pouch and a sound suppressor, one firearm with a silencer, 10 rounds of 9mm ammunition, and one round of .32 caliber ammunition. He was charged with illegal possession of firearms, ammunition, and firearms that cannot be legally licensed (including an abnormal sound suppressor). The suspect and seized items were handed over to investigators for legal proceedings.
The technology crime suppression team received reports from an online marketplace about firearms being posted for sale and inquiries from teenagers. They monitored the suspect's behavior to prevent potential harm and discovered he was operating an illegal online gun store. After obtaining a court warrant, police raided and found all the evidence, detaining him. The investigation is ongoing to identify previous buyers for prosecution.