Ex-district officer accused of forging gun permits in massive Thailand arms trafficking scandal
A former government district officer was accused of forging gun permits in a major arms trafficking scandal in Thailand.
Aphisit Chankham, a former district chief, allegedly funnelled hundreds of illegal guns into the black market by faking gun permits in Chiang Mai.
He reportedly exploited loopholes in the registration system, using the names of civilians and local officials to apply for firearm purchase permits without their knowledge.
More than 400 firearms, including welfare guns and guns purchased from commercial shops, were said to have been diverted into the black market and neighbouring countries.
The Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA) today announced the results of an operation targeting the major transnational firearm trafficking network.
The investigation began after the department uncovered data from 2022 to 2023 showing that a large number of firearm purchase permits had been issued without completing the legal ownership registration process.
The investigation revealed a 'systematic scheme' involving forged government documents and officials' signatures.
A special operations team searched targeted locations in Chiang Rai and nearby areas, acting on arrest warrants issued by the Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases Region 5.
Authorities arrested four suspects and seized a large cache of rifles and ammunition as evidence.
Aphisit was named as the alleged mastermind and is currently still at large.
Officials said he had previously been dismissed from government service following a separate case involving the fraudulent use of foreign nationals' identities.
DOPA said Aphisit was also assisted by Natthawut Wattanapanan, a defence volunteer, accused of collecting documents and handling transactions for the operation.
The department described the network as 'highly organised', with separate roles assigned to financiers, gun procurement brokers, state officials responsible for forged documents, and firearm retailers willing to facilitate the operation.
The scheme allowed firearms to become easily accessible to transnational criminal groups and posed a serious threat to national security.
Thailand has one of the highest gun ownership and gun homicide rates among Southeast Asian nations.
Though Thai authorities have vowed to tighten gun control, there are around 4 million unregistered guns, often smuggled from war-torn countries, in circulation, the Ministry of Interior said in 2023.
