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[webfact]

6,000 guns and explosives stolen from barracks

BANGKOK: -- Acting Thai government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn confirmed on Sunday that an urgent investigation was being conducted into “a massive loss of weapons and explosives” from an army base in the southern province of Phattalung.

According to Mr Panitan, a police report was filed last Thursday and investigators are attempting to determine whether the weapons have fallen into the hands of insurgents in the south, or the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), aka the red-shirts, who plan to hold its million man march and rally commencing this Friday, March 12, in an attempt to oust the government.

Informed sources claim about 6,000 assault rifles and a large amount of explosives were taken from Engineering Regiment 401, part of the Fourth Army Region, in Phatthalung Province, and the theft was only discovered on Tuesday.

Mr. Panitan said the investigation was focusing on the possibility the theft was “an inside job” and that since the loss, security at other army weapons warehouses, especially in Bangkok, has been tightened.

The revelation of the theft follows comments yesterday by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva that recent intelligence reports had pointed to the possibility of sabotage taking place on March 14.

Mr. Abhisit said that the government's Security-Related Situation Monitoring Committee had received information that acts of sabotage aimed at creating chaos were being planned by red-shirt sympathisers.

When questioned about the matter, Army spokesman Colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the Army had no such intelligence.

Sean Boonpracong, international media spokesman for the UDD, said protesters coming to Bangkok on March 12 are being repeatedly told not to bring weapons to the rally and UDD security personnel will be checking people for weapons prior to and during the rally.

“We’re constantly stressing to people that the only “weapon” they should bring is a camera to photograph anything that the government might instigate and to photograph the checkpoints along their route.

“If UDD security personnel detect anyone with weapons then that person will be handed over to government security agents”, Mr. Boonpracong said.


-- thaivisa.com 2010-03-07

[webfact]

Probe on stolen Thai army weapons underway

BANGKOK (TNA) -- An investigation into massive losses of weapons and explosives stolen from an arms depot of a military camp in the southern province of Phatthalung is underway, according to Panitan Wattanayagorn, acting government spokesman.

The incident was reported to police and concerned officials last Thursday, said Dr Panitan, adding that investigators were checking whether the stolen weapons and explosives were secretly transported within the insurgency-affected southern provinces or to Bangkok where anti-government protesters from the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) plan to hold a mass demonstration next Sunday aimed at ousting the government.

UDD activists nationwide will begin moving to Bangkok March 12 and will gather at Sanam Luang in the morning of March 14.

Asked whether the Fourth Army Region which is responsible for security in the South should be held accountable for the loss of the materiel, Dr Panitan said the probe is focusing on whether it was an inside job.

Security at other army weaponry warehouses, especially in Bangkok, has been tightened following Thursday’s incident, he added. (TNA)


-- TNA 2010-03-07

[Credo]

Oops. It sure would be good to know where those guns are.

[londonthai]

were they sold by the barrack's commander to anybody with cash, insurgents or just common criminals?

if it was insurgents surely there would be brake in, damage, several tracks to evacuate armaments and assilants - and there would be a chase after them.

[Jonesy99]

Hmm, this definitely adds a new dimension to the potential situation on the 12th, lets hope they find them quickly!

[angiud]

This is pretty serious.

Both if Red T-shirts or Muslim insurgents.

6000 assault rifles!!!!

large amount of explosives!!!!

Weapons deposit without serious guards?

Incompetent and inept people.

[asiawatcher]

Informed sources claim about 6,000 assault rifles and a large amount of explosives ~~~ was only discovered on Tuesday.

Mr. Panitan said the investigation was focusing on the possibility the theft was “an inside job” ~~~~

Nah, ya don't say?

~~~ said the Army had no such intelligence.

This should read the Army had no intelligence (whatsoever). Turn the lights off Bruce, there's no one here! This is priceless.

[Theyreallrubbish]

This is bad. 6000 weapons (plus ammunition presumably) indicates a well planned and organised theft.

This indicates equally thought out plans for their use.

Somebody is planning for a civil war

[Credo]

I think it would be more than a motorcycle with a pillion rider to run off with those weapons.

It is very, very unlikely that it would be insurgents--they are the enemy. I would believe that there are factions within the military that back the reds. It also could be a set-up by the government to institute the ISA.

[BlueSmurf]

No Guards? no doors locked? was there a fight to get or stop this happening? Or were the gates open and the lights out! There could be TROUBLE ahead.............

[YanTree]

Theyreallrubbish, on 2010-03-07 17:47:02, said:

This is bad. 6000 weapons (plus ammunition presumably) indicates a well planned and organised theft.

This indicates equally thought out plans for their use.

Somebody is planning for a civil war

Or somebody else is planning to make you think that.

Personally I hold george responsible - nothing juicy in the news today and he needed a scary headline.

[transam]

This really does point to the "laid back", lax way everything works in the country. Thank heavens they are not a nuclear power.

[Squigy]

More Generals in the South wanting a bit of extra Tea money.

[tomloughney]

It can also just be mis-information and no weapons were taken.

Then on the other hand this is Thailand so if they claim 6,000 taken that really means 60,000 taken but not admitting it due to loss of face.

Or:

The 6,000 never were actually in the building but some audit was going to happen and to cover up the missing weapons "they were stolen"

Or:

The sick water buffalo needed them to plant rice...

[Sunderland]

Yesterday there were 10 Thai soldiers looking all serious and patrolling immediately outside Major Ratchayothin cineplex.

Makes you wonder how nobody saw 6,000+ guns and additional explosives disappear ... must have been one hel_l of a tip.

[mca]

Quote

Mr. Panitan said the investigation was focusing on the possibility the theft was “an inside job” and that since the loss, security at other army weapons warehouses, especially in Bangkok, has been tightened.

It's slightly disconcerting that security at places that house military weapons ( and on an army camp to boot ) " has been tightened "

I'd have hoped that they would have been locked down pretty tight already. It's not as if they're guarding cartons of instant noodles is it?

[sedeflonga]

It seems that some generals still support the old regime and try to give 'hardware-support'

[hansnl]

Theyreallrubbish, on 2010-03-07 17:47:02, said:

This is bad. 6000 weapons (plus ammunition presumably) indicates a well planned and organised theft.

This indicates equally thought out plans for their use.

Somebody is planning for a civil war

Now who might that be?

To put things in perspective and defusing all those who wonder why a theft like this is possible in Thailand?
Last year in nearly all Nato-countries together nearly half a million arms were "mislaid"or not accounted for.
Rifles, pistols, machineguns, 2 MBT's, a 155 mm gun, 4 armed personal carriers, rockets, and more of that fun stuff.
This is excluding the material disappeared in Afghanistan, Iraq and other "war"zones.
And what has disappeared in the former SU, oops!

That said, it is a very disturbing thing!

Edited by hansnl, 2010-03-07 18:05:05.

[Pandemonium]

asiawatcher, on 2010-03-07 12:44:34, said:

Informed sources claim about 6,000 assault rifles and a large amount of explosives ~~~ was only discovered on Tuesday.

Mr. Panitan said the investigation was focusing on the possibility the theft was "an inside job" ~~~~

Nah, ya don't say?

~~~ said the Army had no such intelligence.

This should read the Army had no intelligence (whatsoever). Turn the lights off Bruce, there's no one here! This is priceless.

One has to be rational about this, you cannot distance the military, the police or any other agency from the political movements. Army and police ranks are made up of sympathizers of both red and yellow shirts.



You only need one of them to decide that the arms will better serve the people in the hands of their political faction than the army and you have a situation on your hands.

[caf]

Jonesy99, on 2010-03-07 17:44:11, said:

Hmm, this definitely adds a new dimension to the potential situation on the 12th, lets hope they find them quickly!

It may or may not have anything to do with the 12th. TIT . There may not have been a theft, they may have been sold for cash.


caf

[jfchandler]

Did anyone wonder, what's an "Engineering Regiment" doing with/or storing 6,000 assault rifles???

The engineers aren't usually the ones up front doing all the shooting....

At least the explosives part, I can understand. Engineers in the Army, after all, do like to blow things up...

[Reasonableman]

Instant noodles are under far more rigorous security

mca, on 2010-03-07 17:55:13, said:

Quote

Mr. Panitan said the investigation was focusing on the possibility the theft was "an inside job" and that since the loss, security at other army weapons warehouses, especially in Bangkok, has been tightened.

It's slightly disconcerting that security at places that house military weapons ( and on an army camp to boot ) " has been tightened "

I'd have hoped that they would have been locked down pretty tight already. It's not as if they're guarding cartons of instant noodles is it?

[mca]

Of course just to throw a spanner in the works (and I'm not saying this is my point of view) it could be a load of B/S to shit up the Thai people that the Thaksin supporters are tooled up and ready for action giving the authorities an excuse to come down heavy.

[poldebol]

6000 guns + ammo. Stolen in one go, or lost and petered away over a period of 20 years?
If stolen in one time, we must be talking about 200 to 300 m3? Correct? That is 4 or 5 big seacontainers!
I can imagine a soldier taking 20 liters of diesel every week, but 4 containers?
Does the Thai army use the explosive sniffers at the exit of the barracks?

[Murf]

Someone can make a lot of red shirts with these weapons... Scary!