On May 12, staff at a monthly rental storage facility in Patong, Phuket, stumbled upon five firearms and 100 rounds of ammunition in a locker rented by a Swedish individual who had not paid rent for over 120 days.
The incident was reported to Patong Police Station by representatives from Mespace Self Storage Patong, situated within the Jungceylon shopping center in the Kathu district.
Authorities were called to investigate locker No. 2184, where the firearms and ammunition were discovered. Kirakorn Chiawchan, a company representative, identified the renter as Elmi Ahmed Mohamed, a national of Sweden.
According to Khaosod, the renter had been unreachable and had defaulted on rental payments for more than four months.
Kirakorn explained that the company followed its standard procedures to access the locker and check the contents. Upon opening it, they identified the five firearms and 9mm ammunition, items forbidden under their storage regulations, prompting an immediate notification to the police.
Officers from the Patong Police Station’s investigation unit examined the locker and discovered four Glock 9mm pistols along with one CZ pistol. Additionally, they found two boxes of 9mm ammunition, each containing 50 rounds, bringing the total to 100 rounds.
All seized items are undergoing further examination. Initial investigations indicated that the firearms were registered; however, police are still working to establish the legality of their possession before proceeding with any legal action.
At the time of writing, the Swedish renter had yet to be located, and the inquiry remains active.
In a related incident, a New Zealand expatriate was arrested in Phuket for illegal possession of various weapons, including 11 explosives, as well as 19 firearms and ammunition found at his residence in the Kathu district.
Source: The Thaiger
