BLUE LANTERN PRE-LICENSE END USE CHECK ON LICENSE

UNCLAS BANGKOK 002175 SIPDIS FOR PM/DTCC - BLUE LANTERN COORDINATOR E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETTC KOMC TH SUBJECT: BLUE LANTERN PRE-LICENSE END USE CHECK ON LICENSE 050181625 REF: STATE 78948 ¶1. (U) According to the Thai Ministry of Commerce, Krungthai Firearms, Ltd. was listed. Registration No. 0103510012517 Registered Date: September 13, 1967 Status: Limited Partnership Capital Registration: 750,000 baht Partners: Amornthep Sajathep, with an investment of 500,000 baht, and Saovanee Bin Muhammad, with an investment of 250,000 baht. The managing partner is Amornthep Sajathep. Company Location: 2/46, Burapha Rd., Wang Burapha Phirom Sub-District, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok The company has submitted annual financial reports for 1999-2008. Purpose of Company: To import and sell guns and ammunition. ¶2. (U) Krungthai was listed in the telephone directory as indicated reftel. However, the house number of Krungthai, as provided by the directory was 2/46, not 2/45 as stated reftel. ¶3. (U) We visited Krungthai August 13 at a busy shopping mall called "The Old Siam Plaza." Kulbeepal Singh Sachdev (Songwut in Thai) confirmed the reftel sale and transaction of the weapons. The weapons will be purchased via the "Welfare Project for the Government Officials" managed by Bureau of the Investigation and Legal Affairs. All buyers are government officials or elected/selected administrators of local administrative organizations. These individuals are qualified to purchase firearms per their status as government officials. In addition, many are law enforcement officials. The firearms would be the private property of the buyers who use their own money to purchase the weapon. Buyers would use the weapons for self defense, their duty, for sporting purposes, or for collecting. The weapons, once they arrive at the airport, would be transported to Krungthai's secure room for inspection and labeling. Then they would be delivered to the Bureau of the Investigation and Legal Affairs for distribution. ¶4. (U) Songwut presented all reftel documents and all details matched. Krungthai has a Permit for Sale of Firearms and Ammunitions for Commercial Purpose, issued by Bureau of the Investigation and Legal Affairs, No. 74/2552, dated July 8, 2009, to expire July 7, 2010, renewable. Import permits for 945 units as follows: - Import Permit No. 466/2552 to 481/2552 (16 permits) for import of .45 ACP Colt, each for 50 units. - Import Permit No. 482/2552 for import of .45 ACP Colt, for 83 units. - Import Permit No. 483/2552 for import of .38 Super Colt, for 60 units. - Import Permit No. 357/2552 is for import of .45 Colt, for 2 units This is only a portion of the larger project. Krungthai was awarded contracts for 2,000 sets from the Welfare Project. Songwut added that Krungthai was part of a gun shop network under the parent company Erawan Firearms Part., Ltd. Erawan has eighteen gun shops nationwide. (Note: We conducted a Blue Lantern investigation on Erawan in 2006, 06 BANGKOK ¶07586. End note.) Erawan also provides a secure room for gun storage pending delivery, and some of Krungthai Thai's firearms would be stored there. (Note. The shops are located approximately 15 meters apart. End note.) The Erawan secure room measured approximately 2 meters x 4 meters x 3 meters with concrete walls and iron covering. There are six CCTV cameras and one or two night guards inside the shop. Krungthai has a secure room with about the same characteristics with 8 CCTVs. ¶5. (U) The Bureau of the Investigation and Legal Affairs-Ministry of Interior is a state agency under the Department of Provincial Administration (DPA) at the Ministry of Interior (MoI). Per the agency's website, its responsibilities are: - Examining, working, and giving advice on all legal matters under jurisdiction of DPA. - To investigate criminal offenses; to direct and coordinate the maintenance of public order and safety; to suppress crimes and to facilitate for public fairness practices under jurisdiction of District Chief. - To work with, or support the functions of other related state agencies, or to perform duties as assigned. ¶6. (U) We met August 13 with Prawet, Chief of Gun Shop Registration Section and Somkhit Jaiyim, Director of Bureau of Investigation and Legal Affairs. This office was located at the Department of Provincial Administration. Both officers affirmed of the firearm purchase and transaction as described reftel. The program was under the DPA Welfare Project for government officials who want to have guns. This round contains a total of more than 2,000 items. More than twenty rounds have been completed since the project began in February 1992. The project will continue and last day for ordering firearms this year will be September 30. 2,000 to 3,000 items are purchased annually. Qualified government officials for this project are primarily from the MoI (central and provincial officials, sub-district chiefs/village chiefs, territorial defense volunteers and officials, and administrators of local organization administrations),and police and military personnel. Prawet presented copies of all Import Permits. They matched those provided by Krungthai. The Bureau will deliver this lot of weapons to the listed officials who have ordered and paid, or partly paid, for these guns once the Bureau has received them from the private contractor. The buyers have to pick up their guns in person at the Bureau with the supporting/contracted documents. ¶7. (U) Firearms in this project become the personal assets of the buyers. However, officials are allowed to use their guns in performing official duties or in the capacity of law enforcement officials because the government provides inadequate guns. Each individual is responsible for the storage and security of the gun. The MoI, through local gun registrars, monitors the guns. ¶8. (U) Prawet and Somkhit said the Bureau has approximately 290 officials, and approximately 70 have law enforcement duties. There are no government-issued weapons at the Bureau. The MoI has tens of thousands employees. Like other law enforcement personnel, MoI officials prefer to buy and use their own guns rather than using those of the government. Somkhit and Prawet showed us the secure room for storage of weapons pending their delivery. The walls were concrete and the windows and gates have iron bars. The entrance and the cabinets each have three locks and require three officials to be present to open. There are guards and CCTVs at all times. ¶9. (U) Fixtech Co., Ltd. was listed in Ministry of Commerce website: Registration No: 0105538141429 Registration Date: November 28, 1995 Status: Company Limited Company Executives: Dissatat Dejthamrong, Thanisom Dejthamrong, Surapee Dejthamrong, and Aphinya Wongwiwatchai. Capital Registration: 10,000,000 baht Company Location: 142 Building Pacific Place 2, Sukhumvit Rd., Khlong Toei, Bangkok. This Company has submitted for 1999-2008. Purpose: To sell firearms and all types of war equipment ¶10. (U) We visited Fixtech August 13 and met Bussaba Kriengmahasak. The company was the distribution representative for Colt. Bussaba confirmed this purchase and confirmed the accuracy of the documents provided by Krung Thai and the Bureau of Investigation and Legal Affairs. JOHN