A Chinese man in Pattaya, Thailand, was sentenced to 46 years in prison on the 3rd for illegally possessing military-grade weapons, C4 explosives, signal jamming devices, and other prohibited military equipment.
According to the Bangkok Post on the 4th, the Pattaya prosecutor charged 31-year-old Sun Mingchen (Sun Mingchen, phonetic) and another defendant, accusing them of illegally possessing numerous military equipment.
During the trial, Sun pled guilty to all charges. The second defendant, on the other hand, denied the accusations.
The court found that Sun had violated multiple counts of the Gun Control Act, Weapons Control Act, and Radio Communications Act. Despite his cooperative attitude, the court held that, given the grave threat these crimes posed to public safety and national security, the severity of the offenses was extraordinary.
The investigation began on the evening of May 8, when police officers received a report of a car rollover in Banglamung District, Chonburi Province. Sun was the driver, and there was a Taiwanese woman in the car; neither was seriously injured. However, officers discovered a handgun in the crashed vehicle, arousing their suspicion. Sun was subsequently detained, and the scope of the investigation widened.
Police later searched his residence in the Huai Yai area of Pattaya, uncovering what authorities described as a large weapons cache.