On Friday, police arrested three teenagers accused of making ping-pong bombs and distributing them to protesters in Bangkok’s Din Daeng area.
Officers reportedly detained two men and a woman at a residence in the Don Muang district and seized 75 ping-pong bombs yesterday morning.
The suspects were identified as Ratchasak Sasuk, Yothin Chansom, and Jiranan Jaija.
One of the suspects reportedly admitted to delivering firecrackers and ping-pong bombs to anti-government demonstrators confronting the police in Din Daeng during the last protests.
Investigators claimed that the suspects confessed to paying 300 baht for 100 devices on August 13 at a factory in Samut Prakan.
Then they allegedly modified them with gunpowder to improve their potency, police officers said.
Pol Lt Gen Kornchai Klaiklueng, the bureau commissioner, told reporters on Friday that cybercrime investigators had learned that a group of young people had sold homemade explosives through social media.
After launching an investigation into the case, authorities issued a court order to search four premises in Don Muang, resulting in three arrests.
One of the arrested youths allegedly said they had handed over explosive devices to protesters at the Din Daeng intersection on August 15.
Investigators reportedly found that the purchase orders were placed through the popular social media platform, TikTok, including an order placed on August 13 through the “chiranan110411” TikTok account, said Pol Lt Gen Kornchai.
Yothin Chansom, 23, Ratchasak Sasuk, 23, and Jiranan Jaija were charged with illegally importing, manufacturing, and selling explosives.
The trio faces up to 20 years in prison and/or a fine of 2,000-40,000 baht for violating the firearms law.
They were taken to Don Muang Police Station, but the investigation continues, Pol Lt Gen Kornchai stated.
The police will also take legal action against the postal company that delivered the explosives.
