Buriram: Hoping to surprise his girlfriend on Valentine's Day, a 19-year-old was arrested after confessing to hiding a bomb under his pillow. The young man, identified as Mr. Theerapat, or "Kla," had a fascination with explosives and military weapons, which led him to store a real bomb in his bedroom.
According to Thai News Agency, police at Satuk Police Station in Buriram Province intensified their crackdown on illegal activities and drugs ahead of Valentine's Day. This initiative was in response to a trend of incidents involving teenagers on this occasion. During their investigation, authorities discovered that a teenager was amassing military weapons, prompting a raid on a residence in Moo 9, Ban Yang Ta Sad, Sakae Subdistrict, Satuk District. The house, which also functioned as a car paint repair shop, belonged to Mr. Theerapat. Inside, police found a ready-to-use HDGR 73 anti-personnel grenade, manufactured in Austria, hidden in a pink plastic box in his bedroom.
Mr. Theerapat revealed that he purchased the grenade from Mr. Wut, a 33-year-old from Surin Province, for 1,000 baht three months ago. He explained that his interest in collecting firearms and grenades dated back to his childhood. He claimed he had no intention of using the grenade to harm anyone, as he had no enemies. Anticipating his arrest, he entrusted the grenade to a 17-year-old acquaintance, referred to as "A." Mr. Theerapat admitted that his plan was to surprise his girlfriend of one month with the grenade on Valentine's Day, a plan that was thwarted by his arrest. He concluded by asking his girlfriend to wait for him.
Initially, charges were filed against him for possessing explosives or weapons of war for which a license cannot be issued by the registrar. The EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) unit was contacted to safely destroy the explosives.