Thai authorities discovered that military weapons were being manufactured in a house located in a housing compound in Mae Sot, Thailand on 14 May, according to a Burmese Mae Sot resident.

Initially, a fire broke out at the house and the fire brigade came to extinguish the fire and conduct an inspection. Then, Thai police arrived on the scene.

The Burmese Mae Sot resident said to Mizzima: “On 14 May, when a house caught fire in a housing compound in Mae Pa in Mae Sot, the Thai fire department arrived at the house. They discovered evidence of weapon manufacturing at the location. However, by the time the fire officers arrived, the occupants of the house had already fled. Subsequently, Thai police also arrived at the scene and proceeded to investigate nearby Burmese houses and arrested individuals without proof of residency.”

The nationality of the occupants of the house where the weapons were being manufactured is still currently unknown, but the Thai authorities seem to believe that the case is connected to the Myanmar people’s struggle against the armed junta.

Mae Sot is across the border from the Myanmar town of Myawaddy. There are many Burmese people, including migrant workers and people fleeing the Myanmar junta, staying in Mae Sot.

According to Myanmar media outlets, on 14 May, the Thai authorities arrested 15 undocumented individuals in the area around the house where they discovered the arms factory.

The Police continued inspecting nearby Burmese households on 15 May, though it is not known if they detained any more people that day.

In a separate incident, also on 14 May, the Thai authorities discovered a gun and related accessories in a car in a Mae Sot village. One Burmese and two Thai nationals were subsequently arrested, according to a report by VOA Burmese that quoted Thai media.