Police yesterday searched the community radio station belonging to red-shirt leader Wutthipong “Ko Tee” Kochthammakhun, seizing a rifle and some bullets.
Pol Lt Col Nikom Chaicharoen, deputy commander of the Crime Suppression Division 1, led the raid on a house in Lam Luk Ka district of Pathum Thani. The house operates as a so-called red guard community radio station owned by Mr Wutthipong.
The operation was conducted with a court-approved search warrant in connection with the lese majeste charge Mr Wutthipong faces.
He is believed to have fled Thailand after allegedly making inappropriate remarks about the monarchy in video and audio clips earlier this year.
Police collected from the house a rifle, a number of bullets and three radio transmitters, which will be used as evidence in the lese majeste investigation.
The Pathum Thani red-shirt leader gave an interview in January to Canadian news magazine Vice, which contained remarks that allegedly insulted the monarchy. The interview was contained in the clips.
Police say that when the investigators arrived at the house yesterday, a housekeeper who answered the door was shown a warrant issued by Thanya Buri Court.
Police said the housekeeper appeared reluctant to let the police in, saying the owner was away while people in the house were seen packing their belongings and getting ready to leave.
As about 70 police officers were talking to the housekeeper, a group of red shirts gathered. They confronted the police and were visibly angry the officers had conducted the search, but there were no clashes.
Police said the items seized from the house will be kept at the local police station for examination.
It was the second time the house has been raided after police laid the lese majeste charge against Mr Wutthipong. Police were trying to find additional evidence in the lese majeste case but found no documents implicating Mr Wutthipong yesterday.