Corrections Dept explains Chinese arsenal suspect’s ICU transfer
The Corrections Department says Chinese weapons suspect Mingchen Sun was rushed to the ICU after suffering a seizure and losing consciousness two hours after entering prison.
Chinese national Mingchen Sun, a suspect in a major weapons case linked by police to scam networks operating in Cambodia, has been placed on a ventilator in an intensive care unit (ICU) after falling seriously ill just two hours after being admitted to prison, the Corrections Department said on Tuesday (May 12).
The department said Sun, 31, suffered convulsions and lost consciousness shortly after being taken into custody at Pattaya Remand Prison on Monday (May 11). He was later transferred to Pattaya Bhattamakun Hospital for emergency treatment.
Officials have also ordered blood samples to be sent to a medical science centre for testing for alcohol levels, cyanide and benzodiazepines. The official results are expected within five to 15 days.
Suspect suffered seizure two hours after prison admission
According to the Corrections Department’s statement, Pattaya Remand Prison reported that Sun, a Chinese national and remand prisoner facing charges related to firearms and explosives, was admitted to the prison at 3.30pm on Monday.
At about 5.30pm, he suffered convulsions and lost consciousness. Prison medical staff contacted the 1669 emergency hotline to arrange his urgent transfer to an outside hospital.
Sun was placed on a ventilator and taken to Pattaya Bhattamakun Hospital, where emergency doctors admitted him for treatment and close observation. At 9pm, the hospital moved him to the ICU on the second floor of the emergency building for continued treatment.
Initial checks conducted by Pattaya Remand Prison found no traces of methamphetamine or cannabis in his system. Prison medical staff have requested official confirmation of the drug-test results from the hospital.
The hospital has also sent samples to a medical science centre for further analysis to determine the level of alcohol in his blood and to test for cyanide and benzodiazepines. The Corrections Department said formal results are expected within five to 15 days.
The department further explained that Sun remains under treatment in the ICU at Pattaya Bhattamakun Hospital, adding that Pattaya Remand Prison had deployed correctional officers to monitor him closely as a special security measure.
It has also coordinated with local police to maintain strict security around the clock and prevent any unexpected incident.
Police link case to Cambodia-based scam gangs
Mingchen Sun was arrested following a vehicle rollover accident in Chon Buri province. The crash later led investigators to discover a large cache of military-grade weapons hidden inside a residence near Pattaya, including C4 explosives, M16 rifles and fragmentation grenades.
Police spokesman Pol Lt Gen Trairong Phiwphan earlier said forensic examinations and digital investigations had significantly advanced the case. Authorities had uncovered chat records, images of weapons training activities and evidence suggesting the suspect had been accumulating weapons since late last year.
According to investigators, the evidence points to direct links between Sun and scam syndicates based in Cambodia. Police believe the weapons were connected to preparations for violent clashes between rival scam gangs, rather than attacks inside Thailand.
Trairong stressed that investigators had found no indication that Sun or his network intended to carry out acts of terrorism in Thailand or target Thai citizens.
The police spokesman also addressed the suspect’s claims about his mental health and his stated reason for collecting the weapons, saying those statements formed part of his legal defence. Investigators, he said, would rely primarily on forensic and digital evidence carrying stronger legal weight.
