Bellevue Man Accused of Trafficking Gun Parts to Thailand

A Bellevue man and his brother are accused by the federal government an alleged scheme to traffic firearms parts to Thailand without a license, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Nares Lekhakul, 36, a permanent resident of Bellevue, and his brother, Naris Lakhakul, 42, a Thai citizen, were among six arrested over the weekend and who face with conspiracy to violate the Arms Control Export Act and attempting to violate the Arms Control Export Act, according to a press release from U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.

According to the press release, the six are accused of exporting restricted firearms parts from the United States to Thailand by hiding parts with false labels and fake invoices.  None of the exports included assembled firearms or entire firearms disassembled, according to the press release.

The defendants were arrested in SeaTac, Bellevue, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Berkeley, the press release stated. The Lekhakul brothers will make their initial appearances in U.S. District Court in Seattle at 1:30 p.m. Monday, according to the press release. 

The press release issued the following information about the alleged ring:

According to the indictment, between 2011 and 2013, the defendants conspired to export restricted firearms parts from the U.S. to Thailand. The co-conspirators did not obtain appropriate licenses to make the shipments.  The co-conspirators would use fake names and fake invoices to try to avoid detection, and they packed various firearms parts in specific ways to try to avoid detection by x-ray scanners. Members of the group shipped various firearms parts with false labels.  For example, in one instance they shipped magazines for .45 caliber handguns, while labeling them “Vented steel case for electronic components” or “replacement springs and metal caps for bottling machine.” Other shipments were labeled as “hobby parts,” or “glow in the dark marker sets.” In all, the group is believed to be responsible for more than 240 shipments of restricted firearms components.  The defendants did not ship any assembled firearms or entire firearms disassembled.