Crime
Army Rangers Seize 258,000 Meth Tablets, Smugglers Fled
Army rangers seized more than 250,000 meth tablets in sacks on the Mekong River bank in northeastern Thailand’s Nakhon Phanom province, abandoned by three fleeing smugglers.
According to local media, paramilitary army rangers waited in ambush along the riverbank after receiving information that illegal narcotics would be smuggled across the river and delivered there.
They observed three men carrying two sacks along the riverbank near Phaeng Tai village in the early hours of Wednesday. The army rangers revealed themselves to the men and demanded a search halt. They reacted by discarding the two bags and fleeing.
The sacks contained 129 bundles containing a total of 258,000 meth tablets. The police were given the narcotics at the Ban Phaeng police station.
Special amnesty offered to gun owners
Meanwhile, Thailand’s new prime minister, Srettha Thavisin, has imposed a 30-day deadline on a special amnesty offered to gun owners without appropriate permits, giving them a month to surrender their weapons at any police station before a renewed crackdown.
On Wednesday, a joint team of 100 police and other officials raided 21 locations in Nakhon Pathom and seized approximately 16 firearms and 200 rounds from a mafia-like network linked to the shooting of a highway police officer last week.
According to government spokesman Chai Wacharonke, Mr. Srettha has assigned Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to establish a special team to implement the month-long amnesty.
Deputy Interior Minister Chada Thaiset, who was previously assigned by Mr. Anutin to lead the nationwide screening of local leaders with ties to powerful mafia-like groups in an effort to blacklist them, stated that all provinces are currently working on the task.
Mr. Anutin ordered the operation in response to the assassination of Highway Police Division 2 officer Pol Maj Sivakorn Saibua in Nakhon Pathom.
A police source stated that nine of the weapons were seized from the residence of Pol Sgt Maj Pisit Chiewpreecha, to whom Mr. Praween reportedly requested a special transfer at the party.
Reportedly, Pol Maj Sivakorn denied Mr. Praween’s request prior to his murder by an assailant.
Deputy national police chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn stated that two vehicles believed to have been used by the suspects to escape the scene were discovered at a company associated with Mr Praween.
Girl 15 Rescued from Forces Prostitution
The commander of the Saraburi Provincial Police, Pol Maj Gen Wichit Boonchinnawutthikul, designated his deputy, Pol Col Surapoj Rotbamrung, as the head of a working team, with the assistance of provincial investigators, to carry out the investigation.
A teacher and the father of a 15-year-old girl recently lodged a complaint with police in Saraburi against the girl’s mother, Ms Mamiao, who allegedly forced her daughter into prostitution at a resort in Ban Mo district where she worked.
The girl gave the police the names of five or six males she claimed had paid for sex with her. According to the police source, one of these customers was a well-known politician from a prominent coalition party.
The chief of the investigation team, Pol Col Somkid Sawisai, told reporters that police have gathered sufficient evidence to seek arrest warrants for the five offenders described by the girl.
Mr. Suriya, a hospital employee, Mr. Pornchai, a contractor in Lop Buri, the former director of the National Office of Buddhism in Saraburi, a merchant, and a politician were identified.
According to Police Colonel Somkid, there is insufficient evidence to apprehend a second suspect in the case.
So far, Mr Suriya and Mr Pornchai have been released on bail, while police were investigating to see if the accused former director has been implicated in the case.
Officers were attempting to convince the accused politician to surrender to the authorities.
