Corrupt prison guards behind murder: chief

Meanwhile, police and prison guards in Nakhon Si Thammarat’s Phra Phrome district blocked a shipment of soy milk cartons carrying amphetamine tablets yesterday after being tipped off by employees of a well-known soy milk company. The driver of the truck tried to flee but had to stop after a pursuit. Four occupants, including the driver, were arrested. About 200 tablets were found hidden among 6,000 cartons contained in 30 boxes. Police officers believe that corrupt prison guards had possibly suggested this method because throwing contraband items over the prison wall had become far too risky.

Citing investigation results, the officer said Od sae Phua had detected drug-dealing activities inside the prison on July 30 and had reported to his superiors on August 17 because other prison officials kept pleading with him to keep quiet or come to an agreement. He also reportedly refused to accept a Bt200,000 bribe for turning a blind eye to the smuggling. 

“Od might have wavered a bit during this 17-day period but decided to report about it on August 17, and was shot dead the very next day,” Ronnaphong said.

Meanwhile, some 10 or 20 inmates convicted in drug-trafficking cases will be moved from the Nakhon Si Thammarat Prison to the isolated Khao Bin Prison in Ratchaburi to block them from having access to drug traffickers, Sophon Thitithampruek, deputy director-general of the Corrections Department, said yesterday.

Sophon also said that his department would seek donations to raise funds for Od sae Phua’s family. 

He added that his department would continue to seek help from border patrol police to guard the walls of the Nakhon Si Thammarat Prison so nobody is able to throw drugs and mobile phones into the compound.

Meanwhile, Phitsanulok prison chief Somjit Satsanyawut said he would step up measures to free his facility of drug problems. 

As part of this measure, relatives will not be allowed to bring in any food for the inmates because the prison already spends about Bt80,000 to Bt100,000 daily on feeding the prisoners, he said. 

Somjit said the prison would also start screening the inmates and moving those with a good record to a safer “white zone”. He added that he hoped the entire prison would become a white zone soon. 

In another development, Kamphaeng Phet police yesterday arrested former drug convict Thongchai Kongprachak, 52, after he was released from Samut Sakhon Prison last week. He was arrested in relation to the murder of a Kamphaeng Phet tambon leader in 2005 and a village headman in 2006.