Stolen army rifles among weapons found at rubber plantation in the far South
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Thai security officials have seized six M16 rifles and 50 other items including an AKA rifle, a pistol, 382 bullets and 20kg of urea fertiliser, suspected to have been hidden by an insurgent cell led by Masae Hayidiyohdiya at a rubber plantation in Narath
Some 200 security officials searched the plantation in Tambon Bukit on Friday night and discovered four M16 rifles and above-mentioned items, buried in eight spots. Then a 6am search with a metal detector found another 50 bullets, a communication radio and a backpack.
Three out of the four M16s were confirmed as being among 400 guns stolen from a Narathiwat military camp on January 4, 2004. One of the two rifles seized yesterday in the second search was confirmed as stolen from Sungai Padi police corporal Adisaui Ume on May 16, 2003, said Lt Col Isara Janthakrayom, deputy chief of the 48th Ranger Division.
Issara said the seized items were linked to a group led by Masae Hayidiyohdiya, who was wanted for six violent attacks including the killing of teacher Chatsuda Nilsuwan of Ban Ta Ngo on December 3. He thanked people who tipped off authorities so they could retrieve the stolen weapons.
Issara said forensic officials would collect fingerprints and DNA samples from the seized items to determine if the weapons were used in any previous attack.
He said security officials believed the items were prepared by Russaran and fellow insurgents to launch violent attacks during the New Year holidays but Russaran had fortunately been arrested and these items seized.
The plantation search followed interrogation of suspected insurgent Russaran Salae, 35, who was arrested in Jor Airong on December 27.
In Yala’s Muang district, soldiers set up checkpoints to look for five pickup trucks and one sedan that were stolen. It was suspected they might be used by insurgents in attacks during New Year break.
At 10.30am yesterday, Yala Governor Dethrat Simsiri presided over a campaign against violence in the far South, attended by 1,000 officials and locals at the Nakhon Yala Municipality Youth Centre. It was hosted by Yala Internal Security Operations Command.
