Arrest warrants for 12 fisherman on Thai boat issued
Police have issued arrest warrants for 12 fishermen - the crew of a Thai fishing boat, for their alleged involvement in the killings of two Indonesian naval officers, Assistant Police chief Pol Lt Gen Chakthip Chaichinda said Thursday.
The investigation has progressed but the fact-finding probe will need a few more days, he said. Forensic tests will be necessary to check the Indonesian naval personnel’s DNA and evidence found on board the Thai trawler.
Chakthip was speaking after chairing a fact-finding meeting with police and officials of the Indonesian consulate in Songkhla province
He said police have issued warrants to arrest 12 crew members of the Thai fishing boat for illegal entry though other charges will not be brought until evidence is clear. The bodies of the Indonesian officers killed on March 9 have yet to be found. Thai police said the troubled fishing trawler might have illegally assumed the rights of a Thai boat, the Sor Nattaya 7, to enter Indonesian waters for fishing.
The trawler also left Thailand without going through the required immigration check.
