Assets seized from traffickers total Bt204m
Play
THE VALUE of assets frozen or seized from those suspected of trafficking Rohingya and other migrants has hit Bt204 million so far, according to an area police commander tasked with suppressing the illicit business.
More than Bt100 million worth of the assets are based in Ranong province, Bt29 million in Satun and another Bt75 million in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Pol Maj-General Paween Phongsirin said yesterday, adding that the assets can be reclaimed if the owners can produce valid proof of purchase.
So far, two key suspects turned themselves in to police on Wednesday, namely Malay Tohdin, chairman of the Poo Yoo Tambon Administrative Organisation; and businessman Suria “Koh Chai” Ahmad. Their surrender has brought the total suspects in custody to 26, while a manhunt is on for the remaining 35.
Meanwhile, police said Malay had denied all charges filed against him, but did not provide details on Suria’s response to the charges he faces.
Malay is already fighting a court case accusing him of abducting a Rohingya man and demanding Bt60,000 in ransom from his relatives 11 years ago, police said, adding that Suria was running a trafficking racket in Satun province
Separately, a team of 200 border patrol officers and soldiers yesterday dismantled a detention camp – the largest one found so far that was allegedly built to house Rohingya and other migrants – on Khao Kaew in Songkhla’s tambon Padang Besar, now that all evidence in this site has been collected.
Lt-General Prakarn Chollayuth from the 4th Army Region said soldiers would soon begin training forest rangers based in the South on military techniques necessary for basic surveillance for trafficking activities.
