Raids on houses of Pheu Thai politicians ‘yield weapons’

The raids came just a little more than a week after one targeting locations that included houses of Pheu Thai politicians. However, authorities dismissed perceptions that the latest searches were politically motivated.

Among the targeted locations were houses and offices of Worachai Hema and Pracha Prasobdee, both former Pheu Thai Party MPs and key leaders of the red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD). Worachai had earlier criticised Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha for having “extreme right-wing ideas”.

Police said they found a large cache of firearms during the raids, including rifles, shotguns, pistols and ammunition. According to police, communication radios were also found with the frequency adjusted to the official band.

Police charged Worachai with illegal possession of firearms and communication devices, and Pracha with operating a communication station without permission. Many of the firearms allegedly found during the raids were confiscated for examination to determine whether they were registered.

Deputy national police chief Lt-General Sriwara Ransibrahmanakul, who led yesterday’s raids, said they were conducted under an order by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), as part of a policy to crack down on influential figures.

“This has nothing to do with politics. Please don’t try to create a connection. We are just cracking down on local influential figures,” he said. Sriwara is director of the Royal Thai Police’s centre for the suppression of influential figures and hired gunmen.

Early last week, Sriwara led concerted raids on 12 locations in Nakhon Pathom that included the house of Pheu Thai politician Chaiya Sasomsap. Several firearms and ammunition were found during the raids last Tuesday, which involved more than 300 police and military officers.

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan said yesterday that the raids were “just part of a routine operation” and had nothing to do with politics. “The responsible authorities have the list of their targets,” he said.

However, Worachai, a red-shirt leader, said he was not mafia and the raid on his house might have been a reaction to his remark about Prayut on Wednesday when he slammed the junta chief’s move to silence people during the lead-up to the August referendum.

He said the authorities wanted to arrest him and bring him to an “attitude adjustment” session. 

Before the search, he said, three people in the house including his son were forced to move out and his security cameras were broken. During the two-hour search, he said, journalists were stopped from entering his housing estate to cover the raid. The joint force also invaded Pracha’s residence and allegedly seized 11 guns and two radio sets. 

In light of the authorities’ move yesterday, Pheu Thai politician Suchart Lainamngoen, a former MP for Lop Buri, said he suspected the raids targeted Pheu Thai politicians and key red-shirt members rather than influential figures. He said that if the junta really aimed to crack down on fat cats, it should suppress drug dealers and gangsters.