26 ‘Thalu Gas’ protesters arrested after late night clash
Police hunted down 26 members of the “Thalu Gas” group who had taken refuge in the Din Daeng flat complex since late Monday night.
The arrests were announced by the Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner Jirasan Kaewsaeng-ek at a press conference on Tuesday.
He said 21 protesters were tracked down to flats in Din Daeng, while five were nabbed nearby. They are all being held over charges of violating the Emergency Decree.
Police officers also seized 14 motorcycles, 14 fireworks, 500 hand blaster balls and a bottle of petrol. One of the suspects was also charged for the possession of 0.71 grams of crystal methamphetamine or “ice”.
Jirasan also apologised to people living in the flats that the suspects had escaped into.
He went on to say that the clip being circulated of three teenagers getting injured from tear gas had been doctored. He said police did not use tear gas or rubber bullets in the clash on Mitr Maitree Road near Din Daeng on Monday night, and that the three teens shown in the clip were behind the line of crowd-control police.