Police plan more arrest warrants in weapons case
Police plan to issue more arrest warrants against people implicated in stockpiling weapons that were the target of a raid on Saturday.
Royal Police deputy spokesman Krissana Pattanacharoen said the details could not be disclosed and he could not confirm whether those accused were among nine suspects who were under military detention.
Police on Tuesday issued six arrest warrants against suspects, including red-shirt leader Wuttipong “Ko Tee” Kottham-makhun and five others for possessing military weapons and criminal association.
The possibility of the extradition of Wuttipong, reportedly in exile in Laos, was heightened after the Justice Ministry said a terrorism case was being taken over by a Department of Special Investigation team.
Deputy national police chief Pol General Srivara Ransibhramanakul said on Monday that the attorney-general has requested Wuttipong’s extradition.
“I believe we will get him back for prosecution,” he said.
At Government House yesterday, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha told reporters that government-to-government cooperation between Thailand and Laos has been “constantly good” in regards to Wuttipong, who has reportedly been living in self-exile in the neighbouring country since the 2014 coup.
But Prayut was not specific as to whether that cooperation would result in Wuttipong’s extradition. “That will need time to proceed,” he said.
Justice Minister Suwaphan Tanyuvardhana, commenting on the possibility of Lao authorities extraditing Wuttipong to Thailand, said on Monday that the matter would be overseen by relevant security agencies.
Suwaphan said the case involving the weapons cache was linked to the red-shirt leader and would be transferred to the Department of Special Investigation (DSI).
But the security team conducting raids would continue to search for weapons, he said.
The police investigation into the case would be handed over to a special DSI unit for two reasons, Suwaphan said, adding that one reason was that the weapons found at the Pathum Thani company included an M-16 assault rifle belonging to the Army that was stolen during the 2010 political unrest.
“The case is also related to terrorism,” he said.