Shadowy past of ‘Joe Pattani’ resurfaces after oil tankers disappear

This week a major controversy erupted when three of the five confiscated illegal oil tankers linked to the “Joe Pattani” oil smuggling network disappeared from the Sattahip Marine Police pier in Chonburi.

These tankers, containing more than 300,000 litres of oil, vanished amid rumours of millions of baht exchanging hands.

Five police officers have been transferred to inactive posts related to the disappearance of the boats and 18 crewmen.

According to Isra News Agency, the moniker “Joe Pattani” refers to Sahachai Jiansermsin, a prominent businessman in the South of Thailand. He reportedly started his business empire with a fishing business before venturing into the timber trade and currency exchange. He later became a significant figure in the grey market, particularly in oil smuggling, and has been suspected by security forces of being involved in the unrest in the South.

Sahachai was also fingered in running an underground lottery system from 2003 to 2006.

His dance with the law began on October 17, 2012, when the authorities raided his home and the business premises of his Shasapthavee Timber Trading company in Pattani. They seized several items believed to be linked to illegal activities and about 23 million baht in cash. The businessman denied any involvement in illegal timber or oil trade or providing any support to insurgent groups in the South.

On October 6, 2013, an employee of Sahasap International Limited, also owned by Sahachai, told police that their boat transporting money had been robbed off the coast of Pattani. Seven of the eight crew members were allegedly killed and one had disappeared.

Nearly 120 million baht in cash was allegedly stolen. Police later found the money and arrested four suspects, while issuing arrest warrants for four others.

On June 17, 2014, the anti-insurgency task force searched Sahasapthavee Timber Trading and detained Sahachai on security-related charges. He reportedly confessed to being involved in the oil trade, claiming his activities were conducted in international waters beyond the arm of Thai law.

He was granted temporary release on July 16, 2014.

On August 5, 2014, authorities searched the premises of Sahasapthavee Timber Trading and seized cash and gold bars worth hundreds of millions of baht.

On October 9, 2014, Sahachai went to Pattani court in person to hear a verdict on a case related to the possession of fake immigration stamps and was sentenced to one year and nine months in prison without any chance of suspension.

On the same day, while waiting for a Supreme Court verdict on the underground lottery case, Sahachai disappeared. A police lieutenant colonel was found guilty of helping him escape and sentenced to prison.

Between 2017 and 2018, rumours circulated that Sahachai had returned to his home in Pattani, prompting questions about why he had not been flung behind bars after conviction. Later it was found that police had “cancelled” all seven arrest warrants in 2017 because he had apparently surrendered to the authorities in Bangkok that same year.

However, the arrest warrant issued for fleeing court custody was not cancelled and a new warrant was issued in his name.

Yet despite having several arrest warrants over various charges, including violation of customs law, document forgery, illegal lottery operations and oil smuggling, most of which are still under investigation, only warrants related to his escape and the underground lottery case had reached the court.

On November 4, 2021, Sahachai was arrested by Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) officers at a roadside restaurant in Huai Kwang in Bangkok for “laundering money earned from illegal oil trade”.

However, on November 6, 2021, the Songkhla public prosecutor who was overseeing the money-laundering case, stated that the case had been dismissed and Sahachai released.

On the same day, police clarified that at the time of his arrest, Sahachai only faced one arrest warrant for money laundering, despite being involved in many cases. They claimed to have checked with the Pattani Provincial Court, which said the money laundering-related arrest warrant could not be found.

Two days later, police said, the court sent the copy of the warrant but by that time, Sahachai had escaped.
Meanwhile, police are working to locate the three missing boats and suspect they may be heading to Cambodia. However, investigation officers believe that since the boats are still loaded with oil, they can’t have gone too far. Separately, five marine police officers have been shifted to inactive posts at the CIB operations centre. If found guilty, they will be charged under Article 147 of the Criminal Code for misappropriating official property and Article 157 for wrongfully exercising their duties.