"Em"

A Thai couple in their late 20s have been arrested this week after having destroyed their ankle-fitted electronic monitoring (EM) devices in December and fleeing, so as to avoid an upcoming trial over their alleged online pyramid scheme.

Though the number of road accidents is lower this year compared to the “seven dangerous days” last year, drunk driving and speeding remain the key contributing factors in crashes and account for most of the arrests, Interior Minister Anupong Paojinda said on Wednesday.

Seven out of the 66 drunk drivers stopped over the New Year Holiday were fitted with the Probation Department’s Electronic Monitoring (EM) devices in front of reporters on January 1, as part of the punishment ordered by the courts over traffic violations.

The Justice Ministry on Monday unveiled new electronic monitoring (EM) wrist-wrapping devices and an EM control centre that can operate around the clock and cover all sites in the world to keep an eye on offenders on parole or on suspended jail terms.

Ratchadapisek Criminal Court in Bangkok had electronic monitoring (EM) devices strapped to the legs of 319 low-income offenders between March and August while they were free on bail.

The electronic monitoring (EM) devices on 49 of the 1,800 offenders ordered to wear them while freed on bail were found to have been disconnected, leading the Court of Justice to issue arrest warrants, with 18 of the fugitives so far recaptures, said Punnapat Mahaleetrakul, a primary court judge under the Office of the President of the Supreme Court on Wednesday.

THE MAJORITY of countries across the globe have been performing pretty well, thanks to the global trade expansion and expansionary phase of the current economic cycle.

With Chiang Rai, Maha Sarakham and Surin topping the list of provinces for drunk drivers caught in the first five days of Songkran (April 11-15), thousands of offenders were immediately slapped with probation and dozens had monitoring devices attached to their ankles to keep them off the roads.

Drunkdriving offenders may be detained for 15 days or be manacled with electronic bracelets; north sees high traffic.

Bangkok’s Min Buri Court is pioneering a programme using ankle bracelets to electronically monitor legal offenders temporarily released on bail, said Sarawut Benjakul, secretary-general of the Office of the Judiciary.