Arakan News Agency
Police have arrested the mayor of Padang Besar municipality in Songkhla province over his alleged involvement in human trafficking and started a probe into a close aide on suspicion that the latter was also involved.
Bannajong Pongphol, the mayor, faced seven hours of questioning before being taken to a press conference in Trang yesterday as authorities suspect he might have been linked to the discovery of many corpses in Kaew Mountain in Tambon Padang Besar.
His aide, Suphoj Muensew, was charged with attempted murder in relation to a raid on the chief of Trang prison in 2013.
National police chief General Somyot Poompanmoung yesterday said investigators were looking|into whether Bannajong and Suphoj had a hand in the death of the many migrants whose bodies were exhumed recently.
He said police would report to the government the names of a number of people allegedly involved in human trafficking whose positions meant they could not be touched by police.
Padang Besar deputy mayor, Prasit Lemleh, surrendered to police on Thursday. He has been detained at a court in Songkhla, after being questioned by police.
Deputy police chief General Aek Angsananont said arrest warrants had been issued for 36 people over their alleged roles in the trafficking of humans for labour, including 11 suspects whose warrants were issued yesterday and six suspects in custody.
Source : Asia One
