Senior army adviser Lt Gen Manas Kongpan surrendered at the Royal Thai Police Office in Bangkok on Wednesday morning to face human trafficking charges.
He arrived with an army legal officer and met police chief Somyot Poompunmuang about 11am. He was then taken to the Provincial Police Region 9 office in the southern province of Songkhla for interrogation.
The charges relate to migrant trafficking from Myanmar and Bangladesh through southern Thailand to Malaysia, which blew up into a regional story after the discovery of dozens of dead migrants' bodies, including many Rohingya, at detention camps in border areas of Songkhla in May.
Officers take Lt Gen Manus Kongpan to an interrogation room after he arrived at the Provincial Police Region 9 in Hat Yai district in Songkhla province on Wednesday. (Photo by Wichayant Boonchote)
Police sought a warrant for the arrest of Lt Gen Manas after a recent search at the house of a human trafficking suspect in Ranong province found details of alleged money transfers to the bank accounts of Lt Gen Manas from March 2013 to February 2014.
The army adviser was charged with human trafficking, smuggling aliens and detention of migrants for ransom.
Lt Gen Manas had reportedly told journalists that he would surrender in Songkhla on Tuesday, but he failed to show up. He also said he would defend himself in court.
Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon said on Wednesday that when the alleged offences occurred Lt Gen Manas had been a colonel at the southern forward command post of the Internal Security Operations Command. He had worked hard and contributed much to the national interest.
Police have 84 suspects in the human trafficking case, including many local administrative officials. Fifty-one are in custody and 33 remain at large.
Deputy police chief Aek Angsananont, who was present in the surrender of Lt Gen Manas, said there was no report that Lt Gen Manas would seek temporary release on bail.
Pol Gen Aek also said police were awaiting the extradition of another human trafficking suspect from Myanmar, Nathaphat Saengthong, also known as Ko Mik.
The man was prosecuted for illegal entry to Myanmar and authorities there were checking if he was involved in human trafficking, the deputy police chief said.
