A prime suspect, wanted under court warrants for a number of criminal cases linked to southern insurgency, was arrested on Friday in Muang district of Pattani province.

Acting on a tip-off, about 100 police led by Pol Maj-Gen Pichet Pitisethphan, the provincial police chief, scoured houses along Rong Lao road in tambon Sabarang and arrested Abdul Kama who was hiding in a house.

Abdul Kama, 34, is one of the important suspects wanted by police for a number of terrotist incidents in the three southern border province including a motorcycle bombing that killed two policemen in Pattani on Jan 5 and the killing of Pattani judge Rapin Ruankaew on Sept 16 in 2004.