The son of the former mayor of Patong municipality, Pian Keesin, has pledged to turn himself in to police on Monday. Mr Pian and his son are accused of running a criminal organisation in Phuket.
A message posted on the Facebook page of Mr Pian's son Preechawut "Prab" Keesin on Thursday says: "I will turn myself in on Monday. I am very busy and had not been contacted [by authorities] in advance."
"If I am angyee [a person involved in a criminal organisation], what would you call state officials who have sought my help for almost 10 years?"
The message also says he was betrayed and he wants justice.
It was posted on the same day more than 100 law enforcement officers raided the house and offices of Mr Pian in tambon Patong of Kathu district.
Mr Pian and Mr Preechawut are wanted under arrest warrants, issued earlier this week, for running a criminal organisation and operating illicit businesses. Mr Preechawut was reportedly in Bangkok on a business trip during the raid, while the whereabouts of his father remains unknown.
Pol Lt Gen Panya Mamen, commissioner of Provincial Police Region 8, said yesterday that police, the Revenue Department and Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo) officers were in the process of examining documents and evidence related to both suspects.
The examination will be carried out as quickly as possible before the evidence is sent to Amlo and other justice departments, he said.
Asked to comment about Mr Preechawut's claim that state officials have sought his help for almost a decade, Pol Lt Gen Panya said he knew nothing about that.
Asked whether police will grant Mr Preechawut's bail if he surrenders to police on Monday, Pol Lt Gen Panya said his conduct must be considered first.
Meanwhile, Pol Maj Gen Pawin Pongsirin, commander of the general staff division at Police Region 8, said officers have so far arrested 69 people allegedly involved in mafia taxi gangs in Phuket.
A total of 82 people are still wanted under arrest warrants, he said. Officers have not yet granted bail to any of the detained suspects, he said.
Elsewhere, a probe found police officers and a university lecturer are implicated in a land encroachment case near a cliff on Nong Chuem mountain in Nakhon Ratchasima's Pak Chong district, said Col Sommai Busaba, a member of the 2nd Army legal team. The land belongs to the Lop Buri’s Army Special Warfare Command.
The military command had earlier complained that almost half of its 40,000-rai of land adjacent to Lamtakong dam, had been encroached upon by villagers and state officials. The complaint was lodged with the 2nd Army.
Eleven villagers obtained land right deeds, or Nor Kor 3, mistakenly issued for land belonging to the military command in 2002.
Five years later, the documents were changed to land title deeds, and then the land was leased to Ban Chum Thong Co.
By law, villagers who have obtained land title deeds through Nor Kor 3 for five years are permitted to sell their land. The land was found to be sold to Ban Chum Thong Co, Col Sommai said.
The company then transferred the land ownership to two police major generals, a police general, and a retired police lieutenant general, he said.
A lecturer of a prominent university also obtained land, he added.