Police have arrested the abbot of Wat Ror Charoen in Suphan Buri province on two counts of attempted murder, in Nakhon Si Thammarat province and on Koh Samui in Surat Thani province, about 15 years ago.
Crime Suppression Division officers took Phra Khru Sangkharak Kanotthammo, 40, a native of Tha Sala district of Nakhon Si Thammarat, into custody at a temple in Bang Plama district of Suphan Buri on Thursday.
He was wanted on two arrest warrants issued years ago in Nakhon Si Thammarat and on Koh Samui, for attempted murder and illegal firearms possession.
Pol Col Phumin Pumpanmouang, superintendent of the CSD's 5th subdivision, said the abbot's lay name was Paphonsan Phetphan. He and associates allegedly fired shots at and seriously wounded a man in Tha Sala district of Nakhon Si Thammarat in 2004.
In the following year, Paphonsan allegedly shot a person on Koh Samui.
He had fled and was ordained at Wat Ror Charoen in Suphan Buri. He had stayed there ever since, and had recently been appointed abbot.
According to Pol Col Phumin, the suspect confessed to the crime in Nakhon Si Thammarat but denied any involvement in the shooting on Koh Samui.
He was to be handed over to police in Tha Sala district of Nakhon Si Thammarat for further questioning.