Suspect on run for 9 years caught in monk's robes

Suspect on run for 9 years caught in monk's robes

Crime Suppression Division officers show an arrest warrant to Somkhid Plangklang, who had evaded capture for people smuggling for nine years, at a temple in Nakhon Ratchasima. He was defrocked and taken into custody. (Police photo via Wassayos Ngamkham)
Crime Suppression Division officers show an arrest warrant to Somkhid Plangklang, who had evaded capture for people smuggling for nine years, at a temple in Nakhon Ratchasima. He was defrocked and taken into custody. (Police photo via Wassayos Ngamkham)

A suspected human trafficker who has been on the run for nine years was caught on Saturday at a temple in Nakhon Ratchasima, where he had been living as a monk.

Somkhid Plangklang, 37, was defrocked immediately after his apprehension by officers from Crime Suppression Sub-Division 2. He had been wanted on an arrest warrant issued by the Mae Sot provincial court on Nov 13, 2009.

Mr Somkhid was accused of smuggling illegal migrant workers from Myanmar into Mae Sot district of Tak in 2006. He was arrested after border patrol police and local officials had stopped to search his vegetable-laden pickup truck at a security checkpoint in Mae Sot.

When officers began probing the load with steel rods, they heard human voices coming from beneath the vegetables. They then searched the pickup and found 54 illegal migrant workers inside. 

Police say Mr Somkhid admitted having collected 16,000 baht from each worker to take them to Bangkok.

He was charged with human trafficking and released on bail at the time. However, he jumped bail and went to work at an oil palm plantation in the South before moving to Nakhon Ratchasima, where he had been ordained as a monk about five years ago.

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