Three people have been arrested in connection with a recent major seizure of contraband meat after the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) implicated at least five firms in the smuggling.
Witthawat: Warrant approved on Oct 19
The DSI's centre for investigation and intelligence announced on Saturday the arrest of the trio, identified only as Manee, Ran and Mon. Ms Manee and Mr Ran were caught at a house in Prawet district and Ms Mon was apprehended in Lat Prao district in Bangkok.
Witthawat Sukhontharos, the centre director, said their arrests were made on warrants approved by the court on Oct 19.
They have been charged with evading import tax and importing goods, in this case pork, without permission in violation of the Animal Disease Act.
The arrest came after an official from the Department of Livestock was shot dead, and another injured after a cold storage room was searched in Phetchabun province on Oct 11. The arrested shooter is a local business owner upset that officials found about a tonne of contraband meat in his freezers.
Police found the storage room had been in operation for years and had no permit.
Pol Maj Nathapol Ditsayatham, head investigator in the smuggling case, said on Saturday the trio are among six people in five companies which acted as proxies for businessmen based in Samut Sakhon, Ratchaburi and Nakhon Pathom.
Investigators said as many as 10 firms may be linked to the illegal imports of the meats.