Police plan to seek arrest warrants next week for two people suspected of being responsible for oil-smuggling vessels that disappeared this month from a police pier in Chon Buri, a source said on Friday.
The two suspects are “Joe Namman Thuen” — also known as “Joe Pattani” — and a man named Mr Lek, whom the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) believes is his manager. Mr Lek put up the 3-million-baht bail for the 28 crewmen of the vessels when they were first arrested in mid-March.
The CIB will ask Interpol to issue red notices against the two key suspects as they are believed to have fled abroad, the source added.
Fifteen of the 28 crew members boarded the three vessels on June 11 and escaped from Sattahip in Chon Buri into Cambodian waters. The boats were carrying 330,000 litres of smuggled fuel at the time.
But when the boats and crew were recaptured near the maritime border with Malaysia last Monday, only eight crewmen were on board and most of the diesel oil had been siphoned off.
The boats are believed to be owned by the network of Joe Pattani, a notorious southern oil smuggler. A marine police officer with the Thai initial Nor (“N”) was reportedly involved, based on a Line chat between him and Joe Pattani that was leaked recently.
Pol Gen Kraiboon Suadsong, director of the Oil Smuggling Suppression Centre, said it submitted a report on the case to Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin on Thursday.
The investigating team is now tracking the whereabouts of a large vessel named K9.
It reportedly drained the smuggled oil from all three vessels while they were in Cambodia. Police suspect the ship is still in Thai waters.
Pol Maj Gen Jaroonkiat Pankaew, the CIB deputy commissioner, said the case has been making progress.
Police are searching for more evidence to identify the mastermind as well as the person who ordered the crew to steal the three seized vessels.
Democrat MP Chaichana Detdecho, chairman of the House Committee on Police Affairs, said it had received a report about the involvement of a marine police officer. He said the suspect was a deputy superintendent whose name begins with Sor (“S”).