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Thailand seeks Malaysia's assistance to seize key trafficking suspect

Xinhua, May 12, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Thai police have asked their Malaysian counterpart for cooperation in hunting down a key suspect in the trafficking of illegal Rohinya migrants, national police chief said Tuesday.

Malaysian police were asked to help capture Patchuban Angkhachotephan, or "Ko Tong," who is believed to be a key suspect in the smuggling of Rohinyas, Somyos Poomphanmuang was quoted by the National News Bureau of Thailand as saying.

Patchuban, along with his accomplices, has reportedly fled to the Malaysian resort island of Langkawi, which is adjacent to the Thai border.

He is among some 50 people wanted by the Thai police for suspected involvement in human trafficking activities in the southern part of the kingdom.

Since May 1, dozens of bodies of deceased Rohingya migrants have been exhumed from graves found in Thai-Malaysian border areas, while more than 200 Rohingyas have reportedly been rescued.

Thai police have intensified their efforts to clamp down on human trafficking in southern provinces of Songkhla, Ranong and Satun.

As of Tuesday morning, arrest warrants had been issued for 51 suspects, 19 of whom were already in custody and the rest remained at large, according to deputy police chief Aek Angsananont.

If there are local politicians or high-ranking officers who are found to be facilitating Patchuban, they will face legal actions, the police chief said. Endi