Foreigner Arrested On Charges Of Trafficking Rohingya Boat People

[george]

Foreign national arrested on charges of trafficking Rohingya boat people

BANGKOK: -- A foreign national has been arrested for alleged involvement in the trafficking of Rohingya boat people, the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) said Saturdday.

The suspect, identified as 42-year-old Safi Ammad, was arrested on Friday for allegedly smuggling as many as 1,000 migrants into Thailand, including the Rohingya from Burma and Bangladesh, DSI spokesman Police Colonel Narat Sawettanant said.

Ammad, a roti-seller, denied any wrongdoing. Police remain unsure whether he is a Burmese or Bangladeshi national.

The DSI Saturday requested court permission to detain the suspected trafficker for an initial 12-day period until March 4 pending further investigation, Narat said, adding that the DSI had also asked the court not to grant bail for fear that the suspect might flee or tamper with evidence.

-- The Nation 2009-02-21

[geriatrickid]

A roti seller? Uh huh. When embarrassed by one's own nationals, find a foreigner to blame.

[Buang]

Always new there was something secretive about those roti sellers.

[serpentine]

A roti seller? Uh huh. When embarrassed by one's own nationals, find a foreigner to blame.

Didn't the ISOC get involved? An interesting thai special ops unit. No doubt there would be many regional foreigners involved in the refugees making it to thai waters. Take a look at the state of their boats and equipment. They pay a small fortune to people smugglers who promise a lot but offer little. For example the roti seller may be involved in channeling bribes to border patrolmen or soldiers.

He may be a small fry, but not necessarily innocent. A scapegoat maybe to draw attention away from the wrong doings of thai authorities.

[skiman1]

A roti seller? Uh huh. When embarrassed by one's own nationals, find a foreigner to blame.

my thoughts also

[kurnell]

lol, any diversion, no matter how irrelevant or ridiculous as long as it takes the heat off innocent, angelic thais.

[Fore Man]

This certainly doesn't pass the tried and true 'smell' test. Unfortunately, most of the world, when learning of the alledged human trafficking operator, will probably believe that it was true and that poor Thailand has been unfairly hounded by the press in its treatment of the boat people. But those of us who understand the depths of the Thai pysche realize that deflecting the blame to the roti-seller is a sad reflection of Thailand's unwillingness--its near pathological inability--to accept blame in any form...individually or as a nation. This is a wonderful country but it seems that the vast majority of its people simply cannot step up and admit to personal or collective failure. There is always a zealous need to find fault elsewhere and deflect criticism to another party...in this case to a lowlife scammer from one of two nearby countries for which the Thai have a longstanding mistrust.

None of the foregoing has one whit to do with how the Thai military treated these refugees after they landed on their shores...and for this the Thai government will be unable to shift blame elsewhere. The eyes of the world are boring in upon the Thai kingdom now for this maltreatment and cruelty and wondering now how could this gentle Buddhist race do these sort of things to unfortunate souls seeking a better way of life. Yes, the Rohingya have been purported to commit larceny and other crimes once they disperse in Thailand but that is another issue entirely and the far greater problem of human rights abuse needs to be solved first.

[kurnell]

Yes, and let's see what Nicolaides says now that he has escaped the kingdom

[neverdie]

Yes, and let's see what Nicolaides says now that he has escaped the kingdom

You actually listen to that <deleted>, do you?

[sanmiguel]

Yes, and let's see what Nicolaides says now that he has escaped the kingdom

You actually listen to that <deleted>, do you?

Unless he's one of the magnificent 7 book buyers then obviously not.

Id sooner hear his latest story then one of the crappy books written by idiot sexpats, drug runners, fleeced farangs or people of similar ilk who think theyve done or know something extrordinary.

besides the people of the rest of the world dont care less about these people or Thais theyre more worried about the economy and whats going to happen to them in the coming years.

Edited February 22, 2009 by sanmiguel

[mc2]

Yes, and let's see what Nicolaides says now that he has escaped the kingdom

You actually listen to that <deleted>, do you?

thats quite inconsiderate considering all he has gone through.

no need to reply, please keep on topic.

[Ricardo]

the roti seller may be involved in channeling bribes to border patrolmen or soldiers.

"Pssst, wanna free roti officer, cooked by one of my 10 talented foreign-looking assistants here".

[Chang_paarp]

Foreign national arrested on charges of trafficking Rohingya boat people

BANGKOK: -- A foreign national has been arrested for alleged involvement in the trafficking of Rohingya boat people, the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) said Saturdday.

The suspect, identified as 42-year-old Safi Ammad, was arrested on Friday for allegedly smuggling as many as 1,000 migrants into Thailand, including the Rohingya from Burma and Bangladesh, DSI spokesman Police Colonel Narat Sawettanant said.

Ammad, a roti-seller, denied any wrongdoing. Police remain unsure whether he is a Burmese or Bangladeshi national.

The DSI Saturday requested court permission to detain the suspected trafficker for an initial 12-day period until March 4 pending further investigation, Narat said, adding that the DSI had also asked the court not to grant bail for fear that the suspect might flee or tamper with evidence.

-- The Nation 2009-02-21

Burmese or Bangladeshi, who cares they both begin with B and are undesirable foreigners. Do the Thai authorities realy believe anyone other thant the locals will believe them? (Where is the shaking head in disbelief smilie when you need one)

[neverdie]

Yes, and let's see what Nicolaides says now that he has escaped the kingdom

You actually listen to that <deleted>, do you?

thats quite inconsiderate considering all he has gone through.

no need to reply, please keep on topic.

Strangely enuf I am on topic.....I am stating this, I have no pity NO PITY for foreigners that come to Thailand breaking laws, I even take delight when they appear at a later time on the news crying in their shackles.

Lets say being inconsiderate to people that are their own worst enemy is not something I worry about too much.

[kurnell]

Yes, and let's see what Nicolaides says now that he has escaped the kingdom

You actually listen to that <deleted>, do you?

thats quite inconsiderate considering all he has gone through.

no need to reply, please keep on topic.

Strangely enuf I am on topic.....I am stating this, I have no pity NO PITY for foreigners that come to Thailand breaking laws, I even take delight when they appear at a later time on the news crying in their shackles.

Lets say being inconsiderate to people that are their own worst enemy is not something I worry about too much.

Laws? pfff!

[Scott]

Basically, either way Thailand loses. Either they are responsible for the atrocious treatment of the Rohingya or they are so stupid they have some low-life, foreign, roti-vendor, who can out-smart the ISOC, the Navy, the immigration police etc. etc.

[cmsally]

Basically, either way Thailand loses. Either they are responsible for the atrocious treatment of the Rohingya or they are so stupid they have some low-life, foreign, roti-vendor, who can out-smart the ISOC, the Navy, the immigration police etc. etc.

I would have thought one of those numerous foreign tailors would have been a better choice. It seems a bit less embarrassing being outsmarted by someone that at least has a behind shop operations room to plan the whole operation. Where did the roti man do his planning - under his roti cart! And he still outsmarted the Thai officials.

[Loaded]

Can you imagine the headline in the Sun:

'Rohingya roti ring revealed - the Thai government has revealed that for years an uneducated foreign roti seller has outsmarted Thai intelligence, military and the judicial process. This cunning manufacturer of delicious, but quite fattening, 5 baht snacks has managed to import boats and boats of muslim terrorists to Thailand by making them invisible.

Edited February 24, 2009 by Loaded

[TPI]

Can you imagine the headline in the Sun:

'Rohingya roti ring revealed - the Thai government has revealed that for years an uneducated foreign roti seller has outsmarted Thai intelligence, military and the judicial process. This cunning manufacturer of delicious, but quite fattening, 5 baht snacks has managed to import boats and boats of muslim terrorists to Thailand by making them invisible.

Ah! Thailand, the rabid ranting rebel, leader of those insidious devils, the rohingya roti ringleaders finally under guard by the brave, bastions of the law!! If this place didn't exist, some madman would have to invent it!!

Love the sentiment!

[ballpoint]

Can you imagine the headline in the Sun:

'Rohingya roti ring revealed - the Thai government has revealed that for years an uneducated foreign roti seller has outsmarted Thai intelligence, military and the judicial process. This cunning manufacturer of delicious, but quite fattening, 5 baht snacks has managed to import boats and boats of muslim terrorists to Thailand by making them invisible.

That's right, jump on the bandwagon. If the facts don't suit you, you can always make a few up. Where does it say he is uneducated? Do you expect him to be sitting in an office with a big sign on the door saying "Rohingya Relocations"? Would it surprise you to find that a kebab shop owner has been named by illegal immigrants as being their smuggler into Australia? From the Sydney Morning Herald:

"Yet, as the Herald has reported, they have quite a tale to tell of how they got to Australia and who helped them do it. In the process, some have revealed themselves not as asylum seekers but as economic refugees. They say that one of those who promised they would find their fortune in Australia was a Mosman kebab shop operator, Ali Cetin."

Boy, he sure had them Aussie intelligence, military and judicial officials fooled.

The hypocracy of the west is also exposed in the same incident:

"When the Turks arrived at Melville Island at the beginning of this month, the Australian Government's first thought was to haul them back out to sea before they could seek refugee status. The Indonesian crew and its human contraband swiftly found themselves being towed back to Indonesia."

This roti seller may be innocent, he may not be. I'm not making any claims either way, I don't know enough about the case. Shame this lack of knowledge doesn't stop any others from making their own verdicts though.

[samgrowth]

CNN's "World's untold stories" is having a special on TV now. CNN keep pointing the fingers at Thailand. I am sure, sooner or later CNN will be banned in Thailand, and the reporter (you know who) will be deported.