PATTANI
Businessman detained under martial law after raid
THE NATION



Detention related to 'security issues'

PATTANI: -- A PATTANI-BASED businessman; Sahachai Jiansermsin, 44, is in military court’s custody on charges related to security issues.

Military officer Senior Colonel Jatuporn Kalampasut, who heads a team under the Internal Security Operations Command Region 4 that suppresses additional threats, is co-ordinating with various authorities in an attempt to solve the case.

"I can't disclose details because it's related to security issues," a source quoted Jatuporn as saying.

The officer was involved in the raid on Sahachai's company at a Pattani industrial estate on Wednesday in which fake immigration stamps and cash, including foreign currencies, were found. Sahachai was arrested later that evening.

His name had previously been linked to suspicious activities.

At a press conference two years ago, Sahachai dismissed allegations that he was involved in illegal logging and smuggled oil. He also insisted that he had never sponsored an insurgency group.

Pattani is one of the southernmost provinces that has struggled with violence for a decade.

Investigations are ongoing to determine if Sahachai is involved in smuggled oil, illegal logging, or any other illegal activities.

Sahachai owns Sahasap Tawee Khamai Limited Partnership, which is located in Pattani's Muang district.

Two years ago, members of Jatuporn's team and the Department of Special Investigation found four trucks that had been suspiciously modified to carry oil at Sahachai's firm. They also found about Bt23 million and foreign currencies.

Also two years ago, Sahasap Inter-national represented a ship owner in lodging a complaint with police after claiming pirates raided their ship in the Gulf of Thailand and stole about Bt119 million in Singapore dollars and Malaysian ringgit.

According to the complaint, the ship was en route to delivering the money to VIP customers on Losin Island in the Gulf of Thailand when the pirates struck.

An investigation by the Isra News Agency found that Losin Island is uninhabited.

Many people believe that Sahasap International is linked to Sahasap Tawee Khamai.


-- The Nation 2014-06-20

So they sent a boat full of money to an uninhabited island under the story that VIPs were there. Then got hijacked by pirates which of course, were never caught. How can this guy think he would not get caught smuggling the money? I guess it might have worked i no one bothered to check that island. I wonder if that boat and money were insured as well?

Sent from my GT-S5310 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

So they sent a boat full of money to an uninhabited island under the story that VIPs were there. Then got hijacked by pirates which of course, were never caught. How can this guy think he would not get caught smuggling the money? I guess it might have worked i no one bothered to check that island. I wonder if that boat and money were insured as well?

Sent from my GT-S5310 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

The simplicity merely proves the guy was feeling very safe. Means he felt/was protected by high officials. Apparently that protection didn't work anymore under the military government.

This guy is clearly in it up to his ears.

But the problem is... he has money... maybe not legit money, but he has money and this is Thailand.

I think we can safely assume that 'not enough evidence' will surface for a conviction.

By the time this case comes to court, the Junta will be long gone and everything will be trusted back in the hands of the police, judges and lawyers.

But the problem is... he has money... maybe not legit money, but he has money and this is Thailand.

I think we can safely assume that 'not enough evidence' will surface for a conviction.

Lets see what happens to Yingluck first before before commenting about 'This is Thailand etc etc'

This guy is clearly in it up to his ears.

But the problem is... he has money... maybe not legit money, but he has money and this is Thailand.

I think we can safely assume that 'not enough evidence' will surface for a conviction.

By the time this case comes to court, the Junta will be long gone and everything will be trusted back in the hands of the police, judges and lawyers.

Unless, the military fast-track the proceedings

and wouldn't that be nice to see?

arrested under martial law that wont be a slow court case..i hope..

This is important. His arrest was identified as a "security issue". There have been statements for years that "insurgency" was being funded by those involved in cross-border smuggling, so that the chaos would make it difficult to get caught, and their activities could carry on uninterrupted. Probably safe to assume that since he denied two years ago that he had ever sponsored an insurgency group, that in fact he has been doing that all along.