Police chief says seized war weapons linked to Dhammakaya, red shirts

[webfact]

Police chief says seized war weapons linked to Dhammakaya, red shirts
By The Nation

 

National police chief Chakthip Chaijinda displays a cache of weapons seized from nine locations in the Central and Northeast regions at a press conference at the Royal Thai Police headquarters

 

BANGKOK: -- National police chief Pol Gen Chaktip Chaijinda insisted on Sunday that the seizure of military-grade firearms was linked to moves at Dhammakaya Temple and red-shirt networks.

 

Chaktip said more weapons are expected to be found hidden in unidentified shipping containers near Bangkok, even though further raids yesterday at several container yards found no firearms.

 

The police chief said Wutthipong is believed to be behind groups that have instigated mobs of supporters to oppose the government crackdown on Dhammakaya Temple.

 

He said they also had plans to assassinate national leaders, including Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and deputy premier Prawit Wongsuwan. They had also violated the lese majeste law through content on their radio programme.

 

Chaktip and other senior police put the firearms seized in the raid on Saturday on display. He was joined by several senior officers, including Pol Maj-General Sombat Milintajinda, the deputy chief of First Region Provincial Police.

 

Sombat said one of nine people now in custody was at Dhammakaya Temple when Wutthipong and others were moving to mobilise temple followers to oppose the government crackdown.

 

Police said there were also plans to assassinate national leaders based on a YouTube radio programme hosted by a person using the alias Sahai Ma Noi.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30309602

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-03-20

[webfact]

Police alleged Ko Tee’s gang plotted to assassinate government leaders

 

 

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha and Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan have been targeted for assassination by a group of men associated with leading red-shirt figure in Pathum Thani, Wuthipong Kotthammakul, alias Ko Tee, said Pol Maj-Gen Sombat Milinthachinda, deputy commissioner of First Region Provincial Police Bureau, at a press conference on Sunday.

 

The press conference was also attended by Pol Gen Chakthip Chaichinda, the national police chief, Pol Gen Srivara Rangsipromnakul, the national deputy police chief, and Department of Special Investigation director-general Pol Col Paisit Wongmuang.

 

War weapons seized from Ko Tee’s company in Pathum Thani a day earlier were shown at the conference. They include four M16 assault rifles, one M79 grenade launcher, one M2 carbine, one shotgun and five different types of guns together with about 5,000 rounds of ammunition. Three red-shirt flags were also seized.

 

Nine suspects were held in military custody for questioning. Their identities were not disclosed.

 

Pol Gen Chakthip told the press conference that the raid of Ko Tee’s company in Pathum Thani and search of a container yard in Samut Prakan followed an intelligence report that elements linked to Ko Tee were storing up illegal arms to stage violent incidents during the siege of Wat Dhammakaya early March.

 

Full story: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/police-alleged-ko-tees-gang-plotted-assassinate-government-leaders/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2017-03-20

[webfact]

Ko Tee claims he was framed

 

 

BANGKOK: -- Ko Tee denied that the war weapons seized from his company in Pathum Thani did not belong to him, saying that he would have used them to stage attacks long time ago.

 

Speaking via YouTube, Wutthipong Kotchammakhun or Ko Tee, claimed that he was framed up by the police, saying that, while he was still in Thailand, he had always slept at his community radio station and rarely slept at home or his company in Klong Luang district of Pathum Thani.

 

He said he had left the country for almost three years and didn’t understand why he was still subjected to injustice and false charges.

 

Full story: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/ko-tee-claims-framed/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2017-03-20

[webfact]

Fugitive red-shirt claims govt set up weapons raid 
By The Nation 

 

National police chief Chakthip Chaijinda displays a cache of weapons seized from nine locations in the Central and Northeast regions at a press conference at the Royal Thai Police headquarters yesterday.

 

Police chief says ‘Ko Tee’ sought to mobilise masses, planned violence and assassinations

 

BANGKOK: -- Fugitive red-shirt leader Wutthipong Kachathamkhun, alias Ko Tee, whose house was raided for weapons on Saturday, has defended himself through a YouTube-based radio programme suggesting that the raid was a government set-up.

 

However, government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd denied this. 

 

And national police chief Pol General Chaktip Chaijinda insisted yesterday that the seizure of military-grade firearms was linked to moves at Dhammakaya Temple and red-shirt networks. 

 

Chaktip said more weapons are expected to be found hidden in unidentified shipping containers near Bangkok, even though further raids yesterday at several container yards found no firearms.

 

The police chief said Wutthipong is believed to be behind groups that have instigated mobs of supporters to oppose the government crackdown on Dhammakaya Temple.

 

He said they also had plans to assassinate national leaders, including Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and deputy premier Prawit Wongsuwan. They had also violated the lese majeste law through content on their radio programme.

 

Chaktip and other senior police put the firearms seized in the raid on Saturday on display yesterday. He was joined by several senior officers, including Pol Maj-General Sombat Milintajinda, the deputy chief of First Region Provincial Police.

 

Sombat said one of nine people now in custody was at Dhammakaya Temple when Wutthipong and others were moving to mobilise temple followers to oppose the government crackdown.

 

Police said there were also plans to assassinate national leaders based on a YouTube radio programme hosted by a person using the alias Sahai Ma Noi.

 

Container yards searched

 

In the raid on Saturday, police seized four M-16 rifles, one M79 grenade launcher, and 13 guns, plus 5,000 rounds of ammunition, three red-shirt banners and other material deemed to violate the lese majeste law. 

 

However, Wutthipong denied the government’s allegations, saying in his YouTube radio programme titled “Fight for the Federation” that the raid was arranged by authorities.

 

The house in Pathum Thani that was raided was once occupied by Wutthipong. Authorities arrested Thirachai Udonwichian, 55, from Samut Prakan, at the premises.

 

The police operation continued yesterday with searches at container yards in Samut Prakan province. 

 

Soldiers and police sifted through around 3,000 shipping containers as they attempted to find a specific container identified by shipping documents as stored in one of the yards since 2014. However, authorities found no more weapons yesterday.

 

Maj-General Piyapong Klinphan, spokesman of National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), said the raid on a house formerly occupied by the red-shirt leader should not affect ongoing reconciliation efforts, as it was part of the government’s policy to maintain law and order.

 

Police said the latest raids stem from intelligence suggesting that Wutthipong and accomplices have amassed weapons to prepare for violence and planned to fight authorities if the Dhammakaya Temple complex was seized.

 

Meanwhile, Wutthipong has been using social media to criticise the government’s performance and the NCPO’s work while urging Dhammakaya followers to oppose authorities.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30309614

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-03-20

[Thaiwrath]

Mmm, I've heard of police planting a small amount of drugs on somebody to frame them, but this is just going to the extreme !

[Raymonddiaz]

we should believe the government because they never lied before.

[beautifulthailand99]

I was going to write something and then I realised where I was - so I didn't - the world (here) gets smaller every day.

 

[sharecropper]

A weapons cache after so long? Hmm.

 

But when you read about the absurd assassination "plot", you realise this is almost certainly a set-up.

Edited March 19, 2017 by sharecropper

[candide]

"Police said there were also plans to assassinate national leaders based on a YouTube radio programme hosted by a person using the alias Sahai Ma Noi"

 

This damned subversive YouTube!

This is becoming more and more  ridiculous..... 

[Somtamnication]

Game changer if true. 

[Thechook]

Those damn red shirts again, better draw up another roadmap and put the election off until all red shirts are eliminated. Oh no wait can't wipe them out prayuth needs them and needs to keep them in the news to justify the coup and why an election will never happen.

[kannot]

People  just making  merit at the temple gave them to the Monkhood....should be Monkeyhood  really. easily "explained"

[z42]

The stuff the illegal government has been coming up with recently is becoming more and more pathetic and desperate. And the fact they've just made a whole new set of large and powerful enemies in the Dhammakaya cult I feel will seriously bite them when it all comes crashing down, and it will.
I give it a year til the government loses complete control and is forced with mass protests, the genie is out of the bottle and the attempts to demonize its perceived threats even more appear to be amateurish at best and very far from credible, more people than in the past are wise to the very blatant and ridiculous lies being spouted.

Ko Tee for the record is a complete crook, and there are smarter ways they could have taken him down. This very obvious set up will actually just garner support for his cause I suspect

[darksidedog]

I find the assassination line a little hard to believe, especially given it coming after the weapons were allegedly found.

What evidence do they have to link the guns to such a suggestion?

Was there a note with the weapons saying, "These to be used on PM assassination only?"

[edwinchester]

I am absolutely no fan of Ko Tee but he has been on the Govt most wanted list for 3 years now......and they only just organised a search of his house.....which turns up a huge arsenal of weapons?

[harada]

Definitely red shirt weaponry, you can tell by the tablecloth, no t shirts and hats this time ?

[Wilsonandson]

Ko Tee denied that the war weapons seized from his company in Pathum Thani did not belong to him, saying that he would have used them to stage attacks long time ago.

"They are not my weapons and if they were I would have used them already"

So maybe they were other red shirt weapons being stored at Ko tee's house without him knowing because he was out of the country. A safe house, stocked with weapons ready for the revolution.

I hope there's no violence when the trial of Yingluck finishes.

[mtls2005]

Well this is certainly "convenient": timing, ties in both red-shirts and Dhammakaya.

 

Classic ISOC/junta response; they may be feeling the pressure.

[steven100]

Those pesky red shirts are up to no good ....   always making trouble.

 

Go after them Khun Prayuth and lock the damn lot up.  They just want violence ...

[Colabamumbai]

3 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

Mmm, I've heard of police planting a small amount of drugs on somebody to frame them, but this is just going to the extreme !

There is no extreme in Thailand.

[AGareth2]

"He said they also had plans to assassinate national leaders, including Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and deputy premier Prawit Wongsuwan. They had also violated the lese majeste law through content on their radio programme."

He is not a TV member by any chance?

[alfalfa19]

Some of them with quality suppressors, to boot

[phutoie2]

Looking at the extensive TV coverage this morning, some very sophisticated bits of kit on display, more likely coming from an Army barracks. RTP have not thought this through at all. 

[hansnl]

3 hours ago, Raymonddiaz said:

we should believe the government because they never lied before.

Maybe we should believe the others?

Lies are most certainly never uttered by them, nor threats, nor accusations.

 

[phitsanulokjohn]

Dunno what to believe.All involved have the ability to bend things better than Yuri Geller.

[derator01]

Please be careful with your posts.  Several have been removed.

 

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878797-updated-notice-to-members-posting-in-thailand-news/

 

Quote

 

Thailand remains under the close watch of the Thai military and the rules related to Social Media and posting on Thaivisa will follow the guidelines set forth by the government and the military. Here are some things that you should consider when posting:

All suspects in lese majeste cases, national security cases, violators of NCPO orders will face court martial. In the past, discussion of the lese majeste law has been allowed, but due to increased scrutiny by the government this will no longer be permitted on Thaivisa.

Any discussion of the Monarchy or members of the royal family in a political context will result in a ban. This includes vague comments that could be construed as referring to the Monarchy.

Please use discretion in your references to the government. Phrases which can be considered as anti-coup will be removed. Referring to Thailand or the government as a dictatorship, military dictatorship or other such terms will be removed. Any posts which can be construed as rumor mongering are not allowed.

Posters violating these rules and the forum rules will receive a warning, a possible suspension of posting privileges or a ban from the site.

Please check the entire list of forum rules: http://www.thaivisa....tion=boardrules

 

 

[mtls2005]

16 minutes ago, phutoie2 said:

Looking at the extensive TV coverage this morning, some very sophisticated bits of kit on display, more likely coming from an Army barracks. RTP have not thought this through at all. 

 

Huge quantities of weapons and ammunition often "go missing" from Army depots. There was a large scale "loss" recently, but I can't find the story in a quick search.

 

Maybe these just "fall off the truck"?

 

I think that they may be sold to supplement income, but I'm sure the tax man is hot on this case?

 

 

 

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/aec/30195203

 

 

[Emster23]

Hey, if the police chief says it's true, then it's true. We should not doubt those who serve and protect. I think this may be international in scope, I hear there is a branch of Ko Tee in Dallas. Goes by name Ko Tex. You could look it up.

[IamNoone88]

Reinforces just how dangerous and unstable the land of smiles is under the surface.

[mtls2005]

Junta alarmed at arms build-up in the provinces; expect actions to coincide with Songkhran.

 

Bloody red-shirts.