Four members of a gang accused of kidnap were arrested in the South and the Northeast in an operation led by the Crime Suppression Division’s (CSD) special weapons and tactics unit yesterday.
The operation began at 6am yesterday, when 80 members of the Hanuman taskforce were deployed to raid eight targets — three in Yala, four in Narathiwat and one in Khon Kaen.
The raids followed an incident on Sept 5 last year, when a group of armed men abducted a man from a house in Narathiwat’s Rangae district. The victim was held hostage in a house where he was beaten up, leading to a broken rib.
The group called his relatives, demanding 500,000 baht for his release. They threatened to cut off the victim’s ears or torture him if their demand was not met.
The relatives agreed to pay 300,000 baht, saying the rest would be paid later, and the kidnappers agreed. After taking the money from a spot in Sungai Kolok, the victim was released at a location where he was later picked up by his relatives.
Afterwards, the kidnappers kept calling the relatives, demanding the rest of the ransom. Out of fear for their safety, the relatives paid them 100,000 baht, but the kidnappers kept harassing them.
The victim’s relatives then decided to file a complaint with police in Rangae district and later with the CSD.
The CSD learned the gang consists of mostly former rangers, defence volunteers and insurgents. Warrants were issued for the arrests of five suspects. Two were identified as Abdulroning Salae, 39, and Andi Mama, 33.
Mr Abdulroning was arrested at his house in Yala, while Mr Andi was caught at his house in Narathiwat’s Sungai Kolok district. In Khon Kaen, CSD police also arrested another suspect, not yet identified.