POLICE detained four suspects after searching several houses in Phatthalung for a team of people who helped a prisoner on the run escape from Banthat mountain range where a big police team chased him for weeks but ended the operation late last week due to torrential rain, Naewna newspaper said.
While serving a 20 years and six months jail term for attempted murder since last year, Chaowalit Thongduang, aka Sia Paeng Nanode, escaped for Maharat Nakhon Si Thammarat Hospital on Oct. 22 after being taken there for dental treatment but afterwards admitted upon collapsing due to leg pains. Even though he was restrained to the bed and was wearing leg shackles he escaped that night.
A Central Investigation Bureau team supported by units from Crime Suppression Division, Region 9 investigation police and Phatthalung provincial police cordoned off several targeted houses in Tamode district, Phatthalung, and detained the four suspects with no further details revealed except that all four deny the charge of helping Sia Paeng Nanode escape from the mountains.
Police said the Phatthalung team had divided duties in helping Sia Paeng Nanode escape from the mountains after a shootout with police.
While searching the house of one of the four suspects, only identified as Mr. Suchet, police found a HK33 (5.56x45mm) assault rifle, five fully loaded magazines and 142 rounds of 5.56x45mm ammunition buried in the ground at the edge of a nearby forest.
The seized rifle and ammunition has been sent to Forensics Unit 9 to verify whether it was the firearm used to fire at police during the clash in the mountains.
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The assault rifle and ammunition found buried in the ground near the house of one of four men detained on a charge of helping Sia Paeng Nanode escape from Banthat mountain range. Photos: Thai Rath
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