FOUR Myanmar nationals were arrested at a hotel near Suvarnabhumi Airport and ten drones seized after panic had spread when some of them were seen flying in the vicinity for two nights in a row (Dec. 21-22), Naewna newspaper said this afternoon (Dec. 23).
Acting on a tip-off that drones were flown from this hotel in Lat Krabang district a police team raided the room where the four Myanmar suspects were residing, namely Mr. Zwe Htet Aung, 32; Mr. Sa Nay Lin Htet, 24; Mr. Kyaw Zin Hein, 21; and Mr. Thein Zaw, 34. Also seized were 10 drones.
They had checked into this hotel on Sunday night with a man only named as Mr. David booking the room online for them.
Upon being questioned, the four suspects confessed that their leader, Mr. Kevin Cho, a Myanmar national, had told them to pick up the drones in Thailand and then transport them to Myanmar with a transport company truck having delivered them.
They were to be disassembled and packed in boxes with each one of them to carry two to three of them for delivery to their leader in Myanmar for resale to the junta.
The visas of all four Myanmar suspects have been revoked by the Commander of Immigration Division 1 and they are being held in custody for further interrogation. All the drones were handed over to investigators at Lat Krabang police station for examination.
Police are also awaiting the return of Mr. Ratchapol Porncheewachote, a resident of Nakhon Ratchasima province currently residing in Oman, who had told them that he was Kevin Cho’s friend as they had previously worked together and he had contacted him to buy drones in Thailand for him as the price is lower than the general market. He then purchased the drones from a company in Nonthaburi.
This company told police that Ratchapol had purchased drones from them two to three times, each time three to four units. Most recently he purchased 10 DJI FLYCart 30 drones, at around 500,000 baht each, totalling 7.5 million baht including tax.
As Ratchapol was unavailable to collect the drones he asked them to deliver them at this hotel which they did.
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Drones seized from four Myanmar suspects. Photos – Naewna
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