Six more Thai fishermen nabbed in murder case of Indonesian navy officers

SONGKHLA, THAILAND, April 4 (TNA) - Six more Thai fishermen have been arrested on charges related to last month's murder of two Indonesian navy officers, bringing those arrested to nine. Assistant National Police Chief Police Lieutenant General Chakthip Chaichinda told a press conference of the new arrests, held at Hat Yai police station in Songkhla Province in the Thai South on Friday. According to the assistant national police chief, four of the six arrested fishermen confessed they involved in the murder at the order of the Thai fishing vessel Sor Nattaya 7’s captain, named Opas Charoenpon, without knowing that the two victims were Indonesian navy officers, while the two others insisted they did not take part in the murder. The assistant national police chief noted, however, that the two others would also be prosecuted on charge of illegal entry into the Indonesian waters. Earlier, Thai authorities apprehended three fishermen of Sor Nattaya 7 on March 25 and 26 and the assistant national police chief vowed that Thai police will continue hunting for the owner of the Thai fishing vessel and expect the suspect will be nabbed soon. The Acting Indonesian Consul in Songkhla, meanwhile, expressed satisfaction with the Thai authorities' performances in the case. The Acting Indonesian Consul stated that talks will be later organised on allowing Thai fishermen to re-enter the Indonesian waters for fishing. The killing of the two Indonesian navy officers took place on March 9 while the Thai fishing vessel was sailing in Indonesian waters, leading to Indonesia's ban Thai trawlers from fishing in its waters subsequently. (TNA)