An alleged member of a gang of gunmen for hire was arrested on Sunday morning in the southern province of Phatthalung in a police crackdown on suspected criminals in the lead-up to the May 14 election, Crime Suppression Sub-division 6 commander Pol Col Pongpanot Chukaew said.
Akradej Numark, alias Tia Carbine, 35, was arrested by Crime Suppression Division (CSD) police at a house in tambon Na Not of Muang district with a warrant issued by the Trang Provincial Court on charge of premeditated murder.
The arrest followed an incident on Feb 8 when a group of armed men shot Sukhawit Janthawong, 35, to death in front of his eight-year-old daughter at a house at Moo 5 village in tambon Laem Som in Trang's Palian district.
A police investigation found the armed men were members of a gang of gunmen for hire called Carbine operating in Phatthalung and Trang provinces. In a family feud, the gang was hired to kill Sukhawit.
With evidence collected by police, the Trang Provincial Court approved warrants for the arrests of suspected gang members and the man who hired them. A CSD crackdown operation was launched on April 25. Several suspects had been arrested, with Mr Akradej being apprehended on Sunday.
Mr Akradej denied the charge. He was handed over to Ban Nong Euang police station in Trang province for legal proceedings.
