YALA: The provincial court has given long prison sentences to one of the leaders and other members of a militant group held responsible for widespread violence in the southernmost provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat.
An Internal Security Operations Command source on Wednesday said that Muelee Hama, a leader of the PuloG5 militant group and eight of his associates were arrested in Yala’s Raman district on July 8.
Authorities at the time also seized pentolite, sodium chlorate and potassium nitrate compounds, used in making improvised explosives, a rocket-propelled grenade, 20 rocket pipelines, more than 50 detonators, 12 illegal telecommunication devices and more than 400 items used in making bombs.
PuloG5 was funded by two fugitives who live in Sweden, the source said. The group led by Muelee reportedly learnt how to assemble bombs in a neighbouring country.
The Office of the Attorney General arraigned them on charges including collusion in gathering weapons and assets for training insurgents, illegal activities, the export, distribution and transfer of explosive objects, and possession of illegal telecommunication devices.
At the court hearing on Nov 25, Muelee and most of his co-defendants were each sentenced to 35 years and six months in prinson and fined 5,000 baht. One of the defendants, Waearyu Waetayeh, was sentenced to 37 years and six months in jail and ordered to pay a fine of 205,000 baht, due to an additional charge of possessing methamphetamine.
Because they confessed, the sentences were commuted to 17 years and nine months in prison and a fine of 2,500 baht. Waearyu’s sentences were also reduced, to 18 years and nine months in prison and a fine of 102,500 baht.
The seized items were kept at the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission, the source said.
- Man shot, truck torched -
Pol Col Sayootee Kateh, superintendent of Bannang Sata police, said on Wednesday that a woman reported that her 36-year-old husband had been shot by two men in tambon Bacho in Yala's Bannang Sata district and died in hospital.
Police found the deceased’s pickup truck about 2 kilometres from where he was shot. It had been set on fire.
Police said the victim had been involved with a drug gang. The investigation was continuing.
