Thai Authorities Waiting For M'sian 'Green Light' To Interrogate Suspect

BANGKOK, Feb 14 (Bernama) -- The authorities are waiting for the go-ahead from their Malaysian counterparts to interrogate a man who was arrested last week in Kelantan, according to the Office of Narcotics Control Board (ONCB). ONCB secretary-general Sirinya Sitdhichai said the man who possessed a dual Thai and Malaysian citizenship was suspected to be a 'top lieutenant' of a drug lord in southern Thailand. As there was an arrest warrant for the suspect in Thailand, the Thai authorities needed Malaysia's permission to interrogate him to learn more about his drug network in Thailand, he told Bernama recently. The suspect is also alleged to have links with a Laotian dubbed the 'ASEAN Drug Lord', who was detained by the Thai authorities on Jan 19. Last week, the Thai authorities announced the arrest of the suspect by Malaysian police in Kelantan. Following the suspect's arrest in Kelantan, Thai authorities conducted a follow-up operation where they seized money in Thai and Malaysian currencies amounting to 68 million Baht (US$1.9 million) in Hatyai and Sungai Golok. A woman and a man were nabbed in that operation. The seized money was derived from a drug trade operated by the woman's husband who is currently languishing in a Malaysian jail for drug smuggling offences, following the latter's arrest three years ago. Her husband was detained in Kelantan while trying to smuggle 70,000 psychotropic pills (pil kuda). -- BERNAMA