Thai Wants Malaysian Extradited Over Militant Links

By Mohd Haikal Mohd Isa BANGKOK, Feb 8 (Bernama) -- Thailand has asked Malaysia to extradite one of the six men detained last month in Kelantan for alleged links with a southern Thai militant group. Thai Army Chief Gen Chalermchai Sittisart who disclosed this to the media on Tuesday, said the man in question was a suspected member of the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN), the most influential group in southern Thailand. "I would like to confirm that one of the six men is a member of BRN. We have sent a request for the extradition, but I think the Malaysian authorities also want to conduct their investigations first," he told the media Tuesday. The investigations conducted by the Thai authorities on the man, not only revealed he was a BRN member but also showed he had committed a crime in southern Thailand, said Chalermchai. In pre-dawn raids at several locations on Jan 15 in Pasir Mas of Malaysia's east coast state Kelantan, the police nabbed the six men and seized suspected bomb-making materials, including wires and battery. Kelantan police chief, Dr Ab Rahman Ismail was quoted as saying, the police believed the case was linked to a national security threat and would conduct indepth investigations on the six men. Chalermchai said it was up to the Malaysian Government whether to fulfill Thailand's extradition request for the wanted man, but said the two neigbouring countries maintained good cooperation on security matters. "We have tried (requesting for extradition)," he said. The cooperation between the two neighbours, he added, included efforts to monitor any attempt by the suspected Daesh member to infiltrate into Malaysia or Thailand. Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwon said the head of Thailand's National Security Council had taken up the matter with his Malaysian counterpart. He said if the man in question had been involved in violent activities in Thailand, the authorities would request to participate in the interrogation process or request for his extradition. "If he has an arrest warrant in country, so it is necessary for us to request for his extradition to Thailand," he said. --BERNAMA