An arrest warrant has been issued for anti-coup activist Jakrapob Penkair for alleged possession of war weapons, police said on Saturday.
The weapons charge makes it possible for authorities to seek the extradition of Mr Jakrapob from any country with which Thailand has a criminal extradition treaty. The other charges against him of lese majeste and failing to report to coup authorities are not extraditable offences.
Political dissident Jakrapob Penkair discusses the future of Thai politics at the Foreign Correspondents' Club in Hong Kong on June 26. (AFP Photo)
The Bangkok military court on Friday approved a police request for the warrant for the co-founder of the anti-coup Organisation of Free Thais for Human Rights and Democracy (FT-HD), said Somyot Pumpunmuang, the deputy national police chief. Three associates of Mr Jakrapob were also named in the warrant.
A police taskforce is investigating recent discoveries and seizures of war weapons and arms caches in Bangkok and other provinces to identify who supplied them. Pol Gen Somyot did not elaborate on Mr Jakrapob's case or his alleged links to the seized weapons.
Mr Jakrapob lives in exile and his exact whereabouts are unknown. He already faces two warrants for lese majeste and failing to report to the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO).
Pol Gen Somyot said Thai authorities could now ask any country that is hosting Mr Jakrapob and has an agreement on criminal extradition with Thailand to arrest and hand him over for prosecution.
Mr Jakrapob reportedly was in Cambodia when he announced the formation of FT-HD last week.
He was in Hong Kong on Thursday when he spoke on the future of Thai politics at the Foreign Correspondents' Club. At the event, he announced that his anti-coup movement would set up an official base in a Western country by next month.