Police from the Southern Border Operations Centre have arrested a suspect thought to have played a key role in an attack that killed three members of a bomb squad, one of whom was known for his heroic work dismantling explosives in the deep South.
Basree Kadeng, 28, a resident of Bacho district in Narathiwat, was arrested in a raid at a house near Siroros Hospital on Siroros road in Muang Yala municipality on Wednesday.
Basree is suspected to have been involved in orchestrating a bomb explosion in Narathiwat on Oct 28, which killed Pol Sub Lt Chaen Warongpaisith, deputy chief of the explosive ordnance disposal unit in Narathiwat, and two other members of his squad.
Pol Sub Lt Chaen, a 50-year-old resident of Narathiwat, had defused at least 200 explosives in the South, and was always one of the first in line to do the job, according to Isra News.
He received several awards including the Outstanding Police Officer Award from the Royal Thai Police in 2009 and the Good People of the Country Award from the Khon-Kon-Khon (Man Discovers Man) television programme in 2011.
The suspect was taken to the Ranger 41 special unit office in tambon Wang Phaya of Yala’s Raman district for questioning.