Thailand probes into missing oil-smuggling ships linked to police force
Thai authorities have launched a probe into a case involving three missing seized oil smuggling vessels after a leaked chat showed a connection between some police and oil smuggling gang, local media reported.
A marine police boat escorts three oil-smuggling ships which had gone missing to the Port of Songkhla early this week. (Photo: Bangkok Post)
Bangkok (VNA) – Thai authorities have launched a probe into a case involving three missing seized oil smuggling vess🦩els after a leaked chat showed a connection between some police and oil smuggli✤ng gang, local media reported.
The Thai Coast Guard stopped the three ships containing 330,000 litres of smuggled oil on March 19 and arrested 28 crew members, charging them with smuggling. The crew members were later released on bail for 3 million THB (nearly 82,000 USD).
On June 12, the ships disappeared with 15 crew members. The vessels were recaptured with eight crew members near the maritime border with Malaysia on June 17. Almost all the 330,000 litres of diesel oil had been siphoned off.
According to Pol Maj Gen Jaroonkiat Pankaew, Deputy Commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), an initial finding showed the vessels belonged to a network run by "Joe Namman Thue," also known as "Joe Pattani," a major oil smuggler in southern Thailand.
A Line chat was leaked to the media on June 19 which showed a conversation between marine police and Joe Pattani, said Jaroonkiat.
He went on to say that an initial finding showed the leaked chat between Joe Pattani and the police officer is genuine but the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) and the Anti-Corruption Division (ACD) need time to complete the investigation.
Jaroonkiat said that the case has sullied the reputation of the Royal Thai Police (RTP), adding that they will take decisive action against all those who did wrong, including police.
Pol Col Anek Taosuparb, deputy chief of the CSD, said that the eight crew members, who were on board the three ships when they were recaptured on June 17, have been flown to Bangkok to be interrogated at the CSD headquarters. An investigation is underway to determine whether they are linked to Joe Pattani, he added./.
The Thai Government on June 17 said that the country aims to create a workforce of 280,000 in advanced industries over the next five years, along with an ecosystem that supports new investments, to help the Southeast Asian country become a high-tech hub.
The Thai Ministry of Industry has put forward a five-point strategy to support domestic small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in adjusting to global industrial trends in the new era that focuses on using clean energy and having high-skilled labour.
The Thai cabinet has approved in principle a law stipulating that anyone found in possession of more than one methamphetamine tablet will be regarded as an offender and will not have the option of being sent to rehabilitation, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said on June 11.
The article stressed that throughout his revolutionary career, the founder of modern Vietnam consistently regarded the revolutionary press as a vital part of the Vietnamese Party’s and nation’s revolutionary struggle.
Pichai said the trade talks with the US are important and need to move forward professionally, without regard for any political changes in Thailand, believing that Thailand has clear principles, guidelines and procedures in place.
The tax adjustment supports the Malaysian Government’s strategy to reduce reliance on foreign food supply chains and to assist domestic farmers, a finance official has said.
The proposed venue is located in the Chatuchak area of Bangkok, featuring eight public sites, including Krungthep Aphiwat Central Terminal and several nearby parks.
Connectivity is expected to improve further with the completion of the fifth Laos–Thailand Friendship Bridge by the end of 2025, facilitating logistics and agricultural exports to Vietnam, Thailand, and China.
Two naval gunboats intercepted a fishing vessel carrying 1.5 tonnes of methamphetamine hydrochloride off the coast of the main island of Luzon just before dawn, in a joint operation with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
In the today context of socio-economic development and growth, the professionalism of Vietnam’s revolutionary journalists continues to rise, guided by exemplary mastery of new information technologies and the modernisation of their founding principles to preserve the enduring values of revolutionary journalism.
Thai Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce Vuttikrai Leewiraphan Thailand's formal proposal will be substantial enough for the US to consider further detailed negotiations. He hoped for a tariff rate not exceeding 10% and suggested that the US might extend the negotiation period if an agreement is not reached by the July 8 deadline.
Organised by the Ministry of Culture and the Association of Thai Silk & Culture Promotions, the event honors Her Majesty the Queen on her 47th birthday anniversary and promotes Thai craftsmanship on an international stage.
Prensa Latina's recent article on Vietnam’s assurance of smooth and effective transition to a leaner structure highlighted Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s latest directions on implementing 28 resolutions regarding the decentralisation and delegation of authority.
The lab focuses on four key thematic areas: energy transition and green innovation, sustainable agriculture, circular economy and sustainable cities, and nature-based solutions and biodiversity.
The key content of the document titled "Accelerating Innovative Strategies: Addressing the OOSCY Challenges" will be refined further in a seminar preceding the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur this October.
This follows Telegram’s serious failure to address the content that has been repeatedly reported to them, despite various efforts of negotiation and cooperation made by MCMC, it said.
Efforts to empower women must transcend dialogue and translate into concrete commitments, including corporate pledges and government partnerships, according to the spouse of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
The forum featured two in-depth discussion sessions, engaging representatives from governments, think tanks, and businesses from both ASEAN and China, on how to forge closer ties for a common future.
The new FIFA Hub in Jakarta will not only support football development in Indonesia but also serve as a coordination centre for 21 football associations across Southeast and East Asia.
Minister Counselor Nguyen Hoang Nguyen reaffirmed Vietnam’s principled and consistent stance on the Palestine issue, calling for an immediate and lasting ceasefire across the entire Gaza Strip.
PM Anwar Ibrahim affirmed the determination of Malaysia, as ASEAN Chair for 2025, to utilise all viable regional mechanisms of the bloc and work with partners to de-escalate violence and restore a peace process led by Myanmar.
Talking to the Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Vietnam’s Revolutionary Press Day (June 21, 1925–2025), Nikulina, who is also a veteran journalist of Russia’s Sputnik News, emphasised the vital role of mainstream journalism in defending the truth and maintaining public trust.
