The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) has initiated the establishment of a committee to probe the mysterious disappearance of three vessels, reportedly loaded with approximately 330,000 liters of smuggled oil, from the pier of the marine police in Sattahip district of Chon Buri.
These vessels, belonging to a prominent oil smuggler in southern Thailand known as “Jo Pattani,” were seized by officers from the Economic Crime Division in March, along with their crews. Since March 17th, the vessels had been docked at the pier in Sattahip.
According to a report from the Sattahip marine police, officers responsible for the confiscated vessels permitted their captains to relocate them away from the pier and anchor them in the sea, approximately 100 meters from the shore, due to concerns about potential storm damage, following a storm that struck the district on Tuesday night.
Initially, lights were illuminated on the vessels to maintain visibility from the shore. However, around 10 pm, these lights were unexpectedly extinguished. It wasn’t until Wednesday morning that marine police realized all three vessels had vanished.
In response, an extensive air and sea search operation was launched yesterday, spanning Chon Buri, Rayong, Chanthaburi, and Trat provinces. Despite these efforts, the vessels remained elusive and are suspected to have sought refuge in Cambodia.
Pol Maj-Gen Charoonkiat Pankaew, the CIB’s deputy commissioner, is slated to visit the Sattahip marine police pier today to personally supervise the investigation.
