Thai Police to file more charges against the five-man aircrew of the aircraft

Thai police on Tuesday inspected arms impounded from a Kazakhstan-registered aircraft at Don Mueang airport and expect to file more charges on possession of illegal explosive devices against the five-man crew.

Over 100 police on Tuesday went to Takhli airbase at Nakhon Sawan, 230 kilometres north of Bangkok, to inspect 145 crates of arms, weigh nearly 40 tonnes worth about US$18 million seized at Don Mueang on Saturday.

The biggest weapons seized on a Soviet made cargo plane detained at Don Mueang airport on Saturday are new, ready-to-use weapons include explosives, rocket-propelled grenades, components for surface-to-air missiles, two mobile units - and two dozen 240mm unguided rockets and other armaments and that all are military weapons, not used before.

No nuclear munitions or weapons of mass destruction were found on board, the sources added.

The weapons were unloaded from the Il-76 Soviet made aircraft and transported to Takhli Air Force base in Nakhon Sawan province under tight security.

The rocket launchers were identified as an M-1985 model manufactured by North Korea although based on Soviet-era technology.

Specialists will inspect the weaponry to determine their source, which may not be North Korea as all markings appearing on them are in English.

The weaponry will remain at the Thai Air Force base in Nakhon Sawan, awaiting orders from the court whether to destroy them or retain them as exhibits. He said the air force base in Nakhon Sawan has Thailand’s most secure arms depot.

Meanwhile, the Thai attorney general has not yet appointed a prosecutor to co-investigate the case, said Deputy Attorney-General Thaworn Phanichphan. The case is awaiting investigation and evidence to determine how much the case involves other countries.

Initially the Thai authorities followed the country’s justice procedures to file charges against the crew. If they also commit crime in another country, they can be extradited on a request of that country, said Sirisak Thiyapan Sirisak Tiyaphan, director-general of the office of Attorney-General's international affairs department.

Acting government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn who said the National Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council said there is no reward for the seizure of the weapons and the arrest of the crew.

Thailand may ask the United Nations (UN) to send specialists to inspect the weapons and report back to the world body. If the weapons are to be destroyed, Thailand may ask for budget assistance from international agencies.

The five-man crew -- four from Kazakhstan and one from Belarus -- were denied bail and are detained in Bangkok Special Prison by the Attorney-General's international affairs department.

- Asian Tribune -