POLICE WILL seek arrest warrants for at least five people including politicians suspected of involvement in the production and distribution of “distorted” draft constitution content in Chiang Mai.

Deputy national police chief Pol General Sriwara Rangsibhramanakul yesterday said the Provincial Police Region 5, which covers the northern provinces, has discovered an unnamed “old political clique” has been active ahead of the August 7 referendum on the draft constitution.

“They [police] have collected evidence to seek court permission to issue arrest warrants for five people,” he said.

Sriwara was speaking at a press conference at the Provincial Police Region 1 headquarters on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road in Bangkok, where he met with senior police officers to discuss preparations for the national vote.

Chiang Mai police chief Pol Maj-General Montri Sambunnanont said police know the identities of the five suspects and are gathering evidence to support their request for arrest warrants.

“We believe there are at least five people in the initial batch,” he said, adding that police have forensic evidence to back their accusation against the suspects.

“The initial evidence links some well-known local politicians and a famous family [to alleged wrongdoing],” the Chiang Mai police chief said, without elaborating.

On Saturday, hundreds of police and military officers conducted searches of 10 locations in Chiang Mai, including the Chang Phuak municipal office and a company owned by the family of Chiang Mai‘s Provincial Administrative Organisation chief executive Boonlert Buranupakorn.

A number of letters with allegedly distorted content of the draft charter were found at the company and the municipal office. Police also confiscated clothes that looked similar to those worn by a man seen on security camera footage putting copies of the letter in postal boxes in the northern city.

Another search was conducted yesterday at the same municipal office in Chiang Mai and police confiscated a computer and a motorcycle suspected of being used in the alleged wrongdoing. They also found evidence linked to the letters, police said.

Chiang Mai Governor Pawin Chamniprasart said a fact-finding committee had been set up to investigate a suspected link between the letters and local administrators.

However, he added that a further investigation is needed to determine whether Boonlert is involved in the matter. The governor said Boonlert has been on leave since July 11 and left the country last Wednesday. “There is no evidence yet to link him to any wrongdoing,” he added.

An estimated 100,000 police officers will be deployed to ensure the referendum is carried out smoothly, Royal Thai Police deputy spokesman Pol Maj-General Piyapan Pingmuang said.

He added that National police Chief Pol General Chakthip Chaichinda has instructed police across the country to step up security and urged the Election Commission to deploy more officials to prevent illegal activities at provincial and district levels.

Meanwhile, police are investigating seven cases related to the destruction of lists of eligible referendum voters in Bangkok, Kanchanaburi, Khon Kaen, Satun, Supan Buri, Rayong and Phichit, Piyapan said, adding that most of the cases were caused by accidents or human error.

At least four cases involved children and none are linked to politics, he said.

Election Commission deputy secretary-general Thanit Sriprathet said vandalism of eligible voter lists was not uncommon during the run-up to any vote and ongoing cases have not been linked to political motivations. “It happens all the time, either naturally or deliberately.

“In some cases, ballots have been blown away by the wind or soaked by rain. Other times, kids are being kids and play around with the lists resulting in damage,” Thanit said. “But now it’s just that the situation is intense with all the ‘vote yes’ and ‘vote no’ campaigns. So, everyone is a little too anxious.”

Police are investigating the cases following procedures regardless of the age of violators, he said.

Chakthip said that a new list of 306 eligible voters had been posted at Had Moon Krabue Temple in Tambon Yan Yao in Phichit’s Muang district, after the previous list displayed in the temple hall was destroyed by more than 10 monkeys.

Phichit Election Office director Prayoon Chakpattarakul said the Phichit Provincial Election Commission put the 19-page eligible voter list on a board following the incident.