POLICE ARE seeking arrest warrants for red-shirt leader Wuttipong “Ko Tee” Kottham-makhun and five others for possessing military weapons and criminal association.

Deputy national police chief Pol General Srivara Ransibhramanakul said yesterday that the Crime Suppression Division was gathering evidence to convince the Criminal Court to issue arrest warrants for the six people.

He said police had discovered connections between the suspects and the large cache of weapons allegedly discovered on Saturday during the search of a building linked to Wuttipong in Pathum Thani.

“I am not saying they are red shirts. But they are from the Red Radio group,” Srivara said, referring to a community radio station called “Red Guards Radio” that was run by Wuttipong and his team.

Police investigators have found evidence that the group planned to assassinate Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, according to Srivara.

He added that Wuttipong’s group also intended to attack “the opposite side” during last month’s siege of Dhammakaya Temple in Pathum Thani, when authorities attempted to arrest its former abbot Phra Dhammachayo, who is wanted for alleged money laundering and accepting stolen assets among other charges.

Self-exile

“The attorney-general has requested Wuttipong’s extradition. I believe we will get him back for prosecution,” Srivara said.

At Government House, Prayut told reporters that government-to-government cooperation between Thailand and Laos has been “constantly good” in regards to Wuttipong, who has reportedly been living in self-exile in the neighbouring country since the 2014 coup.

But Prayut was not specific as to whether that cooperation would result in Wuttipong’s extradition. “That will need time to proceed,” he said.

Justice Minister Suwaphan Tanyuvardhana, commenting on the possibility of Lao authorities extraditing Wuttipong to Thailand, said yesterday that the matter would be overseen by relevant security agencies.

Suwaphan said the case involving the weapons cache was linked to the red-shirt leader and would be transferred to the Department of Special Investigation (DSI).

But the security team conducting raids would continue to search for weapons, he said.

The police investigation into the case would be handed over to a special DSI unit for two reasons, Suwaphan said, adding that one reason was that the weapons found at the Pathum Thani company included an M-16 assault rifle belonging to the Army that was stolen during the 2010 political unrest.

“The case is also related to terrorism,” he said.