Indonesian and Thai authorities team up to hunt fugitive drug lord Fredy Pratama

JAKARTA: The Indonesian National Police (Polri) have revealed that their Thai counterparts are currently conducting a large-scale operation to capture Indonesian drug lord Fredy Pratama, who is believed to be hiding in the forests of Thailand.

The initiative highlights the commitment of the Royal Thai Police, as Polri recently extradited Thailand's top fugitive, Chaowalit Thongduang, who was arrested on the holiday island of Bali on May 30.

According to Polri's international relations division, both sides have been in intensive communication to track down Fredy, suspected to be hiding along the Thailand-Myanmar border.

"They will carry out a significant operation against our fugitive, whom we have long sought to repatriate and apprehend," its head Inspector General Krishna Murti stated in a statement on Tuesday.

"Hopefully, our collaboration in repatriating this Thai fugitive will yield results."

Krishna noted that 10 of his personnel who guarded Chaowalit's return to Thailand will also work with Thai authorities to pursue Fredy, who has been on Indonesia's Most Wanted list since 2014 and has an extensive network in Indonesia.

Meanwhile, Chaowalit, aged 37, was deported to Thailand from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten, at 3 pm local time on Tuesday through police-to-police cooperation mechanisms, utilising immigration violation instruments.

He was captured after seven months on the run, following his conviction for the attempted murder of a police officer and involvement in kidnapping attempts in Thailand's Phatthalung province in September 2019.

-- BERNAMA