3-6-2024 (JAKARTA) In a bid to apprehend the elusive drug kingpin Fredy Pratama, the Indonesian National Police (Polri) are actively seeking cooperation from Thai authorities, following the recent capture of a high-profile Thai fugitive in Bali.
The development comes in the wake of the successful arrest of Chaowalit Thongduang, a wanted criminal from Thailand, who was apprehended in Badung, Bali, last Thursday. According to a statement released by Polri yesterday, the Indonesian authorities are proposing a strategic trade-off – offering Chaowalit’s extradition in exchange for Thailand’s assistance in capturing the notorious Fredy Pratama, who remains at large in the jungles of the neighboring country.
Brigadier-General Mukhti Juharsa, head of the Narcotics Division, underscored the significance of this proposed exchange, stating, “There’s a favor, there’s a return; we ask Thailand to also capture Fredy.” Fredy Pratama, a major drug lord, is currently on Indonesia’s most wanted list, making his apprehension a top priority for the country’s law enforcement agencies.
Juharsa further revealed that Chaowalit’s extradition to Thailand is scheduled for Tuesday, highlighting the cooperative efforts between the two nations in combating transnational crime.
Commissioner Wahyu Widada, head of the Criminal Investigation Agency, expressed satisfaction with the capture of Chaowalit, also known as Sia Paeng Nanod, noting that it has been positively received by both the Thai government and its police force.
According to authorities, Chaowalit entered Indonesia from Thailand via a speedboat on December 8, 2023, completing the arduous 17-hour journey. While in Indonesia, he assumed a false identity as an Indonesian citizen from East Aceh named Sulaiman, aided by a local resident who is also being pursued by law enforcement.
Chaowalit’s movements within Indonesia were meticulously tracked, with reports indicating that he visited Medan and stayed at various hotels and apartments before his eventual arrest in Bali, where he was reportedly on vacation.
The 37-year-old Chaowalit has a notorious criminal history, having been convicted for the attempted murder of a police officer and involvement in a series of kidnapping attempts in Phatthalung province, Thailand, in September 2019. He was sentenced to 20 years and six months in prison by the Phatthalung court in January 2022 and was subsequently transferred to a prison in Nakhon Si Thammarat province on August 7, 2023.
However, Chaowalit’s daring escape from custody on October 20, 2023, while receiving dental treatment at Maharat Hospital, sparked a massive manhunt. Despite being shackled to a hospital bed under the supervision of two prison guards, he managed to evade capture, prompting the deployment of police and military personnel to locate him. The prison director-general even offered a substantial reward of 100,000 baht for information leading to his whereabouts.
