14-6-2024 (BANGKOK) As a swirling controversy engulfs the mysterious disappearance of three confiscated illegal oil tankers from the Sattahip Marine Police pier, the notorious history of Sahachai Jiansermsin, a key figure in the southern unrest and the region’s grey market, has come under renewed scrutiny.
The tankers, containing more than 300,000 litres of oil, vanished amid whispers of millions of baht exchanging hands, reigniting concerns about the deep-rooted networks involved in the illicit oil trade. In the wake of the incident, five police officers have been transferred to inactive posts, while 18 crewmen remain implicated.
The moniker “Joe Pattani,” as revealed by the Isra News Agency, refers to Sahachai Jiansermsin himself, a prominent businessman in Thailand’s southern provinces. According to reports, Sahachai’s empire originated from humble beginnings in the fishing industry before expanding into the timber trade and currency exchange. However, his ventures soon ventured into murkier territories, with allegations of involvement in oil smuggling and the region’s long-standing unrest.
Sahachai’s dance with the law dates back to October 17, 2012, when authorities raided his home and the premises of his Shasapthavee Timber Trading company in Pattani. Substantial cash and items believed to be linked to illegal activities were seized, though Sahachai vehemently denied any wrongdoing or support for insurgent groups in the region.
The saga continued on October 6, 2013, when an employee of Sahachai’s Sahasap International Limited reported the alleged robbery of a boat transporting money off the coast of Pattani. Seven of the eight crew members were purportedly killed, and nearly 120 million baht in cash was allegedly stolen, leading to arrests and outstanding warrants.
Sahachai’s legal woes intensified on June 17, 2014, when the anti-insurgency task force detained him on security-related charges after searching his timber trading premises. While granted temporary release a month later, authorities continued to tighten the noose, seizing vast sums of cash and gold bars from his company’s premises in August of the same year.
In a bizarre twist, Sahachai disappeared on October 9, 2014, while awaiting a Supreme Court verdict on an underground lottery case, prompting allegations of a police officer facilitating his escape. Despite rumours of his return to Pattani in subsequent years, his arrest warrants remained largely unresolved, with only those related to his escape and the lottery case reaching the courts.
Yet, despite the litany of charges against him, including customs violations, document forgery, illegal lottery operations, and oil smuggling, Sahachai continued to evade justice, with most cases still under investigation.
The saga took another unexpected turn on November 4, 2021, when Sahachai was apprehended by the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) in Bangkok for alleged money laundering linked to the illegal oil trade. However, just two days later, the case was dismissed, and Sahachai was released, only to reportedly escape once again.
