ID :
106334
Fri, 02/12/2010 - 19:17
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/106334
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Correction-Thailand deports five North Korea arms aircrew
BANGKOK, Feb 12 (TNA) - The five-man crew of the aircraft carrying weapons from North Korea to Ukraine via Sri Lanka have been deported to their home countries on Friday after Thailand's Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) dropped all charges against them on Thursday.
The crew—pilot Mikhail Petukjou, 54 from Belarus and Alexandr Zrybnev, 53, Viktor Abdullayev, 58, Vitaliy Shumkov, 54, and Ilyas Issakov, 53, all from Kazakhstan—have been deported to their respective countries.
All of them were taken from the Bangkok Remand Prison to the Immigration Bureau pending for deportation procedures.
Their passports had been stamped "persona non grata" showing that they could endanger the country's security.
They were then transfered to Suvarnabhumi Airport and departed Thailand via Kazakhstan's Air Astana at 5.45 pm.
The Thai Immigration officials accompanied them on the flight to Astana to hand over the crew to Kazakhstani and Belarussian officials as requested by the two countries.
OAG Special Cases Division director-general Thanapit Moonlapruek on Thursday said the agency dropped all charges against the crew as prosecuting them was not in Thailand's national interest, and would negatively affect the good relations existing between Thailand, Belarus and Kazakhstan.
He said the OAG concluded that the arms found in the plane were not intended for use in Thailand as they had landed in Bangkok only to refuel before continuing to their intended destination. In addition, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution Number 1874 (2009) did not stipulate any legal action to be taken against the crew.
Moreover, the governments of Belarus and Kazakhstan had submitted letters through Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs requesting the temporary release of the crew to face investigation in their home countries.
Their Russian-made plane refuelled at Don Mueang airport on December 12 enroute from North Korea to Ukraine, via Sri Lanka.
After searching, the Thai authorities found that new, ready-to-use military weapons including explosives, rocket-propelled grenades, components for surface-to-air missiles and other armaments totally weighing some 35 tonnes, were carried on the aircraft.
The five men were arrested and charged with carrying military weapons without permission, illegally bringing them to Thailand and failing to inform officials of their items.
First charged with illegal arms possession, the crew denied knowing anything about what they were carrying. They said they thought it was oil exploration gear rather that the anti-aircraft 'SAM' surface-to-air missile parts, shoulder-launched anti-tank RPG grenades, and other explosives rather that oil-drilling equipment.
The shipment breached the UN Security Council resolution which bans North Korea from exporting arms and weapons-related material.
The Thai government has informed the United Nations over the impounded weapons. (TNA)
The crew—pilot Mikhail Petukjou, 54 from Belarus and Alexandr Zrybnev, 53, Viktor Abdullayev, 58, Vitaliy Shumkov, 54, and Ilyas Issakov, 53, all from Kazakhstan—have been deported to their respective countries.
All of them were taken from the Bangkok Remand Prison to the Immigration Bureau pending for deportation procedures.
Their passports had been stamped "persona non grata" showing that they could endanger the country's security.
They were then transfered to Suvarnabhumi Airport and departed Thailand via Kazakhstan's Air Astana at 5.45 pm.
The Thai Immigration officials accompanied them on the flight to Astana to hand over the crew to Kazakhstani and Belarussian officials as requested by the two countries.
OAG Special Cases Division director-general Thanapit Moonlapruek on Thursday said the agency dropped all charges against the crew as prosecuting them was not in Thailand's national interest, and would negatively affect the good relations existing between Thailand, Belarus and Kazakhstan.
He said the OAG concluded that the arms found in the plane were not intended for use in Thailand as they had landed in Bangkok only to refuel before continuing to their intended destination. In addition, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution Number 1874 (2009) did not stipulate any legal action to be taken against the crew.
Moreover, the governments of Belarus and Kazakhstan had submitted letters through Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs requesting the temporary release of the crew to face investigation in their home countries.
Their Russian-made plane refuelled at Don Mueang airport on December 12 enroute from North Korea to Ukraine, via Sri Lanka.
After searching, the Thai authorities found that new, ready-to-use military weapons including explosives, rocket-propelled grenades, components for surface-to-air missiles and other armaments totally weighing some 35 tonnes, were carried on the aircraft.
The five men were arrested and charged with carrying military weapons without permission, illegally bringing them to Thailand and failing to inform officials of their items.
First charged with illegal arms possession, the crew denied knowing anything about what they were carrying. They said they thought it was oil exploration gear rather that the anti-aircraft 'SAM' surface-to-air missile parts, shoulder-launched anti-tank RPG grenades, and other explosives rather that oil-drilling equipment.
The shipment breached the UN Security Council resolution which bans North Korea from exporting arms and weapons-related material.
The Thai government has informed the United Nations over the impounded weapons. (TNA)
