Thai team to probe massacre of barge crew in China

BANGKOK, May 10 (TNA) - The Royal Thai Police has appointed a team of officers to soon conduct further investigation in China into the killing of 13 Chinese barge crew in the Mekong River in October last year. Thai Deputy National Police Chief Police General Pansiri Prapawat told journalists Thursday that Assistant National Police Chief Police Lieutenant General Chalermkiart Sriworrakhan has been appointed to head the Thai investigation team, which will work with public prosecutors to settle the case. The Thai police team held a preparatory meeting today, chaired by the deputy national police chief, before flying to China for the mission. According to the deputy national police commissioner, the Thai investigation team has been tasked to conduct interrogations of relatives of the victims, follow progress of a separate probe conducted by Chinese authorities and find truth about 7-8 mysterious men, donned in black, who hijacked the boat, killed the Chinese crew and dumped their bodies in the Mekong River in Chiang Saeng district of Thailand's northern Chiang Rai province, after which nearly one million speed pills were also found on the boat. The deputy national police chief also acknowledged that a wanted Shan drug trafficker, No-Kham, who is suspected to be behind the murder of the Chinese barge crew, has already been detained by the Chinese authorities for further questioning. (TNA)