TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Thai police pledged to arrest Indonesian drug kingpin Fredy Pratama, also known as the Indonesian Escobar, after Immigration deported Thailand's “most-wanted” fugitive, Chaowalit Thongduang.

"The Prime Minister, Chief of Police, and Head of Justice (Thailand) vowed to carry out a large-scale operation to arrest our fugitive (Fredy Pratama) abroad as part of our commitment," said the head of the National Police's International Relations Division, Inspector General Krishna Murti on Tuesday, June 4, 2024, before Chaowalit’s extradition.

Krishna Murti said the ten police personnel guarding Chaowalit’s deportation also remained in Thailand to take part in the local police’s hunt for Fredy Pratama.

Chaowalit Thongduang’s Track Record

Chaowalit once killed police and shot members of the judiciary before escaping prison in Thailand and hiding in Indonesia. He escaped prison with the help of several accomplices on October 22, 2023, after being hospitalized. He shot a member of the Thai police to death during his escape.

Based on the investigation results, Chaowalit entered Indonesia by boat that sailed for 17 hours from Thailand to Aceh on December 8, 2023. It is suspected that Chaowalit had accomplices who helped him escape, starting from escaping prison to supplying his needs while in Indonesia. The National Police arrested Chaowalit Thongduang at the Apartemen Kembar in Bali, on Thursday, May 30, 2024.

Fredy Pratama Hides in the Forest of Thailand-Myanmar Border

Fredy Pratama is an Indonesian drug kingpin, said to be the biggest in Southeast Asia. His network has a transactional value of narcotics of over Rp51 trillion. In 2023, the police began hunting down Fredy in what was called “Operation Escobar” after the notorious Colombian narcotics overlord. According to the police, the man is now hiding in the forests of the Thailand-Myanmar border.

Many of his subordinates have been arrested by the police, including Tri Wahyu, Fredy's senior in high school. Previously in September 2023, the National Police had also arrested three Indonesian citizens suspected to be Fredy’s subordinates in Thailand. Fredy’s in-law is also allegedly a part of Thailand’s drug cartel.

AYU CIPTA

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