The 53-year-old suspect was taken into custody by officers from the Anti-Human Trafficking Division of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) at a remote hut near the pier in Baan Bang Duk, Mai Khao.
The report by the CIB, posted late Friday (July 25), did not confirm the time and date of his arrest.
The suspect, named only as ‘Anan’, had been on the run since Aug 6, 2022, when the Satun Provincial Court issued a warrant for his arrest on multiple charges, including taking a child under 15 away from her parents without reasonable cause, committing indecent acts with a child under 15 regardless of consent, and raping a child under 15 who was not his wife.
The charges stem from an incident in La-ngu District, Satun, in which the girl managed to call her mother to report that she had been abducted. The mother contacted La-ngu Police, who located the child and returned her to safety. Her parents later filed a formal complaint, leading to the warrant being issued.
Investigators later confirmed the suspect had fled to Phuket and was hiding out in the Mai Khao area. Officers conducted surveillance and moved in once his location was verified.
The suspect was arrested without incident and reportedly confessed during initial questioning. He has since been transferred to La-ngu Police Station in Satun to face prosecution, the CIB reported.