Supachat Chirawattananukul, 47, originally from Lampang, was taken into custody in Tambon Pak Nam, in Krabi’s Mueang District, at 8pm on Tuesday (May 28), Capt Prayut Sornsawat of the Royal Thai Police Anti Trafficking in Persons Division (ATPD) confirmed to The Phuket News today.
According to a copy of the arrest warrant provided to The Phuket News, Supachat was wanted for four specific charges of human trafficking of minors for sex.
The arrest warrant was issued by Phuket Provincial Court on March 13, 2018.
“Supachat has been brought back to Phuket to face the charges against him,” Capt Prayut said today.
“He was taken to Phuket Provincial Court yesterday (May 29), where he is being held in the detention cells,” he said.
“Supachat denied the charges against him,” Capt Prayut confirmed.
The warrant was issued last year after Supachat failed to present himself in court following his arrest by officers from Sakoo Police Station, just south of the airport, on Mar 24, 2017.
Supachat was arrested at “The Rich Massage” parlour, also in Sakoo, in 2017 after officers staged a sting operation, noted the details in the arrest warrant.
The sting operation was launched after officers had discovered that the massage parlour had girls under 18 years of age working as prostitutes. Suppachat was arrested as the manager of the venue, noted the warrant.
The warrant also noted that Supachat received B1,000 for each session a customer spent with one of the underage prostitutes, who received B1,500 per hour per session.
Details of why Supachat was released on bail while facing human trafficking charges was not revealed today.
Sakoo Police Chief Col Kittipong Klaikaew and Phuket City Police Chief Col Sompong Thiparpakul both said they were not aware of any reason why Supachat would have been allowed to post police bail.
Both chiefs were not in their current positions as top-ranking police officers at the time that Supachat fled while out on bail.