LAOS/CHINA: A suspected drug trafficker arrested in Laos in connection with the murder of 13 Chinese sailors in the Mekong River last year is extradited to China, where he will stand trial

Record ID: 1961867

  • Title: LAOS/CHINA: A suspected drug trafficker arrested in Laos in connection with the murder of 13 Chinese sailors in the Mekong River last year is extradited to China, where he will stand trial
  • Date: 11th May 2012
  • Summary: VIENTIANE, LAOS (MAY 10, 2012) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (CCTV - NO ACCESS CHINA) VARIOUS OF CHINESE AND LAOTIAN DELEGATES SIGNING MEMORANDUM OFFICIALS EXCHANGING MEMORANDUM, SHAKING HANDS OFFICERS ESCORTING SUSPECT NAW KHAM INTO ROOM, NAW KHAM KNEELING DOWN NAW KHAM WEARING HANDCUFFS OFFICERS PULLING NAW KHAM TO HIS FEET NAW KHAM ESCORTED OUT OF POLICE VEHICLE OFFICER UNLOCKING HANDCUFFS HANDS REMOVING SHACKLES OFFICERS ESCORTING NAW KHAM ONTO PLANE BEIJING, CHINA (MAY 10, 2012) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (CCTV - NO ACCESS CHINA) PLANE ARRIVING AT AIRPORT CROWD AND POLICE BY PLANE VARIOUS OF OFFICERS ESCORTING NAW KHAM OFF PLANE NAW KHAM LISTENING OFFICER READING WARRANT OF ARREST NAW KHAM PRESSING THUMB PRINT ON DOCUMENT NAW KHAM'S HAND SIGNING DOCUMENT OFFICERS ESCORTING NAW KHAM AWAY YUNNAN PROVINCE, CHINA (FILE) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (CCTV - NO ACCESS CHINA)3 MEKONG RIVER SIGN ON BOAT READING "YU XING 8 HAO" BLOOD STAINS ON BOAT BULLET HOLES ON BOAT BULLET HOLE IN WINDOW BLOOD STAIN ON FLOOR OF BOAT VARIOUS OF OFFICERS INVESTIGATING CRIME SCENE MEKONG RIVER SPEEDBOAT ON MEKONG RIVER OFFICERS INVESTIGATING CRIME SCENE CHINESE PATROL BOAT ON THE MEKONG RIVER BOATS DOCKED ON THE MEKONG RIVER
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Lao People's Democratic Republic, China
  • City:
  • Country: China Lao People's Democratic Republic
  • Topics: Asia / Pacific,Crime,International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVAF31W2TSHE24WPQUIK5SRWPMRU
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: A suspect implicated in the murder of 13 Chinese sailors in October last year was extradited to China on Thursday (May 10).
    Naw Kham, who is also a suspected drug trafficker, was arrested on April 25 in connection with the murders that took place in the Mekong river, which runs through China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.
    The prime suspects in the case are nine Thai soldiers, who are currently under investigation.
    Naw Kham was escorted to the Chinese capital of Beijing on a chartered plane, where police officers read out his warrant arrest shortly after his arrival at 1545 local time (0745 GMT).
    Naw Kham also signed a confession statement.
    Naw Kham is the suspected leader of a group of bandits and drug traffickers who terrorise a strategic stretch of the Mekong River along the Myanmar-Laos border, an important trade route between China and Thailand.
    He is wanted in Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and China, and he or his associates are suspects in a number of assaults on Chinese ships.
    Naw Kham was initially the prime suspect in the killing of the 13 Chinese sailors, although no evidence linked him to the murders.
    The nine prime suspects under investigation were in the elite anti-narcotics taskforce in Thailand.
    The Mekong snakes from China into Southeast Asia, where it forms the border between Myanmar and Laos, and then Thailand and Laos. In 2001, the four countries signed an agreement to regularize shipping on the river.
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