Thai Senator Under Investigation for Links to Casino Owner Suspected in Arms and Drug Trafficking
A probe is ongoing to find out why a warrant for the arrest of a well-known politician was withdrawn by top judges. He was suspected of being involved in drug trafficking and money laundering in Thailand.
Thai Senator Upakit Pachariyangkun was brought to light last year for his connections to drug dealer and Burmese arms trafficker Tun Min Latt. The senator was expected to be apprehended in October 2022. However, it never happened.
Now, Thailand's Supreme Court has requested an investigation to determine if corrupt forces were shielding him within the judiciary.
Upakit and Tun Min Latt had numerous business partnerships, including a shared interest in the Allure Resort casino in Tachileik at Myanmar's border with Thailand.
The casino is situated in the controversial Golden Triangle region, where Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand intersect at the meeting point of the Mekong and Ruak rivers. This area has been known as one of the most significant opium-producing areas in the world and recently the largest producer of methamphetamine. Regional casinos are considered to routinely launder money from crimes.
Thai officials arrested Tun Min Latt in Bangkok in September 2022 on charges of conspiring to smuggle narcotics and money laundering. They assert he converted money from drug sales in Thailand into energy resources.
These were subsequently shipped to Myanmar through his energy company, Allure Group, in which Upakit had previously held an interest, according to Thai prosecutors.
Three Thai citizens were detained with Tun Min Latt, including Upakit's son-in-law, Dean Young Gultula, a former director of the Allure Group.
Arms Deals
Tun Min Latt also holds business dealings with the Burmese government, which he has been providing arms to, claims court documents. He is a close acquaintance of General Min Aung Hlaing, who has led Myanmar since seizing power in a 2021 coup d'etat.
Min Aung Hlaing has aggressively stifled opposition since assuming power. The United Nations has blamed him for the murder of pro-Democracy campaigners and for deliberately perpetrating genocide against the stateless Rohingya people.
Tun Min Latt's Star Sapphire Group conglomerate mediated arms deals for Myanmar with China. Additionally, he facilitated imports of Israeli reconnaissance drones for the Myanmar Air Force, said Thai prosecutors.
In August 2022, the United Kingdom sanctioned the Star Sapphire Group to "limit the Myanmar military's access to arms and revenue."
Moving Forward
Upakit denies any association with Tun Min Latt. He insists he left the Allure Group in 2019 when he got involved in Thai politics and sold his stake in the Allure Resort casino.
The Move Forward Party has submitted a petition to Thailand's anti-corruption body, accusing Upakit of filing a false asset declaration.
Also, Move Forward produced documents asserting Upakit's arrest was cancelled on the orders of senior judges. This was after they were unable to convince investigators to back down voluntarily, so an investigation by the Supreme Court was initiated.
