BANGKOK – On January 11, 2024, the Immigration Police announced the arrest of Mr. Lee (fictitious name), a 29-year-old South Korean citizen. Police seized 3.67 grams of ketamine, a class 2 psychotropic substance, from Mr. Lee’s apartment in a condominium in Khlong Tan Nuea ward, Watthana district, Bangkok.
The police then took Mr. Lee to Taksin Hospital for a urine test, which was positive. As Mr. Lee refused to be treated, he was taken to Thong Lor Police Station for prosecution.
Mr. Lee was charged with overstaying his visa, illegal possession of ketamine and illegal use of methamphetamine.
The investigation revealed that Mr. Lee had entered Thailand on May 2, 2022 with a 90-day visa waiver. His visa expired on July 30, 2022, and he was no longer authorized to stay in Thailand.
In addition, South Korean authorities arrested 23 members of a drug trafficking organization known as the “Ekamai Gang” that operated through a center in Thailand.
Three drug traffickers and users were also arrested, bringing the total number of arrests to 27. Mr. Lee was the leader of the drug trafficking organization. The South Korean authorities want to extradite him to prosecute him for drug offenses.
Min Aung Hlaing, right, the head of ruling military council, talks with Alounkeo Kittikhoun, left, special envoy of ASEAN Chairman, during their meeting Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024, in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. (The Military True News Information Team via AP)
BANGKOK (AP) — A veteran Laotian diplomat recently appointed the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ’ special envoy to Myanmar arrived Wednesday on his first mission to the strife-torn nation, meeting with the head of the ruling military council and other top officials, state television MRTV reported.
Diplomat Alounkeo Kittikhoun faces the tough challenge of promoting the regional group’s peace plan for Myanmar to quell the violence between the military government, which seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, and an armed pro-democracy resistance movement that is assisted by ethnic minority fighting forces.
Almost 2 million people have been displaced by years of fighting in Myanmar, according to the U.N., and the 10-member ASEAN regional grouping is concerned that the destabilization could have regional consequences, including generating large numbers of refugees. Neither the military government nor its pro-democracy government foes have shown any inclination to compromise.
Min Aung Hlaing, right, the head of ruling military council, shakes hand with Alounkeo Kittikhoun, special envoy of ASEAN Chairman, during their meeting Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024, in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. (The Military True News Information Team via AP)
Alounkeo’s visit comes just ahead of a meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers scheduled for Jan. 28-29 in Luang Prabang, the old capital of Laos. It is the turn this year of Laos to act as chair of the bloc, which includes Myanmar.
ASEAN has been seeking to implement a five-point consensus it reached on Myanmar just a few months after the army’s takeover. It called for the immediate cessation of violence, a dialogue among all concerned parties, mediation by an ASEAN special envoy, provision of humanitarian aid through ASEAN channels, and a visit to Myanmar by the special envoy to meet all concerned parties.
MRTV reported that Alounkeo’s meetings included discussions about the implementation of the five-point consensus, the military government’s efforts at providing humanitarian assistance and plans for the military’s promised election. Bilateral relations and Laos’ role as ASEAN chair were also discussed, it said.
Myanmar’s military government initially agreed to the consensus but has since made little effort to implement it, even as the country has slipped into a situation that U.N. experts have characterized as a civil war. Its stonewalling led fellow ASEAN members to block key leaders of the military government from attending major meetings of the regional grouping.
A veteran Laotian diplomat recently appointed the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ special envoy to Myanmar, has arrived on his first mission to the strife-torn nation. (The Military True News Information Team via AP)
Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia, all electoral democracies, are known to have taken a strong stand against any engagement that could be perceived as favoring the Myanmar’s generals’ claims to be the country’s legitimate leaders. Authoritarian nations such as Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos are less critical of the ruling generals, as is Thailand, whose military retains strong influence over security matters.
Some members of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement — Signatories, Ethnic Armed Organizations, a group established nine years ago to pursue ways of ending decades of armed conflict with the military, also held a meeting with Alounkeo.
MRTV reported they also discussed the five-point consensus and humanitarian assistance. However, since none of the seven groups that attended are currently at war with the military, the relevance of their participation for peacemaking appeared to be minimal.
It was not immediately known if Alounkeo would meet with Suu Kyi, who was arrested when the military seized power. The 78-year-old Suu Kyi is now serving a 27-year prison term in Naypyitaw after being convicted in a series of politically tinged prosecutions brought by the military.
The military government has refused to allow her to meet with any previous ASEAN special envoys, who came in turn from Brunei, Cambodia and Indonesia.
Alounkeo, 72, is a former minister in Laos’ prime minister’s office and has also served as his country’s ambassador at the United Nations.
Dr. Asbjørn Warvik Rørtveit, Southeast Asia Regional Director, Norwegian Seafood Council
The Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC) is a public company owned by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries. NSC works together with the Norwegian fisheries and aquaculture industry to develop markets for Norwegian seafood, representing the country’s seafood exporters and the seafood industry. “Seafood from Norway” is a symbol of origin for Norwegian seafood caught or raised in the cold and clear waters of Norway.
Dr. Asbjørn Warvik Rørtveit, Southeast Asia Regional Director, Norwegian Seafood Council, provides some fascinating insights into the work of NSC in Thailand.
Market Awareness and Value Creation:
What factors make Thailand a special target for NSC, especially since Thailand has a rich diversity of domestically available seafood?
Thai people love food culture and care about seafood, and food services – all those different kinds of restaurants – and is therefore a massively important sector in Thailand, plus people more and more are enjoying cooking at home, too. As a result, Thailand is a really attractive ‘main’ market for us, especially in HORECA, and when you consider the amount of salmon and Saba consumed within the Kingdom, all served from thousands of seafood restaurants in the capital alone.
With many celebrities and social media influencers routinely advertising or reviewing seafood restaurants, the sector has never been more popular or more in demand. Food retail is important, but the restaurant sector is still key, as there are more than 3000 Japanese-style restaurants in Bangkok alone. Norwegian Saba is an important product with strong demand.
Now, we are getting more into promoting Norwegian Seafood for use in Thai cuisine, and we recently did a campaign with super-celeb Yaya Urassaya Sperbund to build a bridge between Norwegian and Thai markets for Norwegian Seafood. It is a product well-suited for any dish.
Consumer Engagement:
In promoting Norwegian seafood in Thailand, how does NSC engage with consumers?
The purpose overall is to create value throughout the supply chain. As more and more people are conscientious of where their food comes from, and several consumer demographics are happy to pay more for sustainably sourced and responsibly sourced seafood, there are opportunities for producers and people involved throughout the supply chain, even through to local packers and warehouse operatives, shippers and retail workers, etc., to make a living and for the whole value chain to benefit. People are also concerned about food safety, and so demand in general, and specifically quality-oriented supply, are consumer-driven.
In Thailand, there is a higher level of tax levied (5% currently) on prepared foods (which includes fish that has been smoked and filleted overseas then imported). But there is a huge advantage to retail buyers to take prepared fish, not least because it immediately removes the challenge of dealing with waste; this is particularly important in terms of retailers meeting obligations for waste disposal requirements not to mention cost and waste logistics.
That’s why it has for a long time now been optimal for retailers to import prepared fish from an exceptional source such as Norway. It’s not by coincidence that people know salmon as being “from Norway”, where in the past Thai consumers assumed it was all Japanese. Retailers used to use “sustainable sourced products” as a sales push, but now its consumer demand-led.
Global Impact:
In terms of leveraging sea-derived protein for sustainability, how can Norwegian seafood as a protein from the sea best be utilised to ensure both environmental health and long-term availability?
When considering the global impact of the fishing industry, we need to consider fish stocks and stock management across both aquaculture and wild fish stocks. It is a regulated industry, that’s really important and taken as a given in Norway for decades; and so therefore for Norway, it is an old, well-established and highly functional system which regulates fish stocks.
Quotas of fish in Norway are based on science, and therefore hard numbers drive careful cultivation or catch volumes in specific locations. Norway is highly regarded for its able and careful management of its fish stocks which ensure that fish are not “overfished”, strict rules are in place to regulate fishing gear, bycatch volume, and efficiency, and operators are rigorously inspected and must be certified. The quotas are also negotiated with neighbouring countries, so the approach is holistic across Scandinavian countries and others.
Norway actually is called upon to teach the fishing industry legislators, managers and operators of other countries on how to implement best practices which result in sustainably optimal industry outcomes, and which also preserve value across production chains. These optimisations result in efficiency, quality and a reliable source of sustainably produced fish with consistent and appropriate production volumes. By-catch is included as part of a quota, and penalties are enforced.
Impact on Fisherman Livelihoods:
How does NSC collaborate with the seafood industry to increase the value of Norwegian seafood while ensuring sustainable practices are prioritised and maintained?
Most of the products that we are promoting, like salmon and mackerel (Saba), are not competing with local species. If you look at the price range for salmon you are not competing with a local fish, but you are competing with a steak from Australia, for example, as that will be a similar price for a ribeye, etc.
By importing Norwegian seafood into the Thai market, we are generating mutual benefit within the value chain. For example, creating lots of jobs locally, so when we do a campaign, we aim to help that local value chain. And so, we are helping the locals bring more value into it. Now, we are working with all of the retailers, and this is often the result of them saying to us that they have seen a recent campaign by NSC, so that has been a nice experience.
Bank of Thailand governor Setthaput Suthiwartnarueput has a talk with PM Srettha Thavisin at the Government House on December 10, 2023.
BANGKOK – Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said on Tuesday afternoon after a talk with Bank of Thailand governor Setthaput Suthiwartnarueput at the Government House that he raised his views about interest rate reduction and how it might help the economy and alleviate debts.
Srettha emphasized that he is not interfering with the BoT’s decision on policy rate as the bank is an independent organisation.
The PM said the governor has briefed him that the bank is planning to solve long-term debts, and the premier added he should meet the governor more often and can drop by the BoT in the future and bring others to discuss other related matters as well.
photo by Matichon
Asked by a reporter about negative inflation and what will the BoT do, Srettha said it’s best to let the governor explain the matter.
On Sunday night, the PM posted his comment on social media that “The Bank of Thailand raised interest rate despite inflation decreasing to minus for many consecutive months, which is not good for the economy.” It also has an impact on low-income individuals and SMEs.”
There was widespread criticism after Prachachat Business reported that in 2023, the commercial banking sector achieved a total profit of more than 220 billion baht as a result of the Bank of Thailand’s increasing interest rates. Some questioned whether BoT was aware of this abnormality or not.
Mr. Nirut Chomngam, or Nick the Herpetologist, an expert on snakes and reptiles, takes a photo with the giant king cobra.
CHONBURI – Mr. Nirut Chomngam, also known as Nick the Herpetologist, an expert in snakes and reptiles, spoke with Matichon Online on January 10 about the huge king cobra that was captured on a golf course after the Ban Bueng Rescue Team Association of Chonburi Province asked him to examine it.
A large king cobra was seen on a golf course on January 2 in Chonburi’s Village No. 6 in the Khlong Kiew Subdistrict of the Ban Bueng District. On that day, rescuers from the Ban Bueng Association caught him and took him to the office. The snake measured 4 metres, 20 centimetres long, and weighed 12 kilogrammes.
Mr. Nirut confirmed that the king cobra was unusually huge. After some observation, it was determined that this snake was most likely unwell. He had a wound on his back as well as symptoms of lethargy and inactivity. There is a protruding spine, and the ribs are cracked. It is assumed that he had fled a forest fire on the mountain and was thirsty.
“We decided to send this snake to the Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute in Bangkok, a venomous snake husbandry facility, rather than releasing him into the wild, especially during the forest fire season. The institute has veterinarians who can best care for this huge king cobra’s health,” Mr. Nirut stated.
Mr. Nirut Chomngam, also known as Nick the Herpetologist, observes the king cobra and determines that this snake is most likely unwell.It is assumed that the king cobra had fled a forest fire on the mountain and was thirsty.
Mr. Nirut believes there are two possible explanations for this king cobra’s extremely big size: 1. Because there is a unique gene, or a certain feature, which is extremely tough to locate. 2. Because the area has a plenty of food, particularly pythons.
“If a king cobra consumes a similar-sized python, it can grow to be this enormous,” he stated.
The physicians successfully saved a little girl's life after she developed severe acidosis as a result of cyanide poisoning.
MAE HONG SON – A Facebook post by the staff of the Ramathibodi Poison Center went viral. Netizens praised and thanked the teams at Khun Yuam Hospital and Sri Sangwal Hospital in Mae Hong Son province for coordinating the transfer of a young patient who was comatose, unconscious and had severe acidosis due to cyanide poisoning from a silver cleaning solution.
Dr. Somsak Uthaipibul, director of Sri Sangwal Hospital in Mae Hong Son, said the incident occurred on January 6, 2024. Staff at Khun Yuam Hospital were informed that a child had drunk silver cleansing solution thinking it was normal water. The child fell unconscious and was intubated and taken to Sri Sangwal Hospital.
Fortunately, the child’s mother brought the bottle containing the substance that the child had drunk to show to the attending doctor so that the staff knew what the poison was. They then coordinated with Sri Sangwal Hospital to arrange for an antidote to be given to the child en route, which saved his life in time.
Dr. Somsak Uthaipibul visits the girl who survived severe acidosis due to cyanide poisoning.
Varanyu Jamnongprasartporn, director of the Mae Hong Son provincial health department, said Mae Hong Son is a remote area, so care for patients has been provided through a network system for some time. Most cases in the region involve eating poisonous mushrooms or pesticides for which they have antidotes. This is the first case of cyanide poisoning in the province.
Theerada Wongjai, who was present at the scene, wrote: “The antidote, which is the hero for cyanide poisoning, is not available in small hospitals like this one. The child had to be taken to the provincial hospital 60 kilometers away for treatment. The road is winding and narrow, so they couldn’t drive fast. They couldn’t make it in time. So the antidote was sent on its way by a driver. When the child arrived at the provincial hospital, the antidote was administered again until the child woke up.”
Sri Sangwal Hospital in Mae Hong Son,
“The treatment of this small child was like a race against cyanide poisoning, which destroys the cells in the body. We released the antidote (sodium nitrite and sodium thiosulphate) into the bloodstream so that it would combine with the cyanide and neutralize it.”
Silver cleansing solution is a common product used by the Hmong to wash their tribal clothing, which contains silver strips attached to the clothing. During the New Year festival, the tribal clothing is washed to make the silver shine.
Because of this case, doctors and authorities have warned the public, especially those who have young children, to make their surroundings safe. Cyanide is a very toxic substance that can kill someone within minutes. Another warning is that if you have a cardiac arrest, you can press on the heart but do not kiss the mouth to revive as you could get cyanide poisoning and risk your life.
People look at an exhibit of LG Signature OLED T 4K transparent wireless TV's at the LG booth during the CES tech show Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Welcome to opening day of CES 2024. This multi-day trade event put on by the Consumer Technology Association is expected to bring some 130,000 attendees and more than 4,000 exhibitors to Las Vegas. The latest advances and gadgets across personal tech, transportation, health care, sustainability and more will be on display, with burgeoning uses of artificial intelligence almost everywhere you look.
The Associated Press will keep a running report of everything we find interesting from the floor of CES, from the latest announcements to most quirky smart gadgets.
People play a pallet packing game at the Walmart booth during the CES tech show Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
IRON MAN ACTOR TARGETS DIGITAL SCAMMERS
Robert Downey Jr. fought off villains as “Iron Man” on the big screen for more than a decade. Now, in his latest off-screen role as a board member and strategist at AI security startup Aura, Downey wants to fight off digital scammers, he said at CES 2024.
Aura is an online app that uses artificial intelligence to monitor and track accounts and help prevent digital crimes, like scams, hacks and identity theft. The company revealed Tuesday at a panel that it will launch a new AI feature this year that it says will help parents identify depression, anxiety and other issues in their children’s lives by tracking their cellphone usage habits.
People walk by the Samsung booth during the CES tech show Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Downey said he was drawn to the company’s mission statement after his Instagram account was hacked in 2019.
“We’re all so busy in this information age,” he said, while emphasizing that he thought he had been proactive about protecting his accounts and information before he was hacked. “But it’s nowhere near enough.”
MERCEDES-BENZ MAKES TALKING TO YOUR CAR AN EXPERIENCE
Mercedes-Benz unveiled several in-car tech upgrades at CES 2024, including an AI-powered virtual assistant that will be rolling out to its vehicles soon.
The German automaker’s boasts their new cloud-connected AI-assistant is “natural, predictive, empathetic and personal” as it works to personalize interactions between drivers and their cars. The update will pair AI with added functions for infotainment, automated driving, seating comfort and charging.
Video calling technology is seen on display in Mercedes-Benz’s MBOS car operating system during the CES tech show Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
Mercedes-Benz CTO Markus Schäfer also announced a partnership with Google to pre-install and integrate certain apps into their vehicles.
HONDA DEBUTS ITS ZERO SERIES EV CONCEPT CARS
Honda premiered two concept vehicles, dubbed the “Saloon” and “Space-Hub,” for a new global electric vehicle series on Tuesday. The Japanese automaker says the Zero Series approach for EV development focuses on models that are “thin, light and wise,” with specific goals to minimize battery size.
The first models of the Zero Series are aimed at making their way to the North American market in 2026, the company said, with plans to introduce those vehicles in Japan, Asia, Europe, Africa and the Middle East and South America afterward. Honda also unveiled a new “H mark” logo set to be used for its next generation of EVs.
The newly unveiled concept car, Honda Zero Series “Saloon” electric vehicle is displayed during a Honda news conference during the CES tech show Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
GOOGLE TALKS CHROMECAST, CAR APPS
Google on Tuesday showcased various ways the tech giant is integrating generative AI features into Android devices — including previously-announced customizable, AI-generated wallpapers and suggested text messages responses, written in styles ranging from casual to “Shakespearean.”
The California-based company also took the opportunity to unveil some new features.
Chromecast is being expanded to more apps and devices, with TikTok content now able to be cast directly to TVs.
People tour a Samsung Micro LED exhibit at the Samsung booth during the CES tech show Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
More automakers are also partnering with Google to offer vehicles with pre-install apps such as Google Maps and Assistant. The apps will come to select models from Ford, Nissan and Lincoln this year, with Porsche following suit in 2025.
INTEL UNVEILS UPDATED 14th GEN PROCESSOR LINEUP
Intel may be leaning into supporting AI with its Core Ultra chips, but the company decided to announce an expansion of its 14th Gen processor family for gamers and media creators who need raw power and performance from their PCs.
New Intel Core 14th Gen HX-series mobile processors are built for gamers.The Unitree B2 robot is displayed during the CES tech show Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
Ms. Nana, a language officer at the T.P. & Associates law firm, disclosed the case of Miss Deng, who was tricked into buying a fake Hermes crocodile leather bag from a seller in Ratchaprasong on January 10, 2024, at the T.P. & Associates law firm on Rama IX Road.
BANGKOK – It’s difficult to find a government agency responsible for protecting the rights of tourists, a Chinese visitor said after being tricked into buying a fake Hermes crocodile leather bag from a seller in Ratchaprasong, Bangkok.
Miss Deng, a 27-year-old Chinese national who is the wife of a Chinese businessman living in Singapore, together with a lawyer of the T.P. & Associates law firm, complained to the media on January 10 that she was tricked into buying a fake Hermes crocodile leather bag from a seller in Ratchaprasong who posted the bag on Instagram.
Miss Deng saw the bag in the seller’s Instagram story. She contacted the seller directly and arranged to buy the bag on October 1, 2023 for 1.4 million baht at a second-hand store in a well-known shopping mall in Ratchaprasong.
One day later, she sent the bag to the Catch Fake Brandname (TCF), a Thai luxury goods institute, for authentication. It informed her that the bag was fake. Miss Deng then contacted the seller to return the bag. However, the seller refused on the grounds that the bag had disappeared and lost its value.
The Catch Fake Institute (TCF) informed the Chinese visitor that the bag was fake.
Miss Deng then instructed a representative of the law firm to lodge a complaint at the Lumpini Police Station on October 6, 2023, before she returned to Singapore with her husband. She then authorized the representative to lodge another complaint with the Lumpini Police Station on November 1, 2023.
The representative of the law firm then went to the store with the police to discuss the return of the bag. The store offered to return the bag for 980,000 baht, deducting 420,000 baht for depreciation. The Chinese woman and the store could not come to an agreement, so she filed a complaint in the media to draw attention to the seller’s behavior.
Miss Deng said through Miss Nana, an interpreter, that she had been living in Thailand for some time but still had difficulty finding a government agency responsible for protecting the rights of tourists. She asked how tourists who are only in Thailand for a short time can get justice if they are cheated by a store selling counterfeit goods.
“I would like to ask the country’s leaders to help in this matter,” Miss Deng said. “I am worried that tourists who have experienced the same thing as me might be afraid to come to Thailand to travel and shop.”
GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador (AP) — It was a day like any other at the TC Television studio in Guayaquil, Ecuador, with its mid-afternoon newscast underway, when the masked gunmen burst in unleashing at least 15 minutes of threats and fear – all broadcast live
First a man with a pistol appeared in the middle of the public TV station’s live transmission followed by a second man with a shotgun, then a third and more. With the show’s “After the News” title behind them, station employees were brought onto the set and ordered to lie down. Screams could be heard followed by the sounds of gunshots.
“We are on air, so you know that you cannot play with the mafia,” one of the assailants is heard saying.
Masked gunmen could be seen aiming guns at news staff. Someone said: “Don’t shoot!” After about 15 minutes the transmission was cut.
The unprecedented assault on a TV station in Ecuador came hours after a series of other attacks and police officer abductions. It also followed the apparent escapes from prison of two of the leaders of Ecuador’s most powerful gangs.
No one was killed in Tuesday’s attack and authorities say the 13 gunmen were arrested and will be charged with terrorism. President Daniel Noboa, who came into power in November with a promise to bring peace to the South American country, issued a decree saying the violence-plagued country had entered an “internal armed conflict,” in what some analysts see as a watershed moment for Ecuador.
Staff members sit on a street after they were evacuated from the TC television channel station after a group of armed men broke onto their set during a live broadcast, in Guayaquil, Ecuador, Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Cesar Munoz)
Late Tuesday, Noboa met with his security Cabinet and afterwards the head of the Armed Forces Joint Command said the attacks were the gangs’ reactions to the government moves against them.
“They have unleashed a wave of violence to frighten the population,” Adm. Jaime Vela told journalists, describing the attacks as “unprecedented” in Ecuador’s history.
The South American country had been rocked by attacks since Monday night, but the assault on a live newscast was seen as it happened in thousands of homes across the country.
“This is a turning point,” said Will Freeman, a political analyst at the Council on Foreign Relations, adding that while gangs in Ecuador have previously assassinated a presidential candidate and set off car bombs in front of government buildings, Tuesday’s events marked a new peak in violence.
Soldiers patrol outside the government palace during a state of emergency in Quito, Ecuador, Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)
“Depending on how the government responds it will set the precedent for these kinds of incidents to continue, or it will use this as a catalyst and make some very necessary structural reforms so that the state can start to win its war against crime,” Freeman said.
Alina Manrique, the head of news for TC Television, was ordered to get on the floor.
“They aimed the gun at my head,” she told The Associated Press. “I thought about my entire life, about my two children.”
Manrique said some of the assailants ran from the studio and tried to hide when they realized they were surrounded by police.
“I am still in shock,” she said. “Everything has collapsed … All I know is that its time to leave this country and go very far away.”
Police officers entered the TV station and subdued the assailants, who can face up to 13 years in prison it they are convicted of terrorism.
Police evacuate staff from the TC public television station after a group of armed men broke onto their set during a live broadcast, in Guayaquil, Ecuador, Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Cesar Munoz)
On Monday, a day after a notorious gang leader’s apparent escape from prison, President Noboa had declared a national state of emergency, a measure that lets authorities suspend people’s rights and mobilize the military in places like prisons.
On Tuesday, shortly after the gunmen stormed the TV station, Noboa issued another decree designating 20 drug trafficking gangs operating in the country as terrorist groups and authorizing Ecuador’s military to “neutralize” them within the bounds of international humanitarian law.
The government has said at least 30 attacks have taken place since authorities announced that Los Choneros gang leader Adolfo Macías, alias “Fito,” was discovered missing from his cell in a low security prison Sunday. He was scheduled to be transferred to a maximum security facility that day.
Ecuadorean officials on Tuesday announced that another gang leader, Fabricio Colón Pico of the Los Lobos group, had escaped from a prison in the town of Riobamba. Colón Pico was captured on Friday as part of a kidnapping investigation and has also been accused of trying to murder one of the nation’s lead prosecutors.
Other attacks have included an explosion near the house of the president of the National Justice Court and the Monday night kidnappings of four police officers. Police said one officer was abducted in the capital, Quito, and three in Quevedo city.
Police evacuate staff from the TC television channel station after a group of armed men broke onto their set during a live broadcast, in Guayaquil, Ecuador, Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Cesar Munoz)
Los Choneros is one of the Ecuadorian gangs that authorities consider responsible for a spike in violence, much of tied to drug trafficking, that reached a new level last year with the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio. The gang has links with Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel, according to authorities.
The whereabouts of Macías are unknown. Prosecutors opened an investigation and charged two guards in connection with his alleged escape, but neither the police, the corrections system, nor the federal government confirmed whether the prisoner fled the facility or might be hiding in it.
In February 2013, he escaped from a maximum security facility but was recaptured weeks later.
Macías, who was convicted of drug trafficking, murder and organized crime, was serving a 36-year sentence in La Regional prison in the port of Guayaquil.
Located on South America’s Pacific coast between Peru and Colombia, the world’s largest cocaine producers, Ecuador has become a key transit point for the drug in recent years. Much of the violence suffered by the country comes as drug gangs fight each other and the government for control of ports and smuggling routes.
Los Choneros and other similar groups linked to Mexican and Colombian cartels are fighting over trafficking routes and control of territory, including from within detention facilities, where more than 450 inmates have died since 2021, according to authorities.
PHUKET – The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) has been monitoring and tracking the Omura’s whales, or dwarf fin whales, that have reached the Andaman coast since January 1, 2024. There was a viral post on social media stating that there could be an albino Omura’s whale among the whales.
As of January 9, the white whale had not been found, although at least four Omura’s whales had been discovered.
Dr. Kongkiat Kittivattanawong, a specialist in resource and environmental research in marine and coastal ecosystems, led a team of researchers from the Marine and Coastal Resources Research Center in the field from the Upper and Lower Andaman Sea to investigate and collect data on Omura’s whales (Balaenoptera omurai).
The survey was conducted using three methods: 1. Boat-based survey using distance transects sampling, using the Marine and Coast Guard Boat 805 and speedboats to cover the area from lower Phang Nga Bay to the upper part of Koh Racha Yai over an area of 200 square kilometers.
2. Drone survey in the south of Koh Maiton in a radius of 8 kilometers. 3. Follow-up and reconnaissance for sightings by the tourism sector and fishing boats. In addition, information on safety measures for white Omura’s whales was disseminated.
Phinsak Suraswadi, Director-General of the DMCR, summarized the results of the operation, saying that Omura’s whales were found 3 times. The first Omura whale was found by a team of officers from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) on the west coast of Koh Phi Phi at around 12:00 p.m. on January 8. It was seen surfacing three times and then moving quickly with the current.
The second was found by a team of DMCR officers on the east coast of Koh Maiton. It was a 9-meter-long Omura’s whale. The officers tracked it for 30 minutes over a distance of 3.5 kilometers. The whale was breathing 6 times in 5 minutes and had a healthy body condition. Its swimming and feeding behavior was normal.
A Group of 4 Omura’s whales were found for the third time behind Koh Hay. They were swimming and feeding both close to and far from the boat. The officers collected water samples to study using eDNA techniques and Photo ID data to identify and compare individuals and summarize the population.
Although there were no violations of marine and coastal resources along the survey route, officials asked tour boats and fishing boats in the area to use more caution when operating their boats to avoid harming the whales.
The presence of whales reflects the richness of the marine ecosystem. Omura’s whales are listed as a protected species under the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act. They are mainly found in the Pacific Ocean. In Thailand, Omura’s whales have been spotted along the coast of the Gulf of Thailand as well as the Andaman coast.
Officials also urged anyone who sees whales, including rare marine animals, or has information about the marine and coastal situation to contact the Forest Protection and Marine Rescue Hotline at 1362.
