Drug Traffickers Kill 13 Chinese Crewmembers after Hijackings on Mekong River
Last week, gang drug traffickers in the notoriously dangerous Golden Triangle area in north Thailand hijacked two Chinese-flagged ships on the Mekong River in order to move large amounts of drugs. The traffickers brutally murdered 13 innocent Chinese crewmembers aboard the seized vessels, sparking fury and sadness from China and Thailand.
Thai authorities confirmed the deaths of the Chinese crew on Monday. Seramsak Seesan, chief of Chiang Rai's Chiang Saen District told Xinhua News that the drug ring of Shan, or Tai Yai, ethnic group led by Nor Kham were the ones responsible for the tragic slayings. The gang is known for demanding money from the ships in which they hijack on the Mekong River, and mercilessly kills crewmembers who do not comply with their demands. They are also known to target ships from China, passenger or cargo ships alike, for robberies and payment demands that often end in death.
The bodies of the crewmembers were found near Chiang Rai in northern Thailand over the weekend, and the ships were seized earlier in the week on Wednesday. They were found with their limbs bound and blindfolded, with lethal gunshot and knife wounds, said the China Daily.
The Golden Triangle region, which borders Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand, is a known area for production and trafficking of heroin and other dangerous drugs. The Bangkok Post said that Thai authorities after seizing the boats post-gun battle found over 920,000 amphetamine pills, about US$3.22 million worth, as well as garlic, apple, and fuel cargo.
Citizens of China have been outraged by the news and clamoring on the internet with criticisms that the government has not taken a strong enough stand to defend the country. As a result of the incident, China has suspended of all of their marine traffic on the Mekong.
Autopsies have been ordered for the victims, and relatives of the sailors will arrive on a later date to engage in the investigation and claim the bodies.
Sermasak Seesan said this was the first time drug traffickers have hijacked a commercial ship.