Narathiwat Court Sentences Two Men In Security Case
Two men were sentenced to over seven years in prison by Narathiwat Court for illegal weapons possession following a 2022 forest confrontation with armed militants in Rueso District.
The Narathiwat Provincial Court has handed down sentences in case no. 135/2569 against two defendants charged with illegally accumulating weapons and possessing unlicensed firearms and ammunition. The charges stem from a July 6, 2022 confrontation between law enforcement and armed militants in the Sawaheela forest area of Rueso District, which resulted in two insurgent deaths.
The court sentenced the first defendant, Mussakir, to 14 years imprisonment and the second defendant, Usman, to 15 years. Key evidence included DNA forensic analysis linking both defendants to personal items recovered from the scene. Due to their confessions, which aided the investigation, sentences were reduced by half—Mussakir to 7 years 6 months and Usman to 7 years 12 months. Both defendants remain detained pending appeal.
The Forward Command of the Internal Security Operations Command Region 4 reaffirmed that all operations followed legal procedures while respecting human rights principles. Authorities acted based on evidence to maintain safety and peace in southern border provinces. The command urged public cooperation, asking residents to report any useful security information to local authorities or call the 24-hour hotline at 1341.