Suspect arrested in shooting of novice monk linked to notorious insurgent

Nasri Tugae, 22, allegedly has ties to Azman Poloh, a wanted insurgent with 13 outstanding national security-related arrest warrants.

Security officials on Wednesday (April 23) raided a residence in Ban Bala Village, Don Rak Subdistrict, Nong Chik District of Pattani Province and apprehended Nasri Tugae, a 22-year-old suspected of supporting insurgent groups operating in four districts of Songkhla Province.

Nasri is believed to be one of the gunmen who opened fire on a pickup truck driven by Pol Lt Watthana Chumapan, a police officer from Saba Yoi Police Station, on Tuesday morning. The vehicle was transporting six Buddhist monks and novices on their morning alms round in Songkhla’s Saba Yoi District.

The attack resulted in the death of a 16-year-old novice monk, the son of Watthana, while a monk and another novice sustained minor injuries.

Nasri was detained under martial law and taken to Tuyong Police Station for initial processing, before being transferred to the Interrogation Unit of Task Force 43 at Fort Ingkhayutthaborihan in Pattani for further investigation.

Investigations revealed that Nasri has ties to Azman Poloh, a wanted insurgent with 13 outstanding national security-related arrest warrants. Azman was previously captured on September 17, 2023, during a police checkpoint operation in Bacho District, Narathiwat Province.

Nasri’s arrest followed analysis of CCTV footage and forensic evidence from the crime scene, including latent fingerprints, DNA traces, and ballistic examination of spent shell casings, officials said.

The weapon used in the attack was identified as an M-16 assault rifle, previously stolen in a 2023 police ambush that resulted in the death of an officer from Na Pradu Police Station.

Authorities continue to investigate possible further connections and Nasri’s involvement in other insurgent activities.

(2025/04/24-00:00)