Innocent man freed after 80 days due to mistaken identity in Thai drug case

An innocent Thai man spent 80 days in jail due to a case of mistaken identity. The 26 year old man, Anucha was released from the Special Bangkok Prison yesterday, following the intervention of Ekaphop Luangprasert and his team from the Saimai Must Survive news page along with the victim’s family. The release came after it was revealed that Anucha had been misidentified in a drug-related case by the police.

Anucha’s parents approached the Saimai Must Survive news page for justice on August 10. They reported that their son had been wrongfully arrested on June 13 at an air conditioner shop in Min Buri, Bangkok. The mistaken identity arrest was based on a warrant from Ratchada Criminal Court for failing to report to the court in a drug abuse case. He was then taken to Khok Kham Police Station and later transferred to the Special Bangkok Prison.

Despite the man’s parents making several attempts to bail their son, the court denied their requests, citing that the accused absconded for three years and feared he might flee again. In response, Ekaphop coordinated with Police Lieutenant Colonel Athapol Anusit, the head of Division 2, and Police Lieutenant Colonel Prapas Kaewchiad, the head of Khok Kham Police Station, to verify the facts and ensure justice for the victim promptly. Following the investigation, it was concluded that it was a case of misidentification, leading to the withdrawal of the arrest warrant and Anucha’s release.

The actual offender, a 26 year old friend of Anucha, was arrested on August 23, 2020, after being caught with an unregistered car and weapons, a urine test revealed the presence of Category 1 narcotics in his system. On the day of the incident, the offender did not carry his ID and falsely identified himself as Anucha. Consequently, the police used Anucha’s ID, which was later brought by the offender’s mother for bail. When the offender failed to report to the court, a warrant was issued in Anucha’s name, leading to his wrongful arrest, reported KhaoSod.

Following the discovery of the mistaken identity truth, Anucha was released, and it was revealed that the actual offender had undergone plastic surgery to evade capture. The incident’s aftermath will involve seeking compensation from the Ministry of Justice and investigating the errors that led to this unfortunate event.

Follow The Thaiger’s latest stories on our new Facebook page HERE.