Pattani —
At 7:00 PM on December 25th, 2024, a high-profile suspect in security-related cases escaped custody during a transfer to Yala Province. The incident resulted in one officer killed and three others injured.
The suspect, Hamdi Toma, allegedly grabbed the steering wheel of the police vehicle, causing it to veer off-road and crash into a fruit orchard in Nong Chik District, Pattani.
According to the officer, the suspect reportedly fled the scene immediately after the crash, sparking an intensive manhunt in the area.
The suspect was under investigation for links to several violent incidents in the southern provinces, including a car bomb in Panare District on October 24th, 2024, an attack on border patrol police in Yaring District on November 14th, 2024, and the armed robbery of 1.2 million baht from a 7-Eleven near a bank in Palas on November 18th, 2024.
Authorities are combing the vicinity and have urged residents to report any sightings.