A prime suspect in the elephant tusk theft in Ayutthaya was bodily assaulted by an angry mahout as three suspects were brought to reenact their crime Friday for the second time after yesterday’s cancellation due to threat by mahouts and residents.
Police brought the suspects to reenact how they poisoned and cut the tusks of the 50-year-old elephant “Plai Khlao” in Ayutthaya.
More than 100 police officers were called in to guard Mr Panya Srijamdee, Mr Manote Dokmaikaew and Narongrit Srichamdee to an elephant corral in Suan Prik sub-district to re-enact their crime
However they confronted again with angry local residents and mahouts.
Mr Laithongrien Meepan, a mahout and an owner of an elephant camp in Ayutthaya, bodily assault one of the suspects, prompting the police to bring all the suspects back to police vehicles.
The police then found themselves surrounded by the angry mob and two bull elephants. They had to negotiate with representatives of angry crowd before they were able to leave the scene safely.
Later the reenactment was conducted hastily as the police feared the mahout would return with their elephants to lynch the three suspects.
Angry mahout assaults elephant tusk thieves | Thai PBS English News