Malaysian police will be asked to help in tracking down thecouple who own the fireworks warehouse that exploded last Saturday, after it was reported that they had fled to Malaysia, according to Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn, Thailand’s deputy national police chief.

Meanwhile, it is reported that a non-commissioned traffic police officer in Muno sub-district has been transferred to the operations centre of Narathiwat provincial police after beingaccused of taking bribes from operators of illegal businesses in the sub-district.

During his on-site inspection in Muno sub-district yesterday(Wednesday), Pol Gen Surachate offered his condolences to the families of people who were killed in the incident, those who were injured and people whose houses were damaged by the force of the explosion last Saturday.

In addition to the 400 houses in the neighbourhood of the warehouse, he disclosed that 22 houses and a mosque on the Malaysian side of the border also sustained damage, such as broken roofs and shattered windows.

Pol Gen Surachate said he has learned that the couple who own the warehouse have escaped to Malaysia and has ordered the Thai Interpol office to coordinate with their Malaysian counterparts to arrest the couple.

He added that he has instructed police to investigate the incident thoroughly, including the suspicion that some officials might have taken bribes from the owner of the warehouse, enabling them to store a huge amount of inflammable pyrotechnic substances on the premise illegallyand possibly smuggling some of those goods into Malaysia.

Last week, the superintendent of Muno sub-district police, his deputies and the inspector were transferred to the operations centre of the provincial police, pending an investigation.