Thailand drops plane crew charges

Thai prosecutors have dropped all charges against a five-man air crew accused of smuggling weapons. The quintet will be deported to their home countries for further investigation.

The Thai Attorney General's Office says its decision to deport five suspected smugglers was made after Kazakhstan and Belarus contacted the nation's Foreign Ministry, requesting the crew's release in order to conduct their own investigations.

Thanaphit Mollaphruek, Spokesman of Thai Attorney General's Office, said, "The Office of the Attorney General decided not to file charges against the defendants because we found that the weapons they were carrying had nothing to do with Thailand."

Unidentified crew members (C) of a cargo plane that flew into  Thailand carrying 30 tonnes of sanctions-busting weapons  from North Korea wait behind bars at the Criminal Court in  Bangkok in December 2009. Thailand said on Thursday its  attorney general decided to drop a case against the five  member crew. (AFP/File/Christophe Archambault)