The seemingly never-ending saga of former monk, Wirapol Sukphol, took another twist this weekend when the saffron-clad fugitive made a James Bond-like escape from Thai police in a helicopter.
Thai Division of Special Investigation (DSI) agents had tracked down Wirapol to Wat Phoo Khaokwai Temple near Vientiane, where Wirapol had resumed his life as a monk despite being excommunicated from the Buddhist order.
Wirapol is wanted for alleged financial fraud, computer crimes, and the sexual assault of an underage woman.
The Thai agents had tried to enter the temple to arrest Wirapol, but they were reportedly barred by local Laotian officials because they did not have the proper documents permitting them to make an arrests within Laotian borders.
As the two sides argued outside the temple, one of Wirapol′s disciples flew a private helicopter owned by the ex-monk to pick up the Wirapol and some of his companions.
Wirapol has also reportedly been hiding out in the United States in a Laotian temple in the US state of Oklahoma. Currently the monk is seeking an asylum visa to remain in the US on the grounds of “religious persecution”, which would protect him from extradition to the kingdom.
It is not clear why the DSI agents were operating in Laos, or whether the Laotian officials had been informed of the arrest attempt, Khaosod reported.
