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U.S. seeks reason for kingpin's rel



Subject: U.S. seeks reason for kingpin's release

Friday March 14 1:05 AM EST 

U.S. seeks reason for kingpin's release

BANGKOK, March 14 (UPI) _ The American ambassador to Thailand is scheduled
to meet the chief
justice of Thailand's Criminal Court (Friday) to seek an explanation for the
Thai decision to release a
suspected heroin kingpin on bail. 

Li Yun-Chung, who was alleged to have masterminded the shipment of 1, 071
pounds (486 kg) of heroin
seized by U.S. Customs authorities in 1991, jumped bail after posting a bond
of $192,000 in cash and land
deeds on Feb. 7. 

Local news reports say Li is still in Thailand running a major narcotics
ring, contradicting earlier reports
that he had fled to Burma. 

The Bangkok Post quotes a Metropolitan Police Bureau source as saying Li was
believed to be part of a
gang led by Thanong Siripreechapong, a former member of the Thai parliament
who is currently standing
trial in the United States for drug smuggling. 

U.S. Ambassador William Itoh's meeting with Thai Criminal Court Chief
Justice Pradit Ekmanee is
expected to center on the reasons for granting bail to Li despite American
protests and the likelihood of his
escape. 

Pradit has ordered an internal investigation of his deputy, Somchai
Udomwong, and says he will be
punished if corruption was involved in the granting of bail to the heroin
suspect. 

The heroin haul was the biggest seizure in U.S. history and was reported to
be worth more than 2 billion
baht ($77 million). 

American narcotics officials say about 60 percent of the heroin in the U.S.
comes from Southeast Asia
and the trade is facilitated by widespread government corruption.