T. J. Kirkpatrick—AFP
Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs says students are not linked to any insurgent groups.
A group of Thai students who were detained in Pakistan after one of them was caught carrying a gun through Lahore airport returned home on Thursday after officials secured their release.
Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the students, who all hailed from the kingdom’s Muslim-majority deep south, left Lahore late Wednesday evening. The Thai government has said the students are not linked to any insurgent groups including in Thailand’s conflict-plagued south where ethnic Malay Muslims have been fighting for a level of autonomy.
“All the Thai students are in good health and good spirits as they have returned to their respective hometowns,” the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry did not say whether any deal was struck to secure the group’s release or whether they still faced any charges.
Pakistani police detained the five students on June 8 after a handgun and bullets were found in one of their luggage as they checked in for a flight at Allama Iqbal International Airport. The group’s release comes as a former senior Thai policeman was arrested earlier this week in Japan after he was caught carrying a loaded pistol through Narita airport.