A hacker has been detained for allegedly launching attacks against government websites in response to the passage of the Criminal Crimes Act amendment.
On 28 December 2016, the Criminal Court of Justice granted police officers custody over Natdanai Khongdi, age 19, a suspect in the attacks on government websites that came after amendments to the controversial Computer Crimes Act, reported Khaosod.
The case’s police investigators asked the court to reject any bail in advance, reasoning that the investigation has not yet finished and the suspect might disrupt the investigation. Natdanai will be detained for 12 days under the first custody term.
Nutdanai was arrested on 20 December in his house in Bangkok. Police also confiscated a shotgun, computers, a cyber security textbook and two grams of marijuana from his house.
He was accused of weapon possession, drug possession and of violating the Computer Crimes Act. Police have pressed 23 charges against him in total.
Apart from Natdanai, Pol Gen Chakthip Chaijinda, the Police Commissioner-General of Thailand, has claimed that the police and the military have arrested another eight suspects involved in the recent cyber attacks
After the junta-appointed National Legislative Assembly (NLA) approved the amendment to the controversial Computer Crimes Act on 16 December, various government websites have been shut down by cyber-attacks. The amendment will provide the state with heightened online surveillance and censorship powers.
The attacked websites include those belonging to the Police Region 1 Training Centre, the Thai Government, the Royal Gazette, the Ministry of Defense and the Royal Thai Navy.
Despite the recent arrests, Thailand Internet Firewall, one of the groups that claimed responsibility for the attacks, has continued to declare cyber warfare against the junta on its Facebook page.
Chakthip (left) and the suspect (middle) at the press conference
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