The Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo) called on public prosecutors yesterday to obtain a court order to seize Bt30 million from the family of mafia boss Somchai Kunplome.

Amlo officials said there was credible evidence that the Bt30.1 million in 30 bank accounts under the names of Somchai, his wife Satil and their daughter, Jiraporn, were ill-gotten gains from corrupt land deals in Chon Buri.

Somchai, the once seemingly invincible mafia boss and former kamnan, was convicted of master-minding corrupt land deals worth Bt93 million 13 years ago.

Somchai is now fighting to overturn his guilty verdict and jail term. The Supreme Court is due to issue a ruling on the case later this month.

Surasak Srirattrakul, a deputy director general of the Office of Special Litigation, said yesterday he would chair a panel to review whether the case warranted a court order to seize assets.

"We will urgently pursue the case," he said. Public prosecutors would have to seek court orders by March 21.

Amlo was also investigating how Somchai had acquired other properties, he said, including some assets that had been moved abroad.

"We have to check whether these assets were bought from ill-gotten gains," Surasak said.

In another case, Somchai faced charges that he hired a hitman to gun down a rival - subsequently shot dead, by a different, unidentified gunman, who remains at large.

Lower courts found Somchai guilty - and sentenced him to 25 years jail - for ordering the killing, despite his claims that his chosen hitman failed to carry out the task. This case has since been appealed to the Supreme Court.

Coming from a longstanding influential family in Chon Buri, Somchai's two sons are politicians in the province under the Thai Rak Thai Party banner and former government ministers.

Somchai's son Sontaya was a government MP during the first administration of the Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Sontaya also served as minister for sports and tourism.