Thread: Thai DSI officials, police and army officers in custody on extortion charges

Officials from the Department of Special Investigations (DSI), police and army officers are among 16 suspects arrested by police for allegedly extorting 9.5 million baht in cash from Chinese nationals linked to illegal businesses in Thailand.


The 16 people wanted by the police include five DSI officials, nine 191 police officers, one army security officer and a Chinese interpreter.


According to the DSI, 15 of the officials raided a house in Bangkok’s Thung Mahamek area on December 22nd. The property is reported to have been rented by the former consul-general of the Republic of Nauru. There were 11 people in the house at the time of the raid, including six Myanmar nationals and a Thai. The rest were Chinese.


According to Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn, the deputy national police chief, 8 million baht in cash was found in the house, but the police report, submitted by the raid team, claimed that there was only 2.5 million baht and only one suspect was arrested.


One of the Chinese men in the house had an active Interpol Red Notice issued against him.


Surachate said the Chinese interpreter in the house told police investigators that he was forced by the raid team to demand 4 million baht from the Chinese in the house, in return releasing them without charges.


All the Chinese men have already left Thailand, said the deputy police chief, adding that police investigators will question the former consul-general of the Republic of Nauru about why there were so many Chinese people in his rented house.


Surachate further noted that it was quite suspicious that the raid team did not seize the CCTV server in the house as evidence, but allowed an army officer among them to take it away, reportedly to be disposed of.


He said that police investigators had, however, managed to confiscate the server and recover the footage.


The deputy permanent secretary of justice, Wallop Nakbua, said that the Justice Ministry had received several complaints about DSI officials extorting money from criminal suspects in the past few months.

https://www.thaipbsworld.com/thai-ds...rtion-charges/

I seem to recall “Big Joke” Hakparn was himself sidelined not that long ago for his curious practice of asking Chinese visitors for more contributions as they entered the Kingdom.

Truly, a snake pit but the irony is fun albeit a little heavy.

Military official alleged to have demanded THB20m to release triad suspects

The Royal Thai Armed Forces (RTARF) is investigating allegations that an official from the Armed Forces Security Centre demanded 20 million baht from 11 Chinese suspects in exchange for letting them go after police searched a house in Bangkok’s Sathorn district on Monday.
The search was a joint operation between the Department of Special Investigation, the Metropolitan Police Bureau, and the Armed Forces Security Centre.


The joint team was acting on a tip-off that the residence was masquerading as the official consulate of Nauru, said RTARF spokesman Lt-General Theeraphong Patthamasingh on Tuesday. Nauru is a small island-nation located northeast of Australia.


Police found several Chinese nationals residing in the house. Among them was a suspect wanted in connection with the police raid on Jinling nightclub in Bangkok’s Yannawa district in October last year. The raid kicked off a police investigation into Chinese triads operating in Thailand that has seen 5.3 billion baht in assets seized from alleged drug kingpin Chaiyanat “Tuhao” Kornchayanant and his associates.


Theeraphong said investigators found evidence that an official participating in Monday’s raid let 11 suspects go after detaining them in exchange for money. Initial investigations revealed that the official is from the Armed Forces Security Centre.


Theeraphong said an investigation committee has been established to look into the incident and will send its findings to the Chief of Defence Forces as soon as possible.

Military official alleged to have demanded THB20m to release triad suspects

Three generals among 80 immigration police charged in triad visa scam

Investigators believe at least 80 immigration police officers, three of whom are generals, have been aiding about 5,000 members of Chinese triad criminal gangs to stay illegally in Thailand.


Deputy National Police chief General Surachet Hakparn told reporters on Monday that the suspects have been summoned to hear charges filed against them, which include malfeasance and demanding bribes.


The police launched a nationwide investigation in November after former massage parlour tycoon and politician Chuwit Kamolvisit provided information on alleged Chinese triads operating in Thailand.


The tip-off quickly led to an arrest warrant being issued for alleged triad kingpin Chaiyanat “Tuhao” Kornchayanant, a Chinese national who gained Thai citizenship by marrying a senior Thai police officer.

Surachet, who led the investigation, said officials were found to have issued student and other visas to some 3,000 Chinese nationals in the Northeast and more than 1,000 in the North from 2020-2021, allowing them to stay in Thailand and engage in illegal operations.


Among the 5,000 recipients is the owner of Club One, a famous entertainment venue in Pattaya, which police suspect is a triad base of operations.


“We need to weed out bad officials from the force of over 20,000 immigration police,” said Surachet.


“Investigators are also coordinating with the National Anti-Corruption Commission in tracing the finances of these suspected officials.”


Authorities have so far confiscated assets worth 5.3 billion baht from Chaiyanat, including real estate, buses, bank deposits, businesses and an aircraft. The Justice Ministry announced last week that it is seizing another 3 billion baht in assets owned by Chaiyanat and people in his network.

Three generals among 80 immigration police charged in triad visa scam

Recently I’ve heard a story about a Chinese man who has bought up a large section Pai and built shopfront buildings to rent to locals. A real shame if true.

Originally Posted by misskit

According to Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn, the deputy national police chief, 8 million baht in cash was found in the house, but the police report, submitted by the raid team, claimed that there was only 2.5 million baht and only one suspect was arrested.

The usual . . . the 'raid team' members must be happy people.

DSI chief abruptly moved to Central Institute of Forensic Science

Department of Special Investigation (DSI) Director-General Triyarith Temahivong was abruptly transferred to the Justice Ministry’s Central Institute of Forensic Science in an order issued today (Wednesday) by Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin.


Triyarith will assume the post of acting director of the institute, while the chief of the institute, Pol Maj Suriya Singhakamol, will replace Triyarith as acting DSI chief until there is a formal appointment.


Somsak’s order did not include a specific reason for the lightening transfer of Triyarith, apart from saying that the “swap” of positions by the two men was for the “effective and performance of the DSI and the Central Institute of Forensic Science” and to allow the two men to do the jobs for which they are most suited.


The transfers of both Triyarith and Suriya take immediate effect.


Triyarith’s transfer is regarded as a demotion, because the DSI is a larger organisation, with more personnel and greater scope of responsibility.


Observers, however, pointed out that the abrupt removal of Triyarith is believed to be related to the ongoing scandal, in which some DSI officials are implicated, along with some police officers, wherein money was allegedly extorted from Chinese businessmen involved in illegal businesses, in exchange for setting them free.


Five DSI officials, nine 191 police officers, one army officer and a Chinese interpreter have been arrested on charges of extorting about 9.5 million baht from a group of Chinese people linked to illegal businesses in Thailand.


The group of officers had arrested 11 people, including some Chinese, in a house reportedly rented by the former consul-general of the Republic of Nauru on December 22nd. All but one was released and all the Chinese men fled the country after they gave money to the officers.

DSI chief abruptly moved to Central Institute of Forensic Science | Thai PBS World : The latest Thai news in English, News Headlines, World News and News Broadcasts in both Thai and English. We bring Thailand to the world

Originally Posted by misskit

Recently I’ve heard a story about a Chinese man who has bought up a large section Pai and built shopfront buildings to rent to locals. A real shame if true.

Wouldn't be difficult to determine, and unless his fellow nominees have loads of money, he'll be losing that in short order.