THREE Mueang Kalasin policemen have been arrested on the charges of taking a large bribe from the sister of a drug suspect to free him in a sting operation mounted by the provincial police, Naewna newspaper reported this afternoon (March 25).
Pol. Maj. Gen. Suwan Chienawinthawat, the provincial police commander, confirmed that three policemen attached to Mueang Kalasin police station had been arrested after a letter signed by this station’s superintendent and sent to National Police Chief Pol. Gen. Damrongsak Kittipraphat stating that members of the station’s investigation team had been arrested for demanding 500,000 baht from a relative of a drug suspect had spread online yesterday.
Pol. Maj. Gen. Suwan said Pol.Col. Kasem Mutaphon, the provincial police’s head of investigation, had been contacted by Mrs. A that after her brother Mr. B had been arrested in possession of 2,000 tablets of methamphetamine pills; a police team contacted her to give 500,000 baht in exchange for his freedom.
Mrs. A said she negotiated and got the demanded bribe down to 400,000 baht with the policemen telling her to come to Mueang Kalasin police station at 9 a.m. on Thursday Mar. 23 to hand over the bribe or else her brother would be prosecuted.
Pol. Col. Kasem told Mrs. A to go and give the policemen the money as agreed and they would then move in to arrest them.
When Mrs. A showed up at the police station at the appointed time a man came up to her and took her to the investigation room. Ten minutes later she came out and called Pol. Col. Kasem who quickly went in with his police team.
There they found three policemen, a Pol.Snr.Sgt.Maj., 27, two Pol.Sgt., 27 and 30 years old respectively. Asked where the drug suspect was, they said they had let him go home. Found on them was 364,000 baht.
Pol. Lt. Col. Kasem asked who else were involved and they said eight more, a Pol.Capt., a Pol.Lt., two Pol.Snr.Sgt.Maj., three Pol.Sgt.Maj. and a Pol.Sgt.
Initially Pol. Col. Kasem has filed a complaint against the three policemen with Pol. Col. Pichai Kongthip, deputy inspector at Mueang Kalasin station, while investigation against the other eight policemen continues.
CAPTION:
Mueang Kalasin police station. Photo: Thai Rath
Also read: Death sentence for Joe Ferrari reduced to life in prison
Huai Kwang police station chief transferred over extortion claims
Senior police officers being probed over payoff by Chinese grey capitalist gang
Chonburi deputy police chief transferred over proxy suspects
Police general transferred over drug allegations
2 Replies to “3 Kalasin policemen arrested for taking bribe to free drug suspect”