A METROPOLITAN police officer holding the rank of deputy superintendent for investigation was dismissed today (Oct. 28) after being arrested on charges of involvement with a call centre gang, Naewna newspaper and Amarin TV said.
Pol. Lt. Gen. Sayam Boonsom, commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, and Pol. Maj. Gen. Kiattikul Sonthinet, commander of Metropolitan Police Division 2, also set up a fact-finding committee which will be taking serious disciplinary action against the unidentified policeman.
His arrest followed an investigation carried out from May this year onwards after a victim filed a complaint that she had been defrauded after answering an online advertisement inviting investors to trade in stocks through their platform. Initially she was able to withdraw funds as usual but after she increased her investment to over 1.2 million baht she could not pull her cash out of the platform thus realising she had been defrauded.
Arrest warrants were issued for 24 individuals involved in cybercrimes with 16 arrested. After investigation was expanded various items were seized including nine cars, 48 brand-name handbags and jewellery, cash in various currencies totaling 295,920 baht, 23 mobile phones and electronic devices, and 92 bank passbooks and ATM cards, totalling over 21 million baht.
Evidence was also gathered and arrest warrants issued for five more suspects involved in the scam.
On Oct. 7 two Technology Crime Suppression Division police teams searched six locations in Bangkok and Udon Thani province with the sacked police officer found at one of them.
Upon being questioned the suspect admitted to being a consultant for a company affiliated with a relative who opened mule accounts, receiving a monthly salary of seven figures. His other relatives too worked for this company.
The court permitted this suspect to be bailed out but his other relatives who were also arrested were denied temporary freedom.
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A representative image of the Thai police force. Photo – Amarin TV
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