The Royal Thai Police (RTP) has set up a committee to investigate alleged links between senior officers and criminal activity in Myanmar.
The announcement on Wednesday came a day after five senior officers—one of them long known to be unusually wealthy—in the border province of Tak were transferred out of their posts pending further investigations.
The investigative panel will ensure efficiency and provide justice for all sides, said Police Major General Charoonkiat Pankaew, deputy commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau, in his capacity as chief of the panel.
The key figure facing investigation is Pol. Major General Ekkarat Intasueb, acting chief of Inspection Division 6 of the Office of the Inspector General.
His responsibility covers seven provinces including Tak, across the border from Myawaddy, Karen State, where the major scam centers are located. Pol. General Kittharath Punpetch, the national police chief, ordered on Wednesday that he be temporarily transferred to Bangkok.
Local media reports say Ekkarat owns a mansion on 5 rai of land, with a waterfall and golf driving range. He often entertains visitors there but he personally prefers to live in the police accommodation provided for the Mae Sot chief.
“The investigation will be primarily based on evidence and I insist all sides will receive justice,” said Charoonkiat.
Also transferred to Bangkok was Pol. Major General Samrit Emkamol, commander of Tak Provincial Police. Earlier, he ordered the transfer of the superintendents of Mae Sot, Mae Ramat and Phob Phra district police stations to the Tak provincial police office.
The three transfers were related to an investigation into the role police might have played in the disappearance of Chinese tourists who were lured by call center scammers to cross into Myanmar via the three districts for work.
Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said the transfers of the five officers do not necessarily mean they were all involved.
“An investigation is urgently required to find out why there has been such a high prevalence of transnational crime occurring in their precincts,” he said.
The transfers come as the government ramps up its efforts to combat scam syndicates operating out of Myanmar. It was goaded into action after the rescue of a Chinese actor who had been trafficked to Myawaddy drew international attention.
The government has cut electricity supplies and internet services to five areas along the border that are suspected of hosting the crime syndicates.
On Wednesday 261 foreigners were sent back to Thailand from Myawaddy, as the power and internet cuts reportedly began to affect the ability of the scam centers to function.
This article first appeared in the Bangkok Post.
