Crime

Police in Thailand Crack Down on Juvenile Delinquents

Thailand’s National police commander, Pol Gen Torsak Sukvimol, announced on Monday that he had authorised a crackdown on juvenile delinquents to reduce criminal activity by young criminals within a month.

Police are cracking down on juvenile misbehaviour across the country in the aftermath of the gruesome murder of a middle-aged woman by five youths in Sa Kaeo’s Aranyaprathet area earlier this month.

He also directed the Sa Kaeo police chief to keep records on all juvenile delinquents in the province, and officers have been told to keep a careful eye on youngsters aged 10-15 who remain outside after 10 p.m.

If kids are found alone beyond that time, police will take their information and bring their parents in for interrogation, Pol Gen Torsak added.

In other provinces, such as Nonthaburi and Samut Prakan, where events involving rebellious adolescents are common, but there aren’t enough local police officers to deal with them, he said the Provincial Special Operations Sub-Division would also help with the crackdown.

Pol Gen Torsak also stated that investigators had transmitted the findings of an investigation into the suspected misbehaviour of two police officers at the Aranyaprathet district police station to the National Anti-Corruption Commission. They are accused of torturing Panya Khongsaenkham into falsely confessing to killing his mentally unstable wife, Buaphan Tansu, also known as Pa Kob.

A group of youths aged 13 to 16 killed her, according to police.

The suspects, recorded on tape beating the victim in Aranyaprathet, eventually acknowledged killing Buaphan and disposing of her body in a pond on January 11. They are now in custody in connection with her murder.

Police Chief Thailand

Police officers to be charged

Pol Lt Gen Somprasong Yentuam, chief of Police Provincial Police Region 2, previously stated that the officers violated a disciplinary code under the 2022 National Police Act and the Criminal Code for dereliction of duty and misconduct.

However, Pol Lt Gen Somprasong stated that the two had not yet been determined to have violated the Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act.

A panel will turn over all material to Sa Kaeo police so that detectives may investigate whether these policemen violated the legislation, he added. At this point, there was insufficient evidence to make that determination.

Pol Gen Torsak stated that investigators were not dragging their feet or attempting to assist their colleagues.

He stated that investigators must ensure that sufficient evidence is acquired before initiating further accusations against the police under the statute prohibiting and suppressing torture and enforced disappearance.

Mr Panya, according to Pol Gen Torsak, cannot testify to police as a witness because he is currently receiving alcoholism treatment in a hospital.

“Please do not rush investigators. “They are attempting to collect complete and correct evidence,” the police chief stated.

Arrested shortly after his wife’s death was discovered on January 12, Mr Panya allegedly confessed to the crime before footage from a security camera revealed the five boys were to blame.

Curfews for Teens

Police Propose Curfews for Juvenile Delinquents

Mr Panya claimed he was made to strip in an air-conditioned room and told he couldn’t leave until he signed a written confession, according to deputy national police head Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn.

Activist Kanthat Pongpaiboonvej, also known as Kan Chompalang, went to the Department of Special Investigation on Monday with Mr Panya’s niece to demand justice because the police investigation only implicated two officers in the coerced confession.

Mr Kanthat stated that Mr Panya’s niece requested that the DSI investigate whether any additional police officers at the Aranyaprathet district police station were involved, as well as whether the two officers may be charged under the prevention and suppression of torture and enforced disappearance laws.

Thawatchai Thaikaeo, a former director-general of the Department of Juvenile Observation and Protection, proposed a curfew on Monday to discourage teenagers from remaining outside for safety.

Meanwhile, an assistant to Interior Minister Ekapop Luengprasert accompanied the mother of a 13-year-old child who had been viciously beaten by a juvenile gang in this Central Plains region to submit a complaint with Bangkok Metro police.

Mr Ekapop stated that the incident occurred on January 10. The leader of the so-called Sai Thong gang, also known by its leader’s name, Tee Tha Sai, and seven other members assaulted Ms Chatmongkot’s (surname withheld) son in a local public park near Samakkhi Road following a dispute with his ex-girlfriend, who is a gang member.

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Police Hunting Gang

Mr Ekapop stated that Ms Chatmongkot’s son sustained a fractured nose, a punctured eardrum, a pulmonary haemorrhage, and other serious injuries. The doctor stated he would need surgery to fully recover.

Ms Chatmongkot stated that the gang members had warned his kid not to tell his mother about the beating, but he eventually told her.

She also said that her son later received a death threat from the gang, claiming that they would burn down their home. That is why she took her kid to meet with Mr Ekapop and begged him to assist in pursuing justice.

Police Col Pisut Chantharasuwan said he would ask his detectives to check into the situation right once and would form a special team to track down and apprehend adolescent thugs, particularly the Sai Thong gang, which has been causing problems for villagers for several years.

Earlier on Monday, Mr Ekapop and his team went to Sai Thong village, which is considered to be the gang’s stronghold, and assessed the area where Tee Tha Sai was accused of terrorising people and children.

According to one victim, who identified himself as Poom, the gang has over 100 members, ranging from youths to the elderly. They would beat random victims, use weapons and grenades, and engage in battles to get a reputation.

Another victim, Wanchai, 80, claimed that the gang had been around for more than 30 years and that the police had never taken the situation seriously, continuously ignoring victim complaints.

Following his discussion with Mr Ekapop, Police Superintendent Pisut Chandrasuwan stated that he would organise a special team to track down and apprehend the gang.

Keywords: group homes for juvenile delinquents, camps for juvenile delinquents, treatment programs for juvenile delinquents, camp for juvenile delinquents, juvenile justice and delinquency prevention

Crime

Police Officer Being Ordained at Temple Arrested for Running Scam Call Center

Police in Northern Thailand have arrested a fellow officer as he was being ordained at a temple in Ngao district of neighbouring Lampang province.

Pol Lt Col Bandit Khonkan chief inspector from the Hang Dong police station was disrobed and taken to the Chang Puak station in Chiang Mai. He was arrested on charges of running a call centre scam gang in Chiang Mai Province.

According to Thai Media Chiang Mai Provincial Police Region 5 obtained an arrest warrant for Pol Lt Col Bandit on Friday from the Chiang Mai Provincial Court for procuring illegal telecom equipment, setting up a station and using public airwaves to run a telecommunications business without permission.

Pol Lt Col Bandit reportedly told investigators that he was not the ringleader and was only a member of the gang with Chinese partners.

His arrest followed the apprehension of his 26-year-old daughter, Miss Wanuchapond, 26, and three others during raids at three housing projects in Chiang Mai on Friday, Pol Maj Gen Weerachon Boontawee, deputy chief of Provincial Police Region 5 told Thai media.

During the raids police police discovered around 12 GSM gateways, or SIM boxes, which are devices used for converting cellular networks into mobile phone numbers used domestically.

The chief inspectors daughter Miss Wanuchapond told the arresting officers that she was paid 8,000 baht a month at each of the three locations for renting thr rooms and monitoring devices.

She claimed she had no idea what the devices were and accepted the job because the pay was attractive.

Police investigators working with telecom regulators used a special tracking device to monitor the gang’s communications and learned that its base was in Myanmar opposite Mae Sai district of Chiang Rai.

The call center gang used the GSM gateways to make calls over the internet to scam people in Thailand out of million of baht.

The GSM gateways transmitting signals via SIM boxes to convert them into domestic phone numbers, duping victims into thinking they were being called from Thai government agencies.

Pol Maj Gen Weerachon said that each SIM box held 32 SIM cards, with a capacity of up to 300,000 calls a month. The seized devices had made fraudulent calls over 3.6 million times.

He said the their investigation is ongoing and they are working to track down the remaining conspirators, including Chinese and other Thai suspects.

Authorities are still deciding whether Pol Lt Col Bandit will be dismissed from the force, he said, adding that so far, no other officers are known to have been involved.

Police in Chiang Rai Launch Crackdown on Cyber Criminals in Golden Triangle

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Settha Thavisin has authorized the establishment of an emergency cyber center operated by the Royal Thai Police to combat transnational crimes committed by call center gangs along the Thai border in Chiang Rai province.

On July 19, Prime Minister Settha Thavisin directed the Center to combat information technology crimes. The Royal Thai Police (Royal Thai Police) will crack down on call center gangs in Myanmar, Laos, and along the border.

His directive comes as call center gangs ratchet up their scams to defraud people of their money, causing concern among Thais and jeopardizing the country’s economic and social stability.

Related Police News:

Machete Wielding Man Shot an Killed by Police in Chiang Rai

https://www.chiangraitimes.com/chiangrai-news/machete-wielding-man-shot-an-killed-by-police-in-chiang-rai/

Crime

Thai Immigration Police Arrest Colombian Tourists Over Home Invasions

Immigration police officers have arrested four Colombian nationals in connection with a series of home burglaries at luxury housing complexes in the Bangkok metropolitan area and Chiang Buri Province.

Pol Maj Gen Panthana Nuchanart, deputy commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, told a press briefing that three of the suspects were apprehended in Nonthaburi Province and the fourth in South Pattaya, Chon Buri Province.

According to the Bangkok Post, the Colombians were charged with stealing conspiracy and seized around 3 million baht (US$82,500.00).

According to Pol Maj Gen Panthana, the criminals rode motorcycles through housing estates, scoping out the properties and waiting for the owners to depart before committing their crimes.

He stated that all four of the accused denied any involvement in the home break-ins, but the arresting squad discovered evidence that implicated them.

Police called to home invasion

Meanwhile, police were dispatched to a luxury housing development in Tambon Nong Prue, Chonburi Province, after a Chinese man was attacked during a house invasion.

When they arrived, they discovered the house owner, Mr. Qian Peng Yi, visibly scared and with marks from being tied up with a cable. He informed police that three Chinese males broke into his home at 9 p.m., one of whom brandished a gun at him and directed him to his bedroom.

They bound his hands and feet, gagged him with fabric, taped his head, and forced him into the bed. The intruders then attempted to compel him into transferring 10 million baht in cryptocurrencies to them, endangering the life of his 33-year-old cousin who was in a second-floor bedroom.

While they scoured the house in search of riches, Mr. Peng Yi managed to flee and hide; he subsequently observed them leave with his cousin. Officials investigated the property and analyzed security camera footage from the incident and surrounding areas.

Around 9 p.m., a 30-year-old van driver came at the Bang Lamung police station after being contacted by an agency to carry Chinese customers from Pattaya to Suvarnabhumi Airport.

The driver informed authorities that he was supposed to pick them up at a motel about a kilometer from the Chinese businessman’s home. He then drove them to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport, arriving at 1 a.m. and receiving 1,800 baht.

The driver took a snapshot of the group smoking at the airport gate and identified one of them as the victim’s cousin. Police suspected coordination between her and the three suspects in her cousin’s heist, who all departed Thailand on the same aircraft.

Other Bangkok News:

Police in Bangkok Discover Six Vietnamese Tourists Dead in 5 Star Hotel

Police in Bangkok Discover Six Vietnamese Tourists Dead in 5 Star Hotel

Crime

Son of Thailand’s Leading Legal Scholar on Corruption Arrested for Running Online Gambling Network

The son of a former senator and leading economist and expert on corruption and gambling in Thailand has been arrested for on charges of running an online gambling network and its payment system.

Police from Thailand’s Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) have confiscated assets worth more than (US$ 11.1 million) 400 million baht.

Narote Piriyarangsan, 33, was arrested following crackdowns in three sites around the city, according to Pol Maj Gen Athip Pongsiwapai, commander of the police Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD).

Mr Narote’s father, Sangsit Piriyarangsan, is an economist who has written articles and books about corruption and gambling. He was one of the appointed senators that were investigating the government’s intention to legalize casino gaming before their terms expired.

Police also detained 39-year-old Narayut Narakaew, the owner of the gambling website 69pgslot.com. The Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for the couple for operating an internet gambling service and money laundering.

According to the Bangkok Post, police seized two desktop computers, one laptop computer, 14 mobile phones, 21 bank passbooks, 53 ATM cards, and four high-end cars — a Ferrari 926 GTS, an Aston Martin, a Lexus, and a Subaru — totaling more than 400 million baht.

Police launched the inquiry after discovering the online gambling site, which accepted funds via an automatic deposit-withdrawal system through bank accounts and deposits in the AskMePay system. Players scanned the VPay QR code as well as the QR codes for Heng Online 888 or Heng Pay Company.

Police also discovered that payments received via QR code scans were transferred to the account of Heng Pay Co and then to the gambling website’s mule accounts using AskMePay, which did not use banks’ face recognition scanning. An inquiry indicated a monthly turnover of approximately 5 billion baht.

According to investigators, the website has been up and running for around four years, with the payment mechanism in use for roughly eight months.

According to Pol Maj Gen Athip, Mr Narote owns the gaming website’s payment systems and is the director of Heng Pay Co. After gathering evidence, authorities requested arrest warrants for 14 people.

Thailand does not allow almost any kind of gaming. Even though the law doesn’t say anything specific about online gaming, it is still considered gambling. The country has pretty strict rules about gambling. Thai punters can bet on the national lottery and horse races, but they can’t bet on any other types of games.

But it’s not a secret that there is a huge illegal gaming business in Thailand, even though it’s illegal.

The illegal casinos, online betting shops, underground lotteries, and pop-up bookies that take bets on everything from cockfights to Muay Thai make a shadow economy that is worth billions of dollars every year.