3 men nabbed in Ubon for posing as senior police to scam drug suspects

[rooster59]

3 men nabbed in Ubon for posing as senior police to scam drug suspects

By Kittipong Maneerit
The Nation

 

 

Police have arrested three men who allegedly posed as senior police officers who could clear away drug charges in a scam to dupe drug suspects of their money.

 

Arrest warrants were issued by Bangkok's Taling Chan Provincial Court on August 27 for Krit Rodboonkerd, 33, Surasak Kliang-owat, 31, and Jeerapan Jaikonkaew, 26. They were arrested on August 29 in Ubon Ratchathani’s Warin Chamrap district and reportedly told police they had committed similar fraud on 25 prior occasions and got away with Bt2.5 million.

 

 

The case stemmed from a separate drug bust that led to the arrest of a Thai male drug suspect identified only as “Nont”, along with 6,000 methamphetamine pills and 150 grams of crystal meth or "ice" in the Bangkok Yai Police Station jurisdiction early this month. A relative of Nont on August 16 then received a phone call from a man who claimed to be Pol Lt-Colonel Piyarat Vessakosol of the Children and Women Protection Sub-Division and boasted he could clear the drug charge for Nont in exchange for Bt100,000. Believing the story, the relative wired the money. After the case was not cleared away and the fraudulent caller was out of reach, the relative filed a complaint with police, resulting in a probe that first netted Jeerapan and Surasak who handled the money transaction for the gang, then Krit who made the call.

 

Sub-division head Pol Colonel Jirakrit Jarunapat issued a warning to the public to beware fraudsters who add a second blow to the relatives of drug suspects. “Relatives of suspects in criminal cases should be aware that no-one could help clear away charges, especially those drugs-related, so if they are contacted by anyone promising to be able to do that, you can assume that you are being duped,” Jirakrit said.

 

During a police interrogation, Krit reportedly confessed to having done similar fraud on 25 occasions in a three-month span and got away with Bt2.5 million, which he split among his gang members to spend on going out.

 

Krit had a prior arrest from 2011 for a similar fraud in which he claimed to be the then national police chief Pol General Priewpan Damapong. He was to sentenced to a year in prison for duping a crime suspect's relative of Bt200,000.

 

After being released, he tried to straighten out by raising chickens for sale, but when that failed to yield enough income he randomly called police stations to get information about drug suspects, which he used in the scam.

 

Police are now in the process of checking and seizing the suspects’ assets to repay the victims.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30375632

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2019-08-31

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[edwinchester]

"....but when that failed to yield enough income he randomly called police stations to get information about drug suspects, which he used in the scam."

 

Alai wah?!

Edited August 31, 2019 by edwinchester

[sammieuk1]

It should be easy enough to impersonate a Pol-Col-Maj-Gen there are millions of them????

[Con Peoples Fund]

1 hour ago, edwinchester said:

"....but when that failed to yield enough income he randomly called police stations to get information about drug suspects, which he used in the scam."

 

Alai wah?!

So police stations routinely gives out information about ongoing cases to any random person who call to asked? 

[edwinchester]

11 minutes ago, Con Peoples Fund said:

So police stations routinely gives out information about ongoing cases to any random person who call to asked? 

It would seem so.....Amazing Thailand.

[Vacuum]

3 hours ago, rooster59 said:

he tried to straighten out by raising chickens for sale, but when that failed to yield enough income he randomly called police stations to get information about drug suspects, which he used in the scam.

 

Police are now in the process of checking and seizing the suspects’ assets to repay the victims.

How much for a chicken nowadays?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

21 minutes ago, Con Peoples Fund said:

So police stations routinely gives out information about ongoing cases to any random person who call to asked? 

 

Or perhaps the group had a buddy working on the inside who would provide the required information by telephone when needed. Which is something the BIB might not want to be announcing in their press conference.

 

[edwinchester]

47 minutes ago, Vacuum said:

How much for a chicken nowadays?

One of wifeys uncles used to breed fighting cocks, some of which sold for up to 150,000 bht.

Nice little earner until the bird flu epidemic a while ago wiped out his breeding stock.

[Solinvictus]

Crafty and sneaky folks! As @TallGuyJohninBKK touched on, I wouldn't be surprised he had someone on the inside, given this person had the guts to do that or maybe not. Yeah, I doubt they would even come out to say what really happened. From the top down..there always seems to be a stench of corruption and/or secrets here. Oh what a lovely face!