Immigration officer fired after being caught using official vehicle to smuggle cigarettes

[webfact]

Picture: Daily News

 

The chief of the Office of the Inspector General of the Thai police Gen Visanu Prasatthongosot confirmed that a corrupt immigration official had been disciplined and dismissed from the immigration bureau.

 

This was described as cutting out a malignant tumor from a finger of the force to save the body of the Immigration Bureau.

 

Sacked was Sen Sgt Maj Winai Saithong.

 

After taking back some illegal Cambodians in a van through Aranyaprathet on the border he brought back with him 600 packets of foreign cigarettes.

 

He thought using a civil service van would hide his smuggling but he was caught by customs and ordered to pay 336,000 baht in fines. 

 

His activities were a serious breach of regulations and warranted his dismissal from the force, reported Daily News from RTP HQ yesterday. 

 

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[2long]

Well, let's look on the bright side... at least he wasn't a Customs Official. ????????????????????

#clutchingatstraws #donttakemeseriously 

[Emdog]

"This was described as cutting out a malignant tumor from a finger of the force to save the body of the Immigration Bureau."

That cancer long ago metastasized

[RJRS1301]

Oh just a show to appease the current media spotlight on the vast amount of corruption be discussed openly.

It is one less snout in a trough. He must not have had a brown envelope ready at the time.

 

 

[Karma80]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

He thought using a civil service van would hide his smuggling but he was caught by customs and ordered to pay 336,000 baht in fines. 

Jeez. Looks like everyone's visa renewal bribe will have to go up to pay for it.

[Will B Good]

Jeeezzz.....you can't do anything these days without someone getting on your back.

[smedly]

I wonder was it 600 packets or cartons - I would assume the latter 

 

plus he was smuggling people across the border which to me is far more serious

[robblok]

11 minutes ago, Karma80 said:

Jeez. Looks like everyone's visa renewal bribe will have to go up to pay for it.

How so the guy was fired... how is he going to receive bribes. It sometimes pays to read the article.

[robblok]

1 minute ago, smedly said:

I wonder was it 600 packets or cartons - I would assume the latter 

 

plus he was smuggling people across the border which to me is far more serious

I guess you did not read correctly. He was DEPORTING illegal immigrants and while in Cambodia he bought cigarettes. So he was on official duty doing his job. So that makes the smuggling a worse offence as he used an official vehicle for it.

 

There was no smuggling of people going on.

[CharlieH]

Throw the focus on the shrimp whilst the Whale swims away!

[Benmart]

Part of the RTP and the usual news.

[trainman34014]

Just trying to uphold the reputation of Thailands finest; most members believing that honesty is not a moneymaking policy !

[RJRS1301]

2 hours ago, Karma80 said:

Jeez. Looks like everyone's visa renewal bribe will have to go up to pay for it.

Nah, silly greedy sod has been sacked. They will never collect the fine

[RJRS1301]

2 hours ago, smedly said:

I wonder was it 600 packets or cartons - I would assume the latter 

 

plus he was smuggling people across the border which to me is far more serious

Naughty, you did not read the article correctly.

 

[Scouse123]

2 hours ago, RJRS1301 said:

Oh just a show to appease the current media spotlight on the vast amount of corruption be discussed openly.

It is one less snout in a trough. He must not have had a brown envelope ready at the time.

 

 

 

Wait for the spin put on it by his boss for the newspapers and social media.

 

They will move him to the tourism department next month for his entrepreneurial skills and fostering good cross border relations with neighboring countries as well boosting the Cambodian economy.

[RJRS1301]

1 minute ago, Scouse123 said:

 

Wait for the spin put on it by his boss for the newspapers and social media.

 

They will move him to the tourism department next month for his entrepreneurial skills and fostering good cross border relations with neighboring countries as well boosting the Cambodian economy.

That is worthy of a cabinet position surely?

 

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

He thought using a civil service van would hide his smuggling but he was caught by customs and ordered to pay 336,000 baht in fines. 

And fired, double whammy.

[hotchilli]

7 minutes ago, RJRS1301 said:

That is worthy of a cabinet position surely?

 

I'm sure the application is in the post.

[Will B Good]

9 minutes ago, Scouse123 said:

 

Wait for the spin put on it by his boss for the newspapers and social media.

 

They will move him to the tourism department next month for his entrepreneurial skills and fostering good cross border relations with neighboring countries as well boosting the Cambodian economy.

He wasn't smuggling, he was confiscating the cigarettes in order to destroy them and protect the lungs of tiny orphans.

[ThaiFelix]

I keep hearing these reports about preserving the good reputation of the RTP.  But who is this good policeman?  Why do they never name him if he is so good??  ????

[spidermike007]

This is likely fake news, and he was probably "transferred". Immigration, police, customs, army and government officials do not get fired here for corruption. They get "protected". It has always been that way, and Prayuth would be the last man in the world to upset the status quo, and the apple cart.

 

Sure, they had to do something, as they always do when this is made public, they are embarrassed or humiliated, and outed for their daily practices. But, rest assured, no charges will be filed against him, and he will walk away, just like all the other do. 

[Aussieroaming]

I have always loved word association - fish and chips, corrupt and official, salt and pepper to name a few.

[Burma Bill]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

brought back with him 600 packets of foreign cigarettes

A rather harsh outcome for just 3 packs of 200 cigarettes or in reality 600 x 200 packs?????

[Tropicalevo]

"fired after being caught using official vehicle to smuggle cigarettes"

So he was not fired for the smuggling of the cigarettes? He was fired for using an official vehicle.

[Mavideol]

3 hours ago, Benmart said:

Part of the RTP and the usual news.

but one of the "gang's" head once said that Thailand had no corruption and no prostitution

[dirtybirty]

9 hours ago, RJRS1301 said:

Nah, silly greedy sod has been sacked. They will never collect the fine

His book will be past on and 0's added normal mo