Extortion by Ministry of Agriculture task force exposed by senator

[webfact]

 

Extortion practices by a special task force from the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives were put in the spotlight as Senator Poldej Pinprateep levelled serious accusations against the group during a Senate debate yesterday.

 

The Phaya Nakkharat task force, tasked with overseeing rubber production and trade, allegedly seized approximately 600 tonnes of rubber from a villager in the Sangkhla Buri district of Kanchanaburi province, according to the senator.

 

He stated that the rubber, valued at 15 million baht, was held for a month, leading to its degradation. The task force’s actions were justified on the basis that the origin of 29 tonnes out of the 600 tonnes was under question. Despite the villager’s clear explanation of the source of the disputed 29 tonnes of rubber, the task force reportedly refused to return the product.

 

Senator Pinprateep also shared an instance of a rubber grower from the southern province of Krabi’s Ao Luk district, who was allegedly falsely accused by an influential group of smuggling rubber from neighbouring countries. The grower claimed that instead of receiving assistance from the task force, he was pressured into giving some of his rubber to avoid a total seizure.

The senator went on to claim that the task force deployed around 30 cars daily to set up checkpoints and extort money from trucks transporting rubber between Thailand and neighbouring countries. He noted that the extortion rate had risen from 1,000 baht before January to 5,000 baht in subsequent months.

Responding to the accusations, Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Thammanat Prompow defended the task force, asserting their ethical operations in combating rubber smuggling. He mentioned that stringent inspections of rubber transportation between Thailand and neighbouring Myanmar through Kanchanaburi’s Sangkhla Buri were in response to local complaints about the unpleasant odour of piled-up rubber awaiting transport.

 

The minister also indicated that the ministry had received reports of rubber traders smuggling rubber from a neighbouring country with lower labour costs into Thailand before exporting the illicit product to Malaysia. However, he did not refute the senator’s specific allegations of extortion and abuse of authority by the task force.

 

by Mitch Connor 

Picture courtesy of Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives

 

Source: The Thaiger 2024-03-26

 

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[Tropicalevo]

It is like the old saying - 'who will police the police'.

 

The task force set up to oversee bad things - doing bad things.

Love it.

[dinsdale]

26 minutes ago, webfact said:

he did not refute the senator’s specific allegations of extortion and abuse of authority by the task force.

Ah! Thailand. Bent from top to bottom. Fairly sure that those in a position of corruption think it's normal practice and guarantee those on the receiving end know it is.

[lordgrinz]

They let a convicted heroin smuggler run the show, what could go wrong? I still can't believe anyone would want to be associated with, or seen with this man, just a disgusting individual who should be shunned by all. He is the perfect example of what is so wrong about Thai society.

[bamnutsak]

8 minutes ago, lordgrinz said:

I still can't believe anyone would want to be associated with, or seen with this man, just a disgusting individual who should be shunned by all.

 

He's an "earner".

 

This government is as corrupt as they are incompetent.

 

 

Meanwhile, Chada Thaiset is Anutin's Deputy Interior Minister, in charge of identifying "influential people".

 

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/30316547

 

https://www.thaipbsworld.com/chada-thaised-ferocious-opponent-of-pitas-pm-bid-has-a-dark-and-violence-racked-history/

 

https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40031685

 

[mark131v]

3 hours ago, lordgrinz said:

They let a convicted heroin smuggler run the show, what could go wrong? I still can't believe anyone would want to be associated with, or seen with this man, just a disgusting individual who should be shunned by all. He is the perfect example of what is so wrong about Thai society.

 

Bravo sums Thailand up very nicely!

 

Hard to believe the lies and hypocrisy that these creatures drivel on a daily basis, harder to believe anyone believes anything they spout from their upper orifices!

 

Must be hard to be an honest person in this cess pit but tbh looks like you've more chance of discovering a pink unicorn 🦄 than an honest person in Thailand's leadership and positions of power....

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Responding to the accusations, Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Thammanat Prompow defended the task force, asserting their ethical operations in combating rubber smuggling.

Anything he says should not be sniffed at.... 

[Artisi]

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

Anything he says should not be sniffed at.... 

Or sells.... 

[PETERTHEEATER]

2 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Anything he says should not be sniffed at.... 

I read an article saying he was a hero in Australia.....Er....I think I may have to get new glasses.😒

[Artisi]

8 hours ago, lordgrinz said:

They let a convicted heroin smuggler run the show, what could go wrong? I still can't believe anyone would want to be associated with, or seen with this man, just a disgusting individual who should be shunned by all. He is the perfect example of what is so wrong about Thai society.

Think you have that wrong, he was importing and selling flour in Australia - that's according to his story plus he wasn't jailed in Australia - just an honest upstanding Thai citizen going about his normal business. 

[mikebell]

22 hours ago, webfact said:

Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Thammanat Prompow defended the task force, asserting their ethical operations in combating rubber smuggling.

He has no sense of irony when uttering this public BS.

[Dan O]

22 hours ago, bamnutsak said:

 

He's an "earner".

 

This government is as corrupt as they are incompetent.

 

 

Meanwhile, Chada Thaiset is Anutin's Deputy Interior Minister, in charge of identifying "influential people".

 

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/30316547

 

https://www.thaipbsworld.com/chada-thaised-ferocious-opponent-of-pitas-pm-bid-has-a-dark-and-violence-racked-history/

 

https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40031685

 

Yeah but almost all those "influencial" people claimed they stopped so its all ok. Not sure what happened to the ones that didn't claim to  stop. I think they went onto  the monthly charity fund raiser list 

[Mr Meeseeks]

23 hours ago, lordgrinz said:

They let a convicted heroin smuggler run the show, what could go wrong? I still can't believe anyone would want to be associated with, or seen with this man, just a disgusting individual who should be shunned by all. He is the perfect example of what is so wrong about Thai society.

 

He sat on the right-hand side of the PM when he visited Chiang Mai, with Thaksin on the other side.

 

A clear signal to all the rivals who is back in full control now.

 

Mafia run this country, make no mistake about it. 

[john donson]

stop subsidies, stop the corruption... free market... not in thai dictionary

[spidermike007]

Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Thammanat Prompow is likely as corrupt as the day is long, and the same could be said for top officials in virtually every department. It would be a beautiful day in Thailand if all those top officials were locked up for a very long time in the big house. 

[daveAustin]

Yes it would be. Lock them all up, I say! But won’t happen of course. I mean, look how the last governments have come about. Shambles. It is best to not even concern oneself with such triviality. Keep smiling and let them carry on. Only the Thais can change it.  

[lordgrinz]

14 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

 

He sat on the right-hand side of the PM when he visited Chiang Mai, with Thaksin on the other side.

 

A clear signal to all the rivals who is back in full control now.

 

Mafia run this country, make no mistake about it. 

 

If foreigners looking to invest do their homework, is it worth dealing with these corrupt clowns, that's the real question. I think any investment in Thailand is a risky one, and not worth the risk.