Crime Two Police Officers Arrested in Drug Money Laundering Probe

[Georgealbert]

 

Picture courtesy of Daily News.

 

Narcotics police have arrested two provincial detectives accused of laundering drug money as part of a wider investigation into a trafficking and storage network linked to multi-million-baht drug seizures.

 

On 15 August, Pol Lt Gen Santi Chainiramai, Commander of the Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB), and Pol Lt Gen Surapol Prembutr, Commissioner of Provincial Police Region 1, confirmed the arrests of Pol Lt Veerakarn, deputy inspector of the Pathum Thani Provincial Investigation Division and Pol Sgt Maj Yuranan, an officer in the same unit. Both men were detained under Criminal Court warrants on charges of money laundering, specifically concealing or disguising the origins of assets derived from drug crimes.

 

The operation follows the government’s “No Drugs, No Dealers” policy and a crackdown on state officials involved in narcotics. The NSB has been pursuing the “transport and storage” gang since January, when officers seized three million methamphetamine tablets concealed in an Isuzu MU-X SUV in Nakhon Pathom. Two suspects were arrested at the time, linked to a trafficking network allegedly headed by Teerayut, known as ‘Beer’, who remains on the run.

 

Subsequent investigations uncovered a broader network of at least five suspects, some of whom have already been arrested, while others are still fugitives. Financial probes revealed a series of transactions in which drug profits were withdrawn and moved through various channels. Evidence pointed to the involvement of the two Pathum Thani detectives, who allegedly received and handled cash from drug-linked accounts.

 

Police have already seized assets worth over 35 million baht from the network in two separate operations. Investigators say further confiscations are expected as they trace the money trail.

 

Authorities stressed that the arrests highlight a zero-tolerance stance against corrupt officials.

 

“No member of the police force will be exempt if found to be connected to drugs,” Pol Lt Gen Santi said. “This case shows our determination to dismantle trafficking rings and punish any state officers who collude with them.”

 

Both detained officers are now in custody pending trial, while the NSB continues to expand the investigation into remaining members of the gang.

 

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Daily News 2025-08-17