Drug Bust Leads To Hunt For Bangkok-Based Police Officer

[webfact]

Drug bust leads to hunt for officer

The Nation

Police escort eight Hmong suspects

BANGKOK: -- Alongside a manhunt for a Bangkok-based junior traffic policeman in connection with a major drugs bust in Lampang on Monday, police have obtained arrest warrants for six others believed to have been members of his alleged drugs racket.

Efforts by the Office of Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) to seize the assets of Pol Senior Sgt-Major Manas Suepho are also under way.

Working as junior officer at Pracha Chuen police station in northern Bangkok, Manas has possessions worth about Bt50 million, comprising homes, cars and cash in several bank accounts.

The six others wanted by police are Prawin Thuaypha, a former police colleague of Manas's; Prawin's wife, Suchada; Sathit Saengla and his wife, Buakhai; and Raphin Khamfaeng and his wife, Suthep.

They are suspected of running drugs deals with Manas acting as the group's financier, together with Thiti Phengsuk, who was arrested in the incident on Monday.

Manas and Thiti allegedly drove through a checkpoint in Lampang. The vehicle they were travelling in was then stopped by police, who found 1,280,000 amphetamine tablets and 5 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine ("ice") in it.

Thiti was arrested but Manas managed to escape, despite being pursued by anti-narcotics agents and local police. He is now thought to be on the run in Lampang, where police are hunting him down, using sniffer dogs and pursuit vehicles.

A wanted poster, released both in Lampang and Bangkok, calls for the public to be on the look-out for Manas, who is possibly travelling in a white BMW with a Bangkok licence plate, which probably picked him up from a location in Lampang. He is likely in Lampang, but could be travelling to Bangkok, according to the poster.

Lampang's police chief, Pol Maj-General Phornchai Phakphongsri, said Manas had been instrumental in transporting illegal tablets to Bangkok in more than 10 trips, during each of which 200,000-500,000 pills were moved.

Police established Prawin's link to the case because he is registered as the joint owner of a white Isuzu pickup that also drove through the checkpoint in Lampang, and was later found abandoned.

Police later located his wife's parents, who said they merely knew of Prawin as a loner who had built a home for Suchada in Uthai Thani and had asked them to live with her at the property.

Police searched the home and seized a number of firearms and vehicles suspected of having been bought with drug money.

A police team also seized two vehicles after searching a home of one of the other suspects, Sathit.

The Anti-Money Laundering Office and the ONCB are preparing to seize the assets of all the suspects if they are found to have been purchased with drug money.

ONCB secretary-general Pongsapat Phongcharoen said assets worth about Bt582 million had been seized around the country from drug dealers so far this month, while assets worth Bt1.76 billion had been seized from 5,055 suspects.

An auction to sell autos and motorcycles seized from drug suspects will be held next month. It is expected to fetch Bt100 million, he said.

-- The Nation 2012-10-24

[JeremyBowskill]

Suspects seem to get away nearly as often as get arrested. Is this sh1t policing? or good bribe taking? the jurys out for me.....

Although anyone who has ever done the visa run to Mae Sai and seen the armed officers with m16's and such, usually 10 or so deep would have to suspect the latter. Assuming all checkpoints are policed in the same way that is.

Edited October 24, 2012 by JeremyBowskill

[siampolee]

Suspects seem to get away nearly as often as get arrested. Is this sh1t policing? or good bribe taking? the jurys out for me....

Two infamous police officers names spring to mind.

Thaksin and Chalerm, indeed fine examples of an upstanding honest police force and both shining examples to their comrades as to how they can operate and of course the benefits offered, the rewards reaped by unethical practices.

Edited October 24, 2012 by siampolee

[asiawatcher]

As if this cop on the run is an isolated case. Start looking at the internal assets of all police and work your way down from the top, it will save you time as to who is behind a lot of the drug trade. The low end guys are just the distributors in the biggest Multi Level Marketing scam in history (apart from religion).

[lizardtongue]

Thiti was arrested but Manas managed to escape, despite being pursued by anti-narcotics agents and local police. He is now thought to be on the run in Lampang, where police are hunting him down, using sniffer dogs and pursuit vehicles.

This should perhaps should read, Thiti was arrested but Manas managed to escape, despite leaving a trail of Bt 1000 notes in his wake!

It is all good news if it were in almost any other country but here I am never to confident that the outcome warrants the crime, particularly when large amounts of money are involved!

[fareastguy]

Yeah.. never seem to keep the backdoor shut when making these arrests..

I used to watch the Thai soaps of the cop's making arrests & thought it was a joke.. not sure who's copying who now ??

[SteeleJoe]

Suspects seem to get away nearly as often as get arrested. Is this sh1t policing? or good bribe taking? the jurys out for me.....

A false dichotomy -- it's not one or the other, nor are they by any means mutually exclusive. Indeed the former often is both a direct and indirect result of the latter. Not only is there no incentive to do good work, there is a disincentive. Moreover, it has a deleterious effect on the quality of personnel attracted to the work and is bound to have a tendency to attract people with the wrong motives and less than desired integrity.

Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa ap

[SteeleJoe]

Suspects seem to get away nearly as often as get arrested. Is this sh1t policing? or good bribe taking? the jurys out for me....

Two infamous police officers names spring to mind.

Thaksin and Chalerm, indeed fine examples of an upstanding honest police force and both shining examples to their comrades as to how they can operate and of course the benefits offered, the rewards reaped by unethical practices.

I am not one to diminish the misdeeds of either (and in particular have nothing but contempt to second of them), but other than political partisanship, it's silly to name only those two when corruption is not only systematic but systemic and virtually universal. Even leaving out the relatively lower ranks, The list of upper ranks who are shockingly corrupt is too long to list and or to catalogue the variety and severity of their crimes. To imply in the slightest way that such things are confined to two central characters on one side of a contemporary divide is to misrepresent the situation in my opinion.

Just to give a bit more historical perspective (and to use names of people that are undisputedly criminal -- and won't get me in trouble):

Lt General Chalor

or perhaps the ultimate example:

Police General Pao

Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa ap

[JeremyBowskill]

I'm still not sure how you get away from men with machine guns without either bad policing or bribes being paid.............. maybe an act of god, earthquake or some such.........

[siampolee]

Indeed Steelyejoe, as you say the list is enormous concerning the police and no I hadn't forgotten those you mentioned ,however the two names mentioned are currently high profile-thus the mentions of their names.

Sadly I would say 90% of the Police force is rotten to the core, poorly educated abysmal salary levels indeed a fertile seed bed for corrupt practices and the perversion of justice.

[smedly]

it wouldn't surprise me if these fugitives are never seen again or turn up dead, I can just hear the conversation at the checkpoints - I have connections in high places and if you don't let me go - they go down too

[webfact]

DRUG TRAFFICKING

Policeman linked to drug gang lived normal life: coworkers

The Nation

Some of confiscated items displayed

BANGKOK: -- More than Bt77 million has now been confiscated from a drug-trafficking gang who includes in its number a Bangkok-based police senior sergeant major.

Pol Senior Sgt Maj Manas Suapho has been linked to the arrest of Thiti Pengsuk and the haul of 1.28million methamphetamine tablets and five kilogrammes of 'ice' or 'crystal methamphetamine' on Sunday.

The assets seized from Thiti were worth Bt4.8million while those taken from Manas were around Bt20.61 million.

The remainder was seized from their accomplices, Sathit and Buakhai Saenglah, Prathin and Suchada Tuaipa, and Rapin and Suthep Khamfaeng.

Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung said this case was the first time a policeman had been involved in a big drugtrafficking gang.

"We will take harsh actions against any policeman involved in drug trade. His supervisor will also face a probe to determine whether he failed to properly oversee his subordinates," Chalerm said.

Manas is working at the Prachachuen Police Station in Bangkok.

Police Spokesman Maj General Piya Utayo said National Police Commissioner General Adul Saengsingkaeo had ordered that supervisors be held responsible if they were found to be negligent.

Pol Lt Colonel Narongchai Noisri, a deputy superintendent at the Prachachuen Police Station, said Manas had demonstrated no suspicious behaviour.

"He doesn't live a luxury life. He has even borrowed money from coworkers. He has sought loans from a police cooperative and the Government Savings Bank," Narongchai said.

-- The Nation 2012-10-24

[JeremyBowskill]

and nobody twigged when he turned up for work in his new B.M.W or Merc that perhaps he was living past his 10-12k monthly salery?? exactly how many drug squad and detectives did he work in the same building as?

[KarstenBoAndersen]

But the little policemand have worth 20 Mill. of goodies !

How stupid can people be ???

How can he get all that on a police salary ??

[Jim walker]

Well done to the BIB for catching their own dirty cops, every little helps’ another few scum bags off the streets, and all for the greed of money do the crooked Thai police officers never think of the people they serve or just ways to get more and more tea money from the public.

[tingtongfarang]

He might be looking at an inactive post when they get him.

[scorecard]

He might be looking at an inactive post when they get him.

In the other paper the rogue cop says he's done the same drug run many times, for more than two years.

How come his superiors and colleagues didn't notice something?

Another example of the police brotherhood, no matter what they do, they are brothers and never rat on each other. But at the same time they allow the overall reputation of the RTP to go down the tubes. To them the brotherhood is more important.

[lizardtongue]

There is an offense called 'Unusual Wealth' although it is not clear if the police come under the umbrella of 'state official' regardless, if someone on a low income or any of his close family are seen 'floating around' in a 6 Million Bt car then (unless tea money is being paid, for heads to be turned) surely questions must be asked?

Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung said this case was the first time a policeman had been involved in a big drugtrafficking gang.

Oh really? I guess it depends on how you define 'big'

Unusual Wealth

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has the authority to initiate investigations into whether a person holding a political position or a state official is “unusually wealthy” under Chapter 7 of the Anti-Corruption Act, B.E. 2542, which was amended in April 2011. “Unusual wealth” essentially means wealth that is acquired improperly in connection with the exercise of government powers.

If the NACC believes that a person holding a political position or a state official under investigation (the “Subject”) is about to transfer, transform or conceal an asset relating to unusual wealth, the NACC can issue an order temporarily freezing that asset. If such an order is issued, the Subject needs to prove that the frozen asset is not related to his or her unusual wealth under investigation; otherwise, the NACC may continue to freeze the asset until the NACC determines that the accusation is groundless or a competent court renders a final judgment dismissing the case. (§ 78)

[rubl]

Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung said this case was the first time a policeman had been involved in a big drugtrafficking gang.

I'm sure Dept. PM Pol. Captain Chalerm is appalled at this affront to police regulations and practises. Normally the lower ranks are only involved in petty bribe taking and the like. The big stuff is for higher ranks who at their discretion may hand-out bits and pieces of the work involved, as is their proper right as superiors.

[wallcracks]

But the little policemand have worth 20 Mill. of goodies !

How stupid can people be ???

How can he get all that on a police salary ??

I heard there are actually Policeman in Bangkok who drive Ferraris ...

[Payboy]

I heard there are actually Policeman in Bangkok who drive Ferraris ...

Haven't heard of those, but heard of one who recently became a hood ornament on a Ferrari.

Above post may contain matter offensive to some. Parental guidance is advised.

[jerrysteve]

I believe I read an article on ThaiVisa news where potential policemen were disqualifired coz they had wax beads on their peckers and tatoos on their body...They were disqualified from taking the police exam. Perhaps they should lower the bar even more than it is, if thats even possible, and just hire the criminals right out of prison... Why even have an examine at all...hire policemen right out of Jail, and pin a dam badge on them.

Edited October 24, 2012 by jerrysteve

[asiawatcher]

He lived anything other than a normal life...

[wallcracks]

I heard there are actually Policeman in Bangkok who drive Ferraris ...

Haven't heard of those, but heard of one who recently became a hood ornament on a Ferrari.

Above post may contain matter offensive to some. Parental guidance is advised.

Yes that s not the Guy I meant. Another one i know of is Driving a Bentley.....