Chiang Mai anti-drug police chief arrested in Chiang Rai for drug delivery

[webfact]

Chiang Mai Anti-Drug Police Chief Arrested For Drug Delivery
By Khaosod English


Pol.Lt.Col. Chamnarn Phoomphaichit © was arrested at a checkpoint near the Thai-Myanmar border in Chiang Rai province after officers searched his vehicle and found large amounts of narcotics hidden in two bags, 18 August 2014.

CHIANG RAI — A drug smuggler arrested with more than 800,000 tablets of methamphetamine this afternoon was discovered to be a high-ranking police officer tasked with cracking down on illegal drugs.

Pol.Lt.Col. Chamnarn Phoomphaichit was arrested at a checkpoint near the Thai-Myanmar border in Chiang Rai province after officers searched his vehicle and found large amounts of narcotics hidden in two bags.

According to a statement from police, the search of Pol.Lt.Col. Chamnarn's car turned up at least 800,000 meth tablets and one kilogram of crystal meth. The confiscated items are said to be worth more than 200 million baht.

Police say Pol.Lt.Col. Chamnarn is the deputy commander of the Chai Prakarn Police Station in Chiang Mai province. He is also known as a tough anti-drug crusader among Region 5 police officers, police say.

Pol.Col. Wirat Soomnapan, an officer with the Chiang Rai police force, said police are interrogating the suspect to find out more about the drug network he allegedly works for.

Source: http://en.khaosod.co.th/detail.php?newsid=1408367832&typecate=06&section=


-- Khaosod English 2014-08-19

[2008bangkok]

Probably moved to an inactive post as punishment

[NongKhaiKid]

Some things never change and never will. Too much money involved.

[chooka]

Being the chief of the anti drugs division he certainly didn't have his finger on the pulse or knew what his team were up to. Anyway no problem just tell you didn't know what was in the bags, an unknown person paid you 10K baht to drop off his bags to another unknown person

[onthedarkside]

Not really a surprise. Police are deeply involved in the drug trade all over Thailand. On both sides of the fence - investigation and dealing or at least controlling the dealers.

[jcisco]

Probably had to go do a run after they burned the stock recently, must of been really difficult to hand over the evidence locker.

[apetley]

As for being a tough anti drug crusader I guess that was only against his networks competition.

Royal Thai Police, rotten to the very core.

[Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere]

Ba Ba Bad cop have you any YaBa? Yes sir yes sir two bags full.

[pomchop]

I am amazed that the cops at the checkpoint actually searched a MR BIG COP car.....obviously he pissed off somebody that was MR BIGGER.

[Bung]

He'll get bail and disappear, like they always do.

[smedly]

This dirty cop is without doubt a kingpin in the Northwest, there will be a few people with stained underpants right now unless he magically drops dead from some sort of medical issue, I hope he is in army custody and not police

[siampolee]

Seems as if a classic case of recycling merchandise may have gone a tad adrift.

Yet again we see a marked improvement in the work of the B.I.B. under this current administration.

One is led to wonder why that should be, perhaps the overall master an ex police person no longer has the reins of power thus those little jerks and flicks of those reins of command have been removed.

[kurnell]

He has to learn to share

[GeorgeO]

Seems as if a classic case of recycling merchandise may have gone a tad adrift.

Yet again we see a marked improvement in the work of the B.I.B. under this current administration.

One is led to wonder why that should be, perhaps the overall master an ex police person no longer has the reins of power thus those little jerks and flicks of those reins of command have been removed.

I think one would have to say full marks to the current administration; this guy would have remained untouchable if it hadn't been for the coup.

[daveAustin]

I am amazed that the cops at the checkpoint actually searched a MR BIG COP car.....obviously he pissed off somebody that was MR BIGGER.

Perhaps the army were behind the pull. Regardless, this scum has to hang, preferably in Thapae Square and then again in Ratchaprasong

[Bung]

I'd love to see this guy who abused a position of trust and power made an example of. This is a good time and chance to do just that. To tell crooked police that they are going to get jailed if they deal in drugs and start to clean up the filth.

Maybe even some officers above him should roll as an example?

Unfortunately, he will probably just skip across the border and get looked after there then the next guy will jump into his place, the lure of money and power is all too great unless he hangs of course.

[DonaldBattles]

What you have seen here is a person deviating from the long established system. This happens from time to time and they are rated on. His big debts were obviously the reason he did this. This big, big business has been going on for 70 years and they are not going to allow people take a cut and run. Precursor made in China, shipped to Burma and finished product sent to Chiang Rai for further transport. There are lots of local small dealers here who are allowed to have this territory with payment. It fits into their extra income after growing Yingluck rice. There are no poor people in Chiang Rai.

[crazykopite]

That's what happens when you become greedy and do not share the spoils with your work colleagues.

[sscsamui]

I would bet my bottom dollar that other police officers and Politicians are doing the same thing.

[Emster23]

Wow. Didn't see this one coming. Maybe I need to check my medication levels.

[schondie]

Not really a surprise. Police are deeply involved in the drug trade all over Thailand. On both sides of the fence - investigation and dealing or at least controlling the dealers.

Not just Thailand, all over the world the police see the money being made by the dealers and some can succumb to temptation.

Police corruption isn't just a Thai thing.

[Jean Pierre Jacquot]

He is a dead man already. If everything goes well he will receive capital punishment and if not, 3 Mio Baht is peanuts against the 100 Mio he owns now to his drug dealer friends.

[ezzra]

That's make absolute sense, the cat that was suppose to guard the milk...

[NextStationBangkok]

It is shocking news. I hope CAPO will clean up the criminal police officers, and save Thai's from the victims of the drug abuse. First thing they should give the power to the Army to check the police vehicles.

[my friend I]

I am amazed that the cops at the checkpoint actually searched a MR BIG COP car.....obviously he pissed off somebody that was MR BIGGER.

The Mai Sai guys.

[TheFishman1]

The Police here is a business

[Halion]

Good to see some of these scumbags getting caught but only effective if the punishment fits the crime.

So much of the corruption that besets this country is as a result of police involvement either directly or indirectly. A major factor in providing "happiness for the people" would be to "sanitize" the RTP.

[mango66]

He guys !

He have just seiced the narcotics from some dealer which escaped,

and he were now just on the way back to his office to report and record the sucess !! :-))

[iancnx]

As alluded too by another poster, my missus tells me from the Thai news that this arrest was indeed instigated by the army, and one can assume that they (the military) do indeed have the power to man border control points and search whoever they want too. I trust that this individual will be brought to trial and observers will be wondering what sentence will be handed down.

[HOOD Robin]

Probably moved to an inactive post as punishment

for sure !