3 Thai police officers sentenced to life in prison for drug trafficking

[webfact]

3 policemen get life over drug run
Kesinee Taengkhiao
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- THREE POLICEMEN have been sentenced to life in prison for drug trafficking and using a police vehicle to deliver narcotics.

The court yesterday found 2nd Lieutenant Jittipong Sochai, 44; Pol Snr Sgt-Major Attapon Khamsaen, 44; and Pol Lt-Colonel Thammanoon Nakbua, 42; guilty of having methamphetamine in their possession with intent to sell, as well as carrying guns in a public place.

They were stationed at a police station in the northern province of Nan at the time of the crime.

The three were intercepted in the Central province of Ayutthaya on December 13, 2012, while driving a police pick-up truck. They were found carrying a million methamphetamine tablets.

But the court decided to commute their death terms to life imprisonment as it found some of their statements useful.

Also prosecuted in the case were Pol Snr Sgt-Major Sakkapong Chiangnoon, 41, and Pol Snr Sgt-Major Nontawat Pansa, 39. The two were found guilty of carrying weapons in a public place and each sentenced to four months in jail.

However, these officers were not charged in relation to drug trafficking, as evidence linking them was not strong enough, the court said.

Two civilians were convicted in the same case for trafficking and were also sentenced to death. They are Benjaporn Tiangkinnaree, 25, and Wicharn Laomee, 23. Evidence showed Benjaporn and Wicharn were waiting to pick up the large cache of methamphetamine pills from the convicted policemen.

An eighth defendant in this case is a civilian who was cleared after being given the benefit of doubt. None of the defendants have been granted bail. They will remain in custody pending possible appeals.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/3-policemen-get-life-over-drug-run-30243985.html


-- The Nation 2014-09-24

[BSJ]

Pure scum! The court should have sent a strong message to the whole country that the police are not above the law and given the death sentence without appeal.

[claffey]

Surely life imprisonment is also sending a signal. However, lets sentence the civilians to death!!! And what about the guy who 'got the benefit of the doubt"!!! He was quite lucky to say the least!! I'm going to give the reporter the benefit of the doubt here and say that perhaps he could have chosen a more suitable phrase or idiom!!!Lost in translation probably....

[BestBitterPhuket]

Good, that they were convicted, but I would like to know why the "civilians" were sentenced to death, and not the policemen. Policemen breaking the law should be held to a higher standard and they should be sentenced to death.

Edited September 24, 2014 by BestBitterPhuket

[Albertosez]

I hope this makes front page headlines in all the newspapers and it widely publicized on television.

Let's get another 3 done next week and every week after that until they are all routed out !

[mrtoad]

To serve and protect.....l

[Borzandy]

Somnamna...

[kurnell]

Tip of the iceberg

[Tanlic]

What was it a troll said last week about never having heard of Thai policemen going to jail?

[jacko45k]

Best I can think of to say is GOOD, although I wish the other two had gotten put away for longer.

[Nowisee]

Ok, I sorta believe they were sentenced to life, BUT... any way to find out where they are in 3 years after the smoke clears?

Hiding out in a province somewhere?

[Commerce]

"An eighth defendant in this case is a civilian who was cleared after being given the benefit of doubt."

With the surname 'Na Ayudhya' no doubt!

[bangkokheat]

To serve and protect.....l

to serve and protect collect

[razer]

Conviction and long term sentences of corrupt police is a good thing.

[Toknarok]

I wonder why it took nearly two years from the time of arrest to conviction? The wheels of justice obviously grind very slowly in Thailand.

[oldsailor35]

Am i reading this right ? Three highly ranked caught with large amount of drugs in police vehicle, get imprisonment.

Two civilians waiting to collect the drugs get DEATH penalty. This cannot be right ?

[Iumentum]

It's nice to see that things are done to show that "no one" is above the law, they should however get harder punishment that any civilian would have.

But things did take a positive turn in Thailand, and i salute the current caretaker/PM/general which i actually hope will keep the position long enough to make at least some of the changes stick.

[monk213]

This has made my morning, wow things may actually be changing around here, but I am too much of a pessimist to think that yet, or am I just being realistic? Anyway, let the good times roll, maybe I may not be heading off to Laos permanently next month after all, give me some more reasons not to Mr General

[me313]

This is not justice. The sentences are far too extreme. In addition, that doesn't mean that others in the same jurisdiction won't do the same thing, but have merely gotten competition out of the way. Young 25 year-old Thai boys being sentenced to death is far too extreme, I think it should be considered cruel and unusual punishment and a violation of human rights.

Edited September 24, 2014 by me313

[The Deerhunter]

What was it a troll said last week about never having heard of Thai policemen going to jail?

I agree but am cynical. This sentencing people to prison terms sounds fine but do they ever get there or stay there? Where these guys will be in 1 month, 6 months, 2 years, 5 years time time. Still in jail? I seem to remember cases of red shirts being sentenced to jail time for crimes of violence but no-one ever getting around to picking them up & locking them up. How easy would it be to just release someone from prison? They are dealing with 10's of 1,000's of people with various release dates & I'll bet the records are not not well kept It would be easy to get two files "mixed up" and release the wrong one. OOPs! Sorry! How would we or anyone else know? I wonder just how permeable the prison system is when massaged with rolls of 1,000 baht notes? Another potential mess for the general to look at some time in the future.

[Keesters]

The civilian gets death penalty but the ex-policemen get life. I don't care if the convicted policemen statements were helpful. They abused their position. They should be get the same or more.

[SPB65]

Another piece of brilliant public relations information for the RTP.

What happened to those million speed pills btw ? Back in circulation no doubt.

[Triplebank999]

Am i reading this right ? Three highly ranked caught with large amount of drugs in police vehicle, get imprisonment.

Two civilians waiting to collect the drugs get DEATH penalty. This cannot be right ?

You've not read it at all, the death sentences were commuted to life.

[Poppy Dave]

This is not justice. The sentences are far too extreme. In addition, that doesn't mean that others in the same jurisdiction won't do the same thing, but have merely gotten competition out of the way. Young 25 year-old Thai boys being sentenced to death is far too extreme, I think it should be considered cruel and unusual punishment and a violation of human rights.

Come-on, how can you say that?

Do these scum worry about wrecking the lives of the addicts (and I'm not defending the addicts either), who are given a life sentence of misery, just so the dealers can drive the latest model car or wear a Rolex watch? I DON'T THINK SO.

As for the involved Police.................. Just imagine you're driving down the road and you get a pain in the chest. In your car is your wife and child/children. You also have a briefcase containing thousands of dollars. You SHOULD be able to stop the car and call for assistance from the Police and the medics without having to worry. You SHOULD feel safe in the knowledge that the medics will look after you, and your family and money are safely being looked after by the Police. To betray the trust placed on you as a sworn Police Officer is just about as low as you can get. This is not 'selfrightous' clap-trap or a 'day-dream'............... I was a Police Officer for over 35 years and NEVER betrayed the trust placed in me once and I NEVER witnessed such betrayal.

They all deserve everything they get, however I think that the civilians getting the death penalty and the Police not, is grossly unfair.

PLEASE DON'T START SPLITTING HAIR OVER THE RIGHTS AND WRONGS OF DRUG TAKING. I'M ANTI DRUGS BUT I'M PRO JUSTICE.

[phanangpete]

What the Courts give them here and what they actually do are light years apart, unless the new regime has changed things !

[media]

Civilian gets death penalty but the policemen get life. Their statements were helpful... LOL

what a joke. They were paid and trusted to protect and uphold the law, it should be the other way round,

They wont be in jain for life, I'd be surprised if they were still in jail next year.

The other 2 cops that got 4 months in jail will be back at their positions of trust by christmas!

[coma]

Death sentence for drug trafficking police is the only medicine. I wonder to what extent they have gone to throughout their careers to protect their enterprise. And how many innocent people have copped jail time for these grubs.

[makkam]

I wonder why it took nearly two years from the time of arrest to conviction? The wheels of justice obviously grind very slowly in Thailand.

2 years ago we had the mega corrupt shinawatra cronies in power. Now we have a govt headed by a man who wants to change perceptions and make real positive change to Thai society. Unfortunately this board is inundated with terminal cynics and Thai haters who want and expect big change yesterday.

Lets not forget the countries we all hail from wrote the rules on mass corruption.

He who is without sin etc etc

[sawadeeken]

Just the "TIP OF THE ICEBERG". Many (and I mean Many) Thai Police feel like they themselves are above the law. Two of my 'Thai' wife's family are medium level police in Korat, and I must say they are no credit to Thailand................... Drunk 'on duty' most every day just to mention one thing.................. In Pattaya I know two police who own and rent a large number of houses, (Where did that money come from to buy them - I wonder)............................

I hope they get a few more of them (I say 'few' because I think there are so many of them involved in drugs) and I see often Thai youth ruined by drugs).

It is only fitting that this scum will 'rot in Prison'.................

Good work to to the Thai justice system in this case..........................

[Keesters]

Am i reading this right ? Three highly ranked caught with large amount of drugs in police vehicle, get imprisonment.

Two civilians waiting to collect the drugs get DEATH penalty. This cannot be right ?

You've not read it at all, the death sentences were commuted to life.

But the court decided to commute their death terms to life imprisonment

But only for the 3 policemen. 2 civilians get death penalty. That's how I read it.