Probe into Khon Kaen raid after police deny taking cash, gamblers

[webfact]

Probe into Khon Kaen raid after police deny taking cash, gamblers
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- A FACT-FINDING probe is underway into a raid on a Khon Kaen gambling den last week by soldiers, who say they handed over a large amount of cash and many cars pawned by gamblers to local police. Police claim they never received them.

Acting Police Region 4 chief Lt-General Dejnarong Sutthicharn-bancha said yesterday that the probe, which he ordered, began last Saturday, but was not regarded as an investigation yet.

A senior Army commander met with a police commander yesterday at the Police Region 4 headquarters to talk, but they did not give details of the issues discussed when they left.

Nong Rua police in Khon Kaen has been under fire after news reports published photos of the soldiers, from a taskforce under 23rd Army subregion command in Fort Sri Phatcharin, arresting 37 gamblers and parading Bt310,000 in cash on a gaming table in the den after the raid last Wednesday.

Nong Rua Police claim they have no record of the 37 gamblers arrested, or the Bt310,000 cash and 20 cars gamblers pawned to the den operators.

Colonel Jaturaphong Bokbon, a deputy head of the provincial Internal Security Operations Command office, said soldiers were very careful in performing their duties under guidance of the National Council for Peace and Order, because of "attempts" to create cracks between police and military officers who jointly carry out the NCPO-imposed crackdown on illegal activity, including encroachment on state land and forest reserves.

Lt-Colonel Phithakphol Choosri, the raid commander, yesterday showed reporters the log listing his mobile phone call to Pol Colonel Thanomsit Wongwijan, the Nong Rua police chief, on September 18, at 15.47, to inform the him of the raid and the arrests - and to ask him to claim the 37 suspects, the money and to take over the case.

Phithakphol later said he would stop giving interviews on the matter.

Standard operational procedures were followed in this case, he said, as in many previous joint raids by police and soldiers in Khon Kaen province. He said soldiers normally left the scene of raids when local police arrived and took over cases and arrests. He insisted that the gamblers, the money and keys to the 20 pawned cars were handed over to a police officer on duty on September 18.

However, Nong Rua police chief Thanomsit issued a statement on Monday saying his men had not been contacted prior to the raid, and that his men saw no arrests at the den when they arrived. He cited a claim by a subordinate, Pol Lieutenant Samrit Banthao, as saying that Samrit found military vehicles parked in front of the den, but an unnamed Army lieutenant colonel allegedly told Samrit nothing had happened and that he should leave. Based on Samrit's observation, he found no illegal activity at the scene when the soldiers pulled out, Thanomsit said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Probe-into-Khon-Kaen-raid-after-police-deny-taking-30243984.html


-- The Nation 2014-09-24

[coobah666]

[Fiddlesticks]

Handing ill-gotten money over to a Thai cop is like giving a junkie a brick of coke and asking him not take any for himself! Now how could anyone doubt the sincerity of the Thai police when they claim they never received any goods from the bust.

[ib1b4]

You army people not tell us you make raid! ..After army go we not see somebody do something wrong. So we all go home .OK .

[timewilltell]

Well someone is lying here and the soldier has shown the log of the call to the policeman. So between the soldier and the police someone has made off with the money or given it back to some local hi so who organizes this. I prefer the second option.

Now it seems even the army can't get the police to do their work. What chance the ordinary citizen?

Time for a cleaning of this pig sty.

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[thesetat2013]

Let's see who is lying?

The Army has phone records of the call made.

Lt-Colonel Phithakphol Choosri, the raid commander, yesterday showed reporters the log listing his mobile phone call to Pol Colonel Thanomsit Wongwijan, the Nong Rua police chief, on September 18, at 15.47, to inform the him of the raid and the arrests - and to ask him to claim the 37 suspects, the money and to take over the case.

But the Chief says no call was made to them. So why did the police go there if no call was made?

However, Nong Rua police chief Thanomsit issued a statement on Monday saying his men had not been contacted prior to the raid, and that his men saw no arrests at the den when they arrived.

Unbelievable the Army has not made an investigation into this already

[NongKhaiKid]

There's always been rivalry between both organisations and now the BIB are very much under military direction so this report has the potential for serious, escalating consequences if open conflict starts and the police decide it's time to start flexing their muscles.

[steelepulse]

If I was to guess who's lying between the Army guy with a record and log of items, vs a police guy that seems to know nothing, I'd say the bib is lying and isn't used to having someone question their authority.

[whaddya]

Nong Rua Police claim they have no record of the 37 gamblers arrested, or the Bt310,000 cash and 20 cars

Geee..... cops and lots of missing money... (this gambling table had just a small portion)... what could possibly go wrong?

[JOC]

This has to be a new all time low even for the Thai police!!

That some midlevel policeofficer would "confiscate" the money, was to be expected, but that 37 arrested gamblers and 20 cars "disappeared" aswell, well that is a new one!!

According to BP yesterday, a local news-crew filmed the raid, that according to the police never took place.

And the policeofficer in charge told reporters not to worry, because the police and army were "like brothers"

Lord have mercy on this country!!

[mrtoad]

Saw this in The BP yesterday, what a total farce. Given The BIBs dreadful reputation ( well deserved) the initial thought is that they are up to their usual stuff. Will be interesting to see how this pans out.

[thailiketoo]

This has to be a new all time low even for the Thai police!!

That some midlevel policeofficer would "confiscate" the money, was to be expected, but that 37 arrested gamblers and 20 cars "disappeared" aswell, well that is a new one!!

According to BP yesterday, a local news-crew filmed the raid, that according to the police never took place.

And the policeofficer in charge told reporters not to worry, because the police and army were "like brothers"

Lord have mercy on this country!!

The most comical exception occurred in 1950 as one of General Sarit's army convoys approached the railhead at Lampang is northern Thailand with a load of opium. Phao's police surrounded the convoy and demanded that the army surrender the opium since antinarcotics work was the exclusive responsibility of the police. When the army refused and threatened to shoot its way through to the railway, the police brought up heavy machine guns and dug in for a fire-fight.

[toryboy1979]

The raid was shown on morning news of channel 3 so there is no denying it took place.

[timewilltell]

The Army Colonel says his Lt-Colonel carried out the raid under strict procedures to avoid (widening or creating?) cracks between the police and the Army in connection with their raids on illegal activities such as land encroachment and other corrupt activities. The Lt-Colonel shows his phone log to prove he phoned the Police Commander who says his men were not informed prior to the raid (no they were informed after to stop police tipping off their paying friends) and anyway when his men who were not informed just happened to show up the numpties with their black jackets emblazoned with 'Police' on the back the same as the ones your average loser teenager or security guard wears saw some army trucks outside.

These numpties are told to go away by the Lt.-Colonel who has gathered up 20 car keys and 310,000 baht which he hands over to the police who even though not informed, nevertheless turn up and the whole scene filmed by one of the news stations for good measure.

Even in the face of this overwhelming evidence the police deny getting the money or the cars or the 37 suspects arrested. We mustn't upset our mafia hi so friends of course so it never happened.

This place is descending into a cheap comic where the stories are just absurd. The sad fact is that they believe the average person is that stupid not to understand what is going on or it is just some reality TV game where the players are powerless to do anything but eat the stools they are served up, least of all object. Thai society?

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[shirtless]

Well lets put it down to a communication error,

[recycled]

What has the PM's bikini wearing bogeylady mystic got to say about this one?

[smutcakes]

I presume there is a signed document between the army and the police of the assets which were handed over?

[jacko45k]

I presume there is a signed document between the army and the police of the assets which were handed over?

Yes, a receipt would have been a good idea.........

[NongKhaiKid]

I presume there is a signed document between the army and the police of the assets which were handed over?

Now that would be very sensible and proper procedure.

Would the military let prisoners, money and cars out of their possession without a signature ? Trust only goes so far and not for things like this,

This is yet another right royal mess which dents public confidence, it needs full and proper investigation and where appropriate disciplinary if not criminal charges laid but will this happen ?

[tomyummer]

To get to the truth the press should interview the only trusted characters in this drama.....the gamblers nabbed.

[alfalfa19]

It's quite amusing to see these standard operating procedures coming to light.

[mikiea]

the building crawling with army & police, the fact the gambler is the only honest man in the house tells me you live in a s#it hole. :-)

[Halion]

This is only a probe and not an investigation ! What on God's green grass does that mean or better still imply.

310,000 in cash,30 arrested and 20 cars seized and all disappears and they are having a probe.

So much for justice and transparency and the regard in which the RTP have for the military.

Did so, Did not.

[aussieinthailand]

Someone's gunna get their wrist slapped for this little co*k up,

As for the phone log, well and good but unless the conversation was recorded, then that's not proof, just circumstantial evidence.

Thai love their paper work, but it seems not in this case so if there was a document it would have been produced.

Some one needs to be accountable just for failing to do the paper work.

unfortunately both groups have had issues of corruption leveled against them, so who's telling the truth?

Another problem to be swept under that massive rug that's in the LOS, and reporters told to stop asking difficult questions as we hardly have any face left

[aussieinthailand]

It wasn't me, well it wasn't me either, is there a falang or low end mafia somewhere we can stich up? Lucky it wasn't in Kho Tao as we are told there's no mafia there.

[Loles]

" ... handed over a large amount of cash and many cars pawned by gamblers to local police. Police claim they never received them. "

Of course, this not question at all.

[Cosmoguy]

Military would not have had to do a raid if the police had not allowed this to go on in thier community for along time already.

The police must protect thier sponsor who paid them to ignore this gambling den. I imagine the money has been returned to the sponsor.

[Ulic]

I am looking forward to seeing how this story ends. Finger pointing, but caught on video. Will we see any job transfers?

or other punishments.

Edited September 24, 2014 by metisdead
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[farangmick]

Have to build a new car park at Nong Rua police station now that twenty officers have swapped their Honda Waves for a D Max or Vigo. Nice boost for the Songkran whisky fund as well.

[WhamBam]

Yes we did...

Oh no you didn't...

Yes we did...

Sounds like children in the playground caught doing something they should not have done. Maybe we need the head teacher to sort this out

Edited September 24, 2014 by WhamBam