Police general transferred over drug allegations

NATIONAL Police Chief Pol. Gen. Damrongsak Kittiprapas ordered the transfer of Pol. Maj. Gen.Wasamae Salae, head of Narathiwat provincial police, to the headquarters in Bangkok amid allegations of links to drug cartels, Thai Rath newspaper said today (Oct. 20).

Pol. Gen. Damrongsak, who assigned Pol. Maj. Gen. Wasamae to duties at the Operations Centre, had signed the transfer order last evening.

It is likely that a committee will be set up to investigate this case to ensure transparency and fairness.

A little later the head of the Crime Victims Assistance Club submitted evidence he had gathered that allegedly points to the transferred police general helping drug traffickers to the police with Pol. Col. Phakphong Saiubon, deputy chief of the Research Division, received it, Matichon newspaper said.

Mr. Atchariya Ruangrattanapong, the club’s president, alleged that the senior police officer had issued cards for drug traffickers and gun runners who were involved in eight criminal cases to show that they were under his jurisdiction. 

He also submitted a video clip with photos allegedly showing the police general with some of the suspects while also accusing him of ordering his subordinates to water down their reports against some of them so that they were either acquitted or received a lesser penalty.

A voice file where a drug trafficker who was arrested for selling 33 firearms is allegedly talking to a former Malaysian police officer about a Malaysian businessman kidnapped and taken to Laos in a crystal methamphetamine case has him accusing this general of having helped settle the case.

The Malaysian press had also written about the police general alleging he removed the name of a suspect who was clearly identified as having shot dead a policeman attached to Su-ngai Kolok station from the records and no action was taken.

He also claimed that this police general had issued licences for over 500 firearms to members of drug cartels. 

Atchariya added that on Monday Oct. 24 he will expose the involvement of Navy and Provincial Police Region 4 officers in one of three biggest drug cartels in the country at the navy headquarters.

CAPTIONS:

Top: Pol. Maj. Gen.Wasamae Salae. Photo: Thai Rath

Insert and Front Page: Mr. Atchariya Ruangrattanapong,  head of Crime Victims Assistance Club, hold up and submitting a placard that displays his evidence at the police headquarters today, Oct. 20, 2022. Photos: Matichon

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