PM orders crackdown on cybercrime in 30 days

By Thai Newsroom Reporters

PRIME MINISTER SRETTHA Thavisin today (Apr. 1) ordered for the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) to crack down on suspected online criminals within a 30-day period from now.

During his official visit to the CCIB headquarters, the prime minister instructed CCIB chief Pol. Lt. Gen. Worawat Watnakornbancha to immediately take stringent measures to eliminate all kinds of cybercrime ranging from gambling online to call-centre scammers within a 30-day time.

Srettha said he has taken the issue very seriously since many people were reportedly ripped off of huge amounts of cash by these cybercriminals, many of whom are yet remaining at large.

According to the prime minister, all CCIB police officers are dutifully obliged to effectively combat cybercrime no matter whether they may have been personally associated with any high-level police generals ranging from police chief Pol. Gen. Torsak Sukvimol to deputy police chief Pol. Gen. Surachate Hakparn and others.

Pol. Gen. Torsak and Pol. Gen. Surachate have been accused of involvement in extortion and money-laundering charges and suspended at an order of the prime minister from doing their duties pending police investigation into the scandals. Both have been transferred to inactive posts at Government House.

A three-member ad hoc committee headed by former undersecretary of interior Chatchai Promlert was recently set up by the prime minister to investigate the extortion and money-laundering scandals allegedly involving the police chief and deputy police chief in a 60-day period.

Meanwhile, prominent lawyer Sritta Biabungkerd today filed a criminal lawsuit against the police chief for alleged involvement alongside others in money-laundering scams.

Pol. Gen. Torsak’s close relatives have allegedly received millions of baht in cash extorted from online gambling operators on separate occasions whilst hundreds of thousands of baht in ill-gained money had been contributed to merit-making rituals at Buddhist temples in the name of the police chief himself, according to the lawyer.

In disguise of Cyber Police Task Forces, groups of non-commissioned police officers had allegedly extorted money from online gambling operators and syphoned it off via “horse-accounts” to their superiors including the police chief and deputy police chief themselves.

Sritta had earlier submitted pieces of hard evidence including bank slips pertaining to the extortion and money-laundering scandals allegedly involving the police chief to Deputy Central Investigation Bureau Commissioner Pol. Maj. Gen. Jaroonkiat Pankaew for in-depth investigation.

The lawyer has earlier remarked that tens of thousands of online gambling dens are yet believed to thrive illegally throughout the country, given kickbacks to the cyberbusting police.

CAPTION:

Top and Front Page: Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin. Both photos: Thai Rath

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