Four people, one an air force officer, have been arrested for selling counterfeit dollars in a sting operation set up by Crime Suppression Division police and US Secret Service agents.
CSD 1st sub-division chief Pol Col Jirapop Puridet identified the four as Pilot Officer Booncherd Kriswong, 49, of the Royal Thai Air Force signals department; Thanakit Khaopenyai, 46, of Bangkok's Khlong Sam Wa district; Chainarong Sriyotha, 55, of Nonthaburi's Pak Kret district; and a woman, Cholamas Usupanont, 35, of Bangkok's Phra Khanong district.
The arrests follow a joint investigation involving CSD police and agents from the Secret Service, part of the US Department of Homeland Security, which traced the distribution of a large number of counterfeit US dollar notes to a gang in Sai Mai area of Bangkok.
A sting operation was set up, with an undercover officer arranging to buy 7,000 US$100 banknotes for 1,300 baht each. A meeting was arranged at the McDonald's shop at Big C superstore's Sai Mai branch on Sukhaphiban 5 Road in Sai Mai district on Oct 15 at 6pm, when samples would be shown.
At the time of appointment, Mr Thanakit arrived with a man known only as Banchong and asked the undercover agent to show him the money to buy the counterfeit bills.
After seeing the money, Mr Thanakit left, saying he would be back with 2,100 notes for the buyers to examine.
About 7pm, Plt Off Booncherd, accompanied by Mr Chainarong, arrived at the department store parking area in a Toyota pickup truck. At the same time, Mr Thanakit returned in company with Ms Cholamas, who carried a plastic bag containing the counterfeit currency.
The hidden police team pounced on them, arresting Plt Off Booncherd, Mr Chainarong, Mr Thanakit and Ms Cholamas. The other suspect, Banchong, managed to escape.
The police seized from them 2,100 counterfeit $100 notes, a .38 pistol with 17 rounds of ammunition, six mobile phones, eight bank deposit passbooks and the Toyota pickup truck.
According to police, the suspects said they ordered the forged banknotes from Thai and Lao agents, who arranged for them to be smuggled into Thailand from Laos through the lower Northeast.
The police believed the four are associates of the alleged dealers in counterfeit US dollars arrested at a house in Watcharapol area of Bang Khen district on Sept 16.