Six police officers in Bang Phlad district of Bangkok have been dismissed from the force for allegedly selling drugs that had been seized in recent raids.
Pol Lt Gen Sanit Mahathavorn, the Metropolitan Police Bureau commissioner, announced the dismissals of the officers from the Bowon Mongkol station on Friday.
Dismissed were three deputy investigative chiefs: Pol Capt Suphat Prajonghat, Pol Capt Nitithorn Pholboon and Pol Lt Weeraphol Khamdee; and three junior detectives: Pol Sen Sgt Maj Parinya Jithan, Pol Sgt Maj Phunat Netsawang and Pol L/C Ruangyos Samboonrua.
Officers from Metropolitan Police Division 7 arrested Pol Capt Suphat at his station and found 13,000 speed pills, 100 grammes of crystal methamphetamine or "ice" and an amount of ketamine in a locker of the investigative section.
The arrest followed the apprehension of two people with 1,400 speed pills and 100 grammes of "ice" in a housing estate on Charan Sanitwong Soi 35. They reportedly told police they had bought the drugs from Pol Capt Suphat.
The six officers were said to have seized narcotics in an earlier raid at a condominium on Charan Sanitwong Soi 95/1 but had not charged anyone. Pol Lt Gen Sanit said police would check if the group had connections with any narcotics networks.
Apart from Pol Capt Suphat, the other officers except Pol Lt Weeraphol turned themselves in. They denied the drugs belonged to them. The investigative chief of the station said the locker was a public one, said Pol Lt Gen Sanit, who questioned the suspects at Division 7.
The Bangkok police chief said he would object to their temporary release.
He also transferred their two superiors to inactive posts for 30 days. They are Pol Col Wiradol Thapthimdee, chief of the Bowon Mongkol station, and Pol Lt Col Suphap Phetcharat, the investigative chief.
The two will be investigated to determine if they were involved in the illicit business or failed to oversee their subordinates properly, Pol Lt Gen Sanit said.