The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) says it hopes five human trafficking cases in which the government has urged haste could be wrapped up in eight months.
The five are among 15 cases being handled by the DSI's Anti-Human Trafficking Centre (AHTC) and include high-profile investigations into a Rohingya smuggling scandal in the South, the country's largest human trafficking case, and two sex-trafficking scandals in Ban Nam Phieng Din in Mae Hong Son and Loei's Phu Rua district.
Pol Lt Col Komvich Padhanarath, acting chief of the AHTC's Prevention and Suppression Division 1, said while the cases concerned are still being investigated, suspects in the 10 other cases are being tried either in the Appeal or the Supreme courts.
Pol Lt Col Komvich yesterday noted human trafficking cases were typically harder to investigate as these are usually complex with those involved cutting off all leads to the masterminds, leaving only "small fish" to be targeted and arrested by police.
If the probes were hastened or wrapped up too quickly, the investigators might not be able to identify the masterminds or find sufficient evidence to prosecute them, he said.
Pol Lt Col Komvich said the five cases were major ones and could not be finished any sooner than eight months because rushing could affect the investigation quality.
He said in some trafficking cases, the gang members are paid in cash so authorities cannot pursue money trails.
Last week, the Justice Ministry instructed authorities to hunt for "big fish" -- high-ranking state officials -- possibly embroiled in the 15 human trafficking cases after the suspects arrested earlier were found to be only "minnows".
Justice permanent secretary Wisit Wisitsora-at told a panel overseeing human trafficking cases involving state officials to expedite their efforts to apprehend the high-ranking civil servants and influential businessmen behind these networks.
He said the probes had made substantial progress, but those who faced prosecution were only low-ranking officials and henchmen.
He said panel has been advised to speed up their investigations and consider disciplinary and legal action against state authorities suspected of involvement.
The panel is working in close cooperation with other anti-human trafficking agencies to check the money trails of government officials suspected of having links to trafficking networks.
The panel will also review cases to ascertain if appropriate penalties have been brought against guilty state officials.
On July 20, 62 people were convicted while 40 others walked free in the country's largest ever human trafficking case. One of the those found guilty was former army adviser Lt Gen Manas Kongpan, who was sentenced to 27 years behind bars.
Lt Gen Manas was arrested after the trafficking gang wired money to his bank accounts, according to Pol Lt Col Komvich.