The commander of the Metropolitan Police Bureau’s Division 2 and 10 other senior officers at two Bangkok police stations were transferred Friday to inactive posts following raids on three gambling dens in areas under their jurisdiction last night.
National police spokesman Prawut Thawornsiri said the top five senior officers each at the Bang Khen and Khok Khram police stations must be immediately transferred from their areas and Investigations would be launched to see whether they were negligent in their duties, Thai media reported.
Pol Lt Gen Prawut later tweeted that national police chief Somyot Pumpunmuang signed the transfer order for Pol Maj Gen Korkiart Wongsumet, chief of the Metropolitan Police Bureau's Division 2, to assist work at the Royal Thai Police Office, starting today, following the raids in which 35 people were arrested.
In the first raid, a team of Bang Khen police and soldiers raided a four-storey commercial building on Soi Phaholyothin 50 in Bang Khen district at about 6pm following a tip that the venue was an illegal gambling operation.
The officers arrested 24 suspected gamblers, including 16 women and eight men, on the first floor of the building-turned-casino. Seized were 55 sets of gambling paraphernalia and 1,060 baht cash. The alleged gamblers were taken to Bang Khen police station.
On the same day, another team of Khok Khram police and soldiers raided a house on Soi Nuanchan 16 in Bung Kum district and arrested two men and eight women about 8pm. Two decks of cards and 2,400 baht cash were seized.
Homeowner Sinjai Pormai was not present during the raid. She would be summonsed for interrogation, said police.
At about 9pm, Lat Phrao police and soldiers raided a house on Soi Lat Phrao 128 in Bang Kapi district. Only one suspected gambler was apprehended while 20 others managed to escape. Fifty sets of gambling paraphernalia and 58,300 baht cash were seized.
Shortly after the raids, Pol Maj Gen Korkiart signed an order to transfer the 10 senior officers attached to Bang Khen and Khok Khram police stations to inactive posts at the Metropolitan Police Division 2 for 30 days pending investigations.