Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Tuesday set a six-month deadline for authorities to rid the country of mafia-style local figures.
The general ordered Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan to lead the nationwide crackdown utilising personnel from the National Council for Peace and Order, Royal Thai Police and ministries of defence and interior, according to government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd.
"The prime minister wants concerned authorities to strictly enforce the law to ensure there will be no 'powers that be' anywhere. He gave them six months, regardless of whether the (influential figures) are politicians, soldiers, police or bureaucrats," Maj Gen Sansern said.
He said Gen Prayut expects to see a dramatic decrease in criminal cases related to organised-crime gangs and military-grade weapons by next spring.
Gen Prayut issued the directive during a cabinet meeting Tuesday, mentioning an incident he learned of from local TV news about a loan-shark gang in Pathum Thani that on Sunday fired a dozen gunshots into the home of a woman who borrowed 4,000 baht and failed to pay 200 baht in daily interest for a week.
At the meeting, Gen Prayut also suggested that each province should establish a new public complaint centre -- in addition to the Interior Ministry's Dhamrongtham centres already operating -- to specifically handle complaints against police officers or conflicts between the public and police.
This was because many people had problems and conflicts with law enforcement, based on the complaints lodged with the Dhamrongtham centres, he noted.