Some 32 police officers from three major units have been transferred en masse to inactive posts for alleged involvement in the trafficking of Rohingya migrants.
The transfers were made Monday by the Police Commission meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon.
Without giving the names or ranks of the transferred officers, national police chief Somyot Poompunmuang said the commission's decision to act against the 32 officers is based on proposals from their commanders in the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) and Provincial Police regions 8 and 9.
The CIB is a key police agency supervising the Crime Suppression Division and Anti-Human Trafficking Division, which deal with criminal cases countrywide.
Provincial Police regions 8 and 9, meanwhile, oversee southern provinces, especially those facing the Andaman Sea where Rohingya migrants, a Muslim ethnic group from Myanmar, have been found sailing in overcrowded boats to Thailand or Malaysia.
Ranong, which is under the jurisdiction of Provincial Police Region 8, is one of their transit points from where they travel to Malaysia and other countries.
Gen Prawit admitted that officials from state agencies, including the military and police force, were linked with trafficking.
"There are good and bad people in the military. That's no different from other careers," Gen Prawit said.
He was referring to the Na Thawi Provincial Court's warrants for the arrest of three army officers and one navy officer for alleged involvement in human trafficking.
The four, who are among seven suspects wanted in connection with Rohingya migrant trafficking, have worked with the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc), based in the South, and the 3rd Naval Area Command, which overseas areas in the Andaman Sea.
They are Col Natsit Maksuwan, deputy Isoc chief in Satun province, Capt Wisut Bunnag and Capt Santhat Phetnoi, of Isoc in Chumphon province, as well as Cdr Kampanat Sangthongchin, of the 3rd Naval Area Command.
Col Natsit said in a phone interview on Monday he was "not worried" about the arrest warrant but that he was not yet ready to meet the media at an official press conference to respond to the accusation.
Undeterred by his looming prosecution, Col Natsit said he is ready to back his defence with documentary evidence. He added that his commander was informed every time he dealt with an influx of Rohingya migrants to Thailand, no matter if they came ashore after shipwrecks or if they were smuggled into the country by traffickers, he said.
However, Col Natsit, together with the three army suspects, have not yet reported to police, said Pol Maj Gen Pawin Phonsirin, deputy chief of Provincial Police Region 8.
So far a total of 153 arrest warrants have been issued for suspects and 90 have been detained in connection with Rohingya trafficking. Another 37 out of 77 suspects in money-laundering cases related to Rohingya smuggling have also been apprehended, Pol Maj Gen Pawin said.
