Deputy national police chief Surachate "Big Joke" Hakparn said the search of his home in Bangkok on Monday morning was dishonest and politically motivated.

Speaking to reporters at the Police Club on Vibhavadi Rangsit road, Pol Gen Surachate said the search of his house, in Soi Vibhavadi 60, was dishonest because in seeking the warrant cyber crime police gave the court only the number of the house to be searched. They did not tell the court who owned the place.

In fact, many of the police who showed up for the search knew that it was his house, he said.

Nothing illegal was found in the house.

Surachate admitted that eight other police officers the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau had obtained arrest warrants for were his subordinates.

He said their financial transactions must be examined to show whether they were involved in the operations of online gambling websites as alleged, or not.

The embattled deputy police chief said what happened to him was linked to politics within the Office of the Royal Thai Police.

Surachate said he still did not know who ordered the search, which was intended to discredit him and ruin his reputation.

He admitted having handled many criminal cases in which many police officers were implicated and were served with arrest or search warrants. It was normal that he would be the subject of hard feelings.