The Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases on Wednesday sentenced four Bangkok policemen each to five years in jail for extorting 27,000 baht from a Taiwanese actress and her friends early this year.

The four policemen were from Huai Khwang station. The incident occurred about 1am on Jan 5 at a temporary checkpoint on Ratchadaphisek Road near the Chinese embassy.

A Grab taxi carrying visiting actress Charlene An and her foreign friends was stopped for a search at a checkpoint. Police found three vaping devices, and not all of the group were carrying their passports.

The four policemen demanded 27,000 baht from the group in exchange for dropping charges. 

In addition to the prison terms, the court ordered them to give the bribe money to the state.

Two other policemen at the checkpoint were acquitted. The court found they had helped stop the car, but had not been involved in the search or bribe negotiation.