Cop sacked, accused of framing, extorting Canadian

Cop sacked, accused of framing, extorting Canadian

Tourist Police Bureau deputy commander Pol Maj Gen Surachet Hakphan, left, and senior  officers question the 25-year-old Canadian who accuses a Lumpini traffic policeman and his accomplice of trying to frame him with drugs and extort him.(Photo taken from @1155TPB (Tourist Police Bureau)'s Facebook page)
Tourist Police Bureau deputy commander Pol Maj Gen Surachet Hakphan, left, and senior officers question the 25-year-old Canadian who accuses a Lumpini traffic policeman and his accomplice of trying to frame him with drugs and extort him.(Photo taken from @1155TPB (Tourist Police Bureau)'s Facebook page)

A traffic policeman based at Bangkok’s Lumpini station has been dismissed from the force and faces "drastic action" for allegedly trying to extort a Canadian national by placing drugs in his possession.

Pol Maj Gen Mongkhol Warunno, chief of the Metropolitan Police Division 5, signed the order dismissing Pol Snr Sgt Maj Cherdchai Phuchuaytuam on Monday.

Pol Snr Sgt Maj Cherchai, 46, of Lumpini police station, and an alleged accomplice, Chakrit Teeluay, 37, were arrested at a room on the sixth floor of The Blue Apartment on Soi Sribampen in Thung Mahamek  area, Sathon district, on Monday for extortion.

Arresting officers also seized 0.5 grammes of crystal methamphetamine, a Walther pistol and seven bullets found in their possession.

Urine tests showed positive for illicit drug use, according to Tourist Police Bureau deputy commander Surachet Hakphan, who led the operation.

Police initially pressed charges of illegal possession of a gun and carrying it in a public area and possession of an illicit drug.

The arrests were made after a 25-year-old Canadian man, a foreign language instructor, filed a complaint with Thung Mahamek police and tourist police on Sunday. He alleged the two suspects tried to wrongfully detain him and place illegal drugs on him at an apartment room around 10.30am on Sunday. Instead, he managed to flee.

Pol Maj Gen Surachet said the accused officer would face "drastic action".

According to the Tourist Police Bureau website, the Canadian had been lured to the room by a man on Facebook to have sex.

When the Canadian arrived and saw his Facebook "friend" and a companion, he quickly turned to leave. The man, who was later identified as Pol Snr Sgt Maj Cherdchai, and his companion, identified as Mr Chakkrit, had tried to detain him.

The Canadian managed to get away and later that day filed a complaint with Thung Mahamek police.

The administrator of the Tourist Police Bureau's Facebook page later told the Post the Lumpini policeman and his accomplice had booked a hotel room and the Canadian met them there.

National police chief Chakthip Chaijinda saw the alleged extortion by a police officer as total unacceptable and any such offender would not be spared, according to  Pol Col Kritsana Pattanacharoen, deputy police spokesman.

The police chief had instructed all commanders to monitor the conduct of their subordinates to prevent any recurrence of such behaviour.

According to local media reports, the sacked traffic officer has previously been put on probation several times for alleged extortion, but continued working.

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