CyberCrime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) commissioner, Kornchai Klaiklueng, on Monday pledged to work closely with his international counterparts to crack down on types of computer crimes.
The CCIB is a new organisation under the Royal Thai Police, which will deal specifically with cybercrimes, and Pol Lt Gen Kornchai is the bureau's first commissioner.
At a press conference to introduce the organisation to the public, Pol Lt Gen Kornchai said as the CCIB is preparing to begin operations, the bureau needs to recruit more officers as it is facing a shortage of staff.
There are currently 333 officers at the bureau, he said.
Pol Lt Gen Kornchai said that first, the bureau will focus on familiarising its staff with the latest technology and various forms of cybercrimes, so it will likely to take on more general cases in its first month of operations.
The next three months will be spent focusing on sharpening cybercrime investigative skills, he added.
Until the CCIB is prepared to take up more responsibilities, technology-related cases will be handed by the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) of the Central Investigation Bureau.
After that, CCIB's staff will be ready to handle complaints from all around the country, he said.
In serious cases -- such as data hacking and/or online fraud -- local police can initiate an investigation without having to wait for the CCIB. In cases where local authorities lack the means to investigate an incident of cybercrime, the CCIB can take over the investigation and ideally, finish them within 15 days, he said.
In one year, the CCIB will be ready to handle all sort of complaints, including defamation, threat, fake news, online gambling and illegal trade.
In the future, the CCIB plans to set up branches and offices all across the country, including in Chon Buri, Khon Kaen, Chiang Mai and Surat Thani, the commissioner said.