SAMUT PRAKAN: A 27-year-old man who was wrongfully arrested for alleged possession of ketamine filed a complaint against police officers involved in the arrest.
Hasan Rakhom, accompanied by lawyer Paisarn Ruangrit and relatives, arrived at Samrong Nua police station in Samut Prakan province on Thursday to file the complaint following his arrest on Jan 7.
The lawyer said he took his client to file criminal and civil cases against the officers and volunteers involved.
According to the lawyer, Mr Hasan was allegedly assaulted by the officers after they found a sachet of white powder in his car. The substance turned out to be camphor that his mother bought from a shop and put inside the vehicle to eliminate bad odour.
Mr Hasan was taken for a urine drug test, which police said was positive. However, a second test was negative.
The lawyer said his client insisted that he never used illicit drugs. This showed that the police had committed malfeasance. They had detained the victim, depriving him of freedom, and allegedly intimidated him.
Although the police at the station had offered their apologies, legal action would still proceed, said the lawyer.
Mr Hasan said he kept telling the arresting team that he never used illicit drugs. He prostrated himself begging them not to arrest him. In addition, someone had allegedly kicked him in the face and threw objects at him, as shown in a video clip that went viral online.
He insisted that he had no intention to avoid a police checkpoint, saying he was not aware at the time that there was the checkpoint as his car was parked far away from the spot.
Mr Hasan was on the way to Pak Nam when his car was stopped at the checkpoint near Soi Sukhumvit 109 in tambon Samrong Nua around 11pm on Jan 7. The officers found a sachet of "white powder" in the front glove compartment.
He was quickly detained and handcuffed for alleged possession of ketamine. The man insisted he never used illicit drugs, but they did not believe him. He phoned his family and told them what happened.
The truth emerged when his mother arrived at the scene. She explained to the arresting team that the sachet contained camphor that she bought from a shop and put inside the car. It was also used to treat a headache.
Officers at Samrong Nua police station apologise to the 27-year-old man and his family over the wrongful arrest by some officers and police volunteers on Jan 7. (Photo by Sutthiwit Chayutworakan)
The incident prompted Pol Maj Gen Chumphon Phumphuang, chief of Samut Prakan police, to order the transfer of four officers involved - two commissioned and two non-commissioned - to the provincial police operations centre pending further inquiry.
Pol Col Arthit Simcharoen, chief of Samrong Nua police, promised to provide justice to all sides. The police chief and officers at the station apologised to the victim and relatives over the incident.