Seven people, including five officials, have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the sale of fish seized from an undocumented vessel in 2019.
A joint force made up of police and officials from the Customs and Fisheries Department arrested the suspects, deputy national police chief, Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn, said during a media briefing yesterday.
They were identified as Boonma Siritarangsri, ex-director of the Bangkok Port Customs Office; Mr Keerati, who oversaw the confiscated goods; and Ms Sudarat and Ms Panwad, members of a committee responsible for redistributing the confiscated fish; Ms Narumon, Ms Chayakorn and Mr Rattakorn.
The frozen fish, weighing 147 tonnes, were seized from a Somali vessel in 2019. Six of seven containers confiscated during the operation were sent to the Bangkok Port Customs Office, while the remaining one was kept at the Phra Samut Chedi Customs Office in Samut Prakan province, Pol Gen Surachate said.
Asked about the legality of the fish, he said those on the vessel failed to produce the permit required to import seafood from the Department of Fisheries.
The fish, valued at an estimated 300–400 million baht, were initially being held for sale or distribution to state officials and neighbouring communities as part of a rationing system.
However, authorities discovered that the fish had not been properly sold due to a fraudulent listing involving 96 alleged buyers.
The seized fish were found to have been sold to a single buyer, and the proceeds from the sale were not handed over to the state as required.
Police began tracing the money trail and honed in on seven suspects, who were then arrested for allegedly violating sections 157, 147 and 85 of the Criminal Code, said Pol Gen Surachate.
Section 157 deals with dereliction of duty, Section 147 deals with abuse of authority in the appropriation of funds, and Section 86 involves assisting any person to commit an offence.
Pol Gen Surachate said police investigators have already submitted a report and the indictments against the suspects.
Police are now widening the probe to look into allegations that a major fish agent in Samut Prakan sold some of the seized frozen fish to stalls at reduced prices.
Customs Department director-general Patchara Anuntasilpa and Phanthong Loykulnanta, adviser to the department's development and tax collection management, were present at the briefing.
Ms Patchara said her department has set up a panel to take disciplinary action against the accused officials. Some have been charged with malfeasance and dereliction of duty, she said.