Three policemen have been moved to inactive posts pending an investigation into their alleged extortion of 30,000 baht from a motorist who was behind in his car payments and used fake licence plates.
National police chief Pol Gen Torsak Sukvimol said on Monday that three officers were transferred to inactive positions at the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB). They faced criminal charges and disciplinary action. Their supervisor was disciplined, the police chief said.
Police sources said the three policemen, two police majors and a police sub-lieutenant of the CCIB, on Saturday arrested the driver of a Toyota car with fake licence plates. They took him to Klong Luang police station in Pathum Thani province, where they claimed to be based.
They allegedly extorted 30,000 baht from the driver, who was ordered to withdraw the cash from an ATM and place it inside the car. The officers later got in and drove the car away.
The three officers handed the car over to police interrogators at Klong Luang police station on Sunday night. They explained that the car was about to be seized because a finance company complained the owner had defaulted on the hire purchase payments.
They said they returned the car late because they had to check and document it at the CCIB.
The officers denied any extortion and said the 30,000 baht in cash was in the car before they impounded it.
