Controversial former massage parlour tycoon Chuvit Kamolvisit has submitted clear evidence of Immigration Bureau (IB) officers helping Chinese nationals to run criminal enterprises in Thailand. On Thursday, deputy national police chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn said that some officers had even set up foundations with their headquarters in a chicken coop to arrange visas for Chinese nationals.
Pol Gen Surachate reported that the investigative committee had found clear proof of offenses such as the renewal of visas through foundations, visa applications through schools, and falsification of signatures of a deputy governor. Some officers had allegedly used houses or the chicken coop as offices for the foundations set up for this purpose.
In response to this evidence, the National Police Chief has ordered drastic action against all of the officers involved, who range from commanders to station heads to officers at the operational level. He expects to summon them to hear the charges next week.
This investigation follows weeks of Mr Kamolvisit supplying the police and media with documents that detail links between corrupt officials and grey businesses run by Chinese triads in Thailand. The tycoon has alleged the bribery of three former division commanders of the Immigration Bureau for approving non-immigrant visas for 3,325 Chinese nationals.
The investigation led to the biggest arrest of alleged crime boss Chaiyanat “Tuhao” Kornchanayanant, a Chinese national married to a police officer and the niece of a former national police chief and deputy prime minister. The Office of the Narcotics Control Board has seized assets worth more than 1.1 billion baht from the suspect.
With evidence submitted to the Justice Ministry and this latest raids conducted by Pol Gen Surachate, it appears that Thailand is making serious steps to tackle corruption and foreign criminal activities. As legal proceedings continue, the public looks to the police to bring those responsible to justice and uphold the law.
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