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NINE MAE HONG SON police-men have been dismissed from the civil service and put under serious disciplinary investigation after being implicated in the northern province’s underage prostitution scandal.
They
could also face legal action for their alleged involvement in the
teenage vice ring, deputy national chief Srivara Ransibrahmanakul said
yesterday.
The nine officers include alleged racket operator Pol
Senior Sgt Major Yutthachai Thongchat of Nam Piang Din police station,
three officers under Kong Koi police station who face charges of
gang-raping of a minor, and five policemen for whom summonses were
issued for over accusation that they paid to have sex with minors.
Srivara said police investigators were gathering evidence against seven
more suspects – including several state officials, a soldier and a
local politician – and hoped to make arrests soon.
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He was speaking at Chiang Mai’s Provincial Police Region 5 office
where he presided over a meeting to discuss an anti-human trafficking
crackdown.
Srivara said the Mae Hong Son investigation saw local
police handle 37 cases – 29 of human trafficking, seven of buying sex
services, and one gang rape of minor – while the Anti-Human Traffic
Division (AHTD) handled one human trafficking case in which all eight
suspects had been arrested, including Yutthachai.
Earlier
yesterday, Srivara went to Mae Hong Son to check progress in the
investigation. He met some of the four police who showed up in response
to summonses yesterday, but a teacher who reportedly moved away from the
province failed to show up.
The fifth police officer, a deputy
superintendent who is a lieutenant colonel, also did not appear,
claiming he was preoccupied with work. But his supervisor said he had
not been assigned with any mission.
Although the officer, who
also now faces an investigation for omission of duty, is believed to
have fled, investigators issued a second summons for him. If he fails to
respond by May 15, an arrest warrant will be obtained.
Srivara also visited a police flat where the missing officer allegedly took a minor for sex but it was empty.
Also yesterday, a master sergeant under the Internal Security
Operations Command, identified by victims as “Uncle Pan”, went to the
Mae Hong Son police office to report to Srivara and hand over documents
he said proved his innocence, but missed him. However, he caught up
later at Mae Hong Son airport.
“Uncle Pan” said he knew the girls
but his involvement with them was for intelligence-gathering purposes
against the prostitution ring.
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