110 bent immigration cops busted in visa scam swoop
The Royal Thai Police (RTP) yesterday revealed they uncovered a massive visa scam involving 110 bent immigration cops.
The Deputy Commander of the Royal Thai Police (RTP), Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn, held a press conference at the Police Club, where he exposed details of the illegal operation. The corrupt cops illegally offered visas to foreigners, especially Chinese investors.
According to Big Joke, the outlaw officers formed a network with local visa agencies, illegally issuing visas to foreigners, especially Chinese investors looking to do business in Thailand.
The officers used fake documents such as membership certificates from a non-profit foundation and student certifications from universities to grant visas. They even went as far as forging the signature of provincial governors to approve the visas, allowing the foreigners to bypass the immigration office completely.
The majority of the illegal businesses operated in the northern and northeastern parts of Thailand, with the bent officers ranging from high-ranking police officials to non-commissioned officers. The illegal scheme began in 2020.
Although the exact whereabouts of the benefits or money remains unknown, the RTP promised to continue their investigation, questioning both the present commissioner, Parkphumphiphat Satjaphan, and former commissioners.
Big Joke reassured the public that the 110 rogue officers were a small fraction of the over 20,000 immigration police in Thailand. Each officer would be questioned and reported to the court. The arrest warrant would later launch according to each illegal action.
In response to the scandal, the commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, Parkphumphiphat, gave an interview with the media that he noted the issue and would take responsibility for it.
Parkphumphiphat said he is not frightened by the incident. He emphasized that the discovery of the corrupt officers is a positive development, as it will allow the organization to address and fix the weak points that led to the issue.
