Former police officer accused of laundering 1.7 million baht
The Office of Anti-Money Laundering (AMLO) lodged a complaint against a former senior police officer, accusing him of money laundering. This follows an investigation by Thung Maha Mek Metropolitan Police Station into a group involved in illegal online gambling, which revealed financial connections implicating certain individuals.
Police Major General Nopasilp Poolsawat, deputy commander of the Metropolitan Police Bureau and spokesperson, disclosed that Police Lieutenant General Siam Boonsom, the bureau’s commander, found that AMLO filed a complaint against Police General Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn and his wife Sirinatda “Kubkip” Hakparn at Bang Rak Police Station, accusing them of money laundering.
The investigation revealed that eight life insurance policies belonging to Big Joke and Kubkip were funded by transfers from mule bank accounts linked to an online gambling network. These funds, totalling approximately 1.7 million baht (US$49,000), were used to pay insurance premiums.
AMLO submitted the case to the Transaction Committee, which temporarily froze the insurance payments. In April, Big Joke and Kubkip redeemed these policies, received the funds, and subsequently withdrew them in cash.
This act of redeeming the life insurance policies was considered an attempt to hide or conceal the origin of the assets related to the crime, or to assist others in evading or reducing penalties associated with the predicate offences.
These actions included transferring or altering the state of assets to obscure their true nature, acquisition, location, disposition, transfer, or rights, knowing they were associated with a crime.
AMLO proceeded with accusations against Big Joke and Kubkip, as their actions constituted money laundering, reported KhaoSod.
If further investigation by the police uncovers additional individuals involved in money laundering, legal action will be pursued against them under their authority.
In related news, Police Commission members voted unanimously to support the acting national police chief’s order to dismiss Big Joke as deputy chief over alleged ties to an online gambling network.
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