8 Pathum Thani police removed over extortion allegations
Eight police officers were removed amid an allegation that officers extorted a gold necklace worth nearly 150,000 baht from a Thai couple who run a snooker club in Pathum Thani.
The 29 year old woman, Yuwadee, sought assistance by sharing her account with the non-profit organisation Saimai Survive. She said the incident happened at her home in Thanyaburi district, Pathum Thani, at about 7.28am on March 25.
Yuwadee said a white sedan and a van parked outside her home before seven to eight men got out and walked directly to her residence. They entered without asking permission and introduced themselves as police officers.
According to her account, the men searched the house and did not find any illegal items. Before leaving, they noticed a notebook that recorded the names of people who owed her money. She said the group told her that offering loans without permission was illegal and that her assets would be seized.
Yuwadee said she and her husband were then taken to Pathum Thani Police Station, where their bank accounts were seized for investigation. She said she had 10,000 baht in her account and her husband had 300 baht, and that all of the money was confiscated.
She alleged the police demanded her to pay 200,000 baht to avoid being prosecuted for illegal loan offering. Yuwadee told them she did not have the money and was willing to face prosecution.
However, officers then told her to find 100,000 baht within 10 minutes to secure their release. Yuwadee said she was concerned about her children, who were alone at home following the arrest, and handed over a gold necklace she said was worth nearly 150,000 baht.
Yuwadee alleged the officers took the necklace and later dropped her and her husband off on a quiet road near their home. She added that the police returned 10,000 baht in cash to her, saying they felt sorry for her because she had children to care for.
She said the case was not handled through proper legal procedures and claimed the officers sought money rather than carrying out their duties.
Yuwadee then filed a complaint with the Pathum Thani Complaint Centre and submitted CCTV footage as evidence. Still, unsurprisingly, her complaint was ignored, prompting her to contact the Saimai Survive organisation.
With support from the organisation, eight police officers linked to the alleged extortion were summoned for questioning. All denied the allegation, while the investigation continued. During the proceedings, the accused officers were removed from their duties.
Pathum Thani Provincial Police commander Peeraphon Chotikasathian said a civilian was also involved in the case. He added that police officers could face the death penalty if found guilty of extortion.
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