A rogue official arrested for issuing ID cards to migrants

A rogue government official was arrested yesterday for illegally issuing Thai identification (ID) cards to more than 50 migrants in exchange for money at the San Sai District Office in Chiang Mai.

Chiang Mai Governor Nirut Pongsitthaworn reported yesterday that the San Sai District Office hired a temporary officer to help out with document work. However, the officer turned out to be a criminal.

The crooked officer, whose identity has not been revealed, secretly accessed the ID card registration system and registered migrants as Thai citizens, receiving payments of 500 to 3,000 baht for each transaction in the process. He also forged the signature of the deputy chief to complete the process.

The rogue officer identified Thai residents in remote areas, who had not registered for ID cards and allocated those cards to migrants.

The system did not detect any abnormalities because the identifications of those Thai residents had not been confirmed in the database before. The officer distributed ID cards to about 50 migrants over four months before his wrong-doing was detected and he was arrested.

The Deputy Chief of the San Sai District, Boonyarit Nippawanich, revealed that the officer got away with his criminal activity because the district office is often crowded and it is not easy to detect any wrongdoing.

Boonyarit said issuing ID cards is a serious offence that could undermine the nation’s security, adding that the ID cards can be used in drug trafficking or money laundering.

The rogue officer insisted that he worked alone but Boonyarit believes there could be more people involved.

Boonyarit made known that the investigation is still ongoing.