Sketchy business: Cops arrest last suspect in decade-old human trafficking case
Police officers from the Anti Trafficking in Persons Division (ATPD) of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) triumphantly captured the last suspect in a gruesome decade-old human trafficking case, ending an exhaustive month-long chase.
Their breakthrough? A single clue: a sketch of an unidentified woman, said Police Major General Sarut Kwaengsopha, the ATPD commander after the suspect was arrested in Samut Prakan yesterday, September 22.
“It’s a tough job, but if we didn’t do it, who would?”
The climax came on September 16 when Pol. Maj. Gen. Sarut green-lit Pol. Col. Korkiat Wuthijumnong, Superintendent of Sub-Division 1, to nab Sompong Soithong, with a Criminal Court arrest warrant dating back to December 19, 2014. Pol. Lt. Col. Burin Kapittha executed the dramatic arrest under Pol. Col. Korkiat’s orders.
The 62 year old woman faces a bleak list of charges, including colluding to traffic humans for forced labour, enslavement, and facilitating illegal entry and exit from the kingdom.
The probe kicked off when Pol. Maj. Gen. Sarut directed his team to dive back into old arrest warrants, specifically targeting labour trafficking cases infamous for their extreme brutality.
“Cases of labour trafficking that dehumanise victims must be eradicated. We must round up everyone involved in these old horrors.”
Etch-A-sketch
Leading the charge, Pol. Col. Korkiat tasked Pol. Lt. Col. Burin with pinpointing warrants linked to violent misdeeds. Their diligence paid off when they stumbled upon a challenging case involving a middle-aged woman, identified only through a sketch drawn from a victim’s harrowing testimony.
Back in 2012, the ATPD was tipped off by the Department of Social Development and Welfare about victims duped by rogue labour brokers. Instead of promised well-paying jobs, they were imprisoned in a karaoke bar in Pak Nam Samut Prakan, forced to sign slavery-like contracts, and shipped off to gruelling fishing work in Malaysia.
One victim’s tale of survival is particularly shocking: nearly beaten to death and cast into the sea, he drifted for three days before being rescued by a Vietnamese cargo ship and ultimately landing in India. After months, he finally returned to Thailand.
The Crime Suppression Division 1 meticulously compiled evidence and rounded up four out of five wanted suspects. The elusive fifth suspect was finally identified through the sketch and meticulous detective work linking her name to the crimes, Pol. Col. Korkiat said.
“We tracked down the 62-year-old woman and found two individuals with matching names and ages. Finding the true offender between them was our crucial challenge.”
Verification came when the victim who gave the original statement identified Sompong, despite being embroiled in his own legal woes with over ten warrants, including drug trafficking.
Grocery seller
In a bold move, the team interviewed the convicted individuals linked to the case. They confirmed Sompong’s involvement, identifying her as the woman in the sketch.
Sompong, masquerading as a humble grocery seller in Samut Prakan, initially denied the charges but eventually cracked under pressure. She confessed to luring countless victims to a karaoke bar for cash, though she claimed ignorance of their grim final destinations, Bangkok Post reported.
She also revealed a previous three-year stint in prison for another trafficking case. said Pol. Col. Korkiat.
“This case exemplifies how relentless effort and even a simple sketch can bring a culprit to justice.”
Pol. Lt. Col. Burin emphasised the need to focus on sketches in pending cases, noting their potential to unearth additional suspects still free.
“The investigation can expand based on sketches to rope in more culprits still at large.”
