Deputy duo digs in to root out mafia-style gangs, promises ‘crime-busting’ harvest

Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, yesterday expressed his firm belief in Chada Thaiset, his deputy, to successfully combat mafia-style gangs and diminish their influence on local administrative organisations across Thailand.

The 56 year old deputy PM entrusted Thaiset with a nationwide mission last week to scrutinise all influential local leaders suspected of affiliations with mafia-like gangs and blacklist them if any connections were discovered to eradicate mafia influence in the nation.

This assignment was a reaction to a violent incident that occurred at a dinner party at the residence of a prominent local leader in Nakhon Pathom’s Mueang district late last week. The incident involved the shooting of a highway patrol officer, resulting in his death, and injury to another. This event sparked nationwide interest and ignited a fresh discussion about corruption and mafia influence in public services.

When questioned about setting a deadline for Thaiset to complete this mission, Anutin stated it would be unnecessary, given that corruption is a persistent issue that demands continuous supervision from all involved parties.

During the parliamentary debate on the government’s policy statement that took place yesterday, Senator Prasit Pathummarak acknowledged the new administration’s dedication to eradicating the influence of mafia-style criminal gangs and the influential figures that facilitate their illegal drug trade.

In a related development, the Anti-Corruption Organisation of Thailand (ACT) urged the government to treat its pledge to suppress corruption and bribery in the promotion of state officials with more seriousness than it has in the past, reported Bangkok Post.

On the ACT’s Facebook page, the organisation referred to the Nakhon Pathom incident as an example of the rampant meddling with public agencies’ reshuffles of officials and the link between underhand businesses and the illegal advantages offered to state officials responsible for suppressing these businesses’ activities.

According to the ACT, the Nakhon Pathom case highlights the public administration system’s rampant corruption and lack of good governance. It emphasised the need to expel all those connected to illegal activities from the system to better safeguard good state officials and ensure they are treated fairly in terms of career progression.

The ACT also called on Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin to uphold the commitment he made on September 6, which marks Thailand’s Anti-Corruption Day, that the trading of significant positions in state organisations, along with unfair reshuffles, would be eliminated under his administration. The 61 year old PM also pledged to enforce extensive checks on corruption during his administration.

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