Crooked community police arrested

WICHIT: Anucha Kaewkuen, 33, and Udomchai Faipetch, 37, from the Tambon Wichit Community Police office, were arrested recently after demanding 4,000 baht from an employer who had hired an illegal Burmese worker. The men went to an unnamed employer’s construction site and arrested a Burmese laborer. They then demanded the employer pay them 4,000 baht, claiming that the money wasn’t for themselves but was for government officers – including Provincial Governor Pongpayome Vasaputi – who were to receive 1,000 baht each. The employer was told pay the money at 6:30 pm on May 13 at the Tambon Wichit Community Police office. Gov Pongpayome told the Gazette that he had received a number of complaints from employers that he was allegedly receiving bribes to turn a blind eye to illegal Burmese laborers. So when he received an anonymous tip-off about the shake-down on May 13, he swiftly set up a special task force, led by Nikorn Torhiranpluek of the Phuket Provincial Defense Force and Pol Col Abhirak Hongtong, superintendent of the Phuket Immigration Police, to investigate. The men were charged with extortion and the Burmese worker involved was charged with being an illegal immigrant.