Eight Police Officers Suspended Over Extortion Allegations

Eight police officers have been suspended for allegedly attempting to extort 200,000 baht from the owner of a chicken processing firm over the hiring of migrant workers. The factory owner maintains the workers were lawful.

The Nakhon Pathom police officers were allegedly furious because she failed to accept their frequent demands for money.

On Monday, the chief of Nakhon Pathom police, signed an order suspending the eight officers who worked at Samkwaipuak police station until an inquiry into the charges leveled against them, an informed source stated on Tuesday.

The eight police officers accused have all been suspended from duty pending an internal investigation.

The proprietor of a chicken processing facility filed a complaint on Sai Mai Tong Rod’s Facebook page and with Nakhon Ptathom Provincial Police. She stated that the eight police officers investigated the plant and discovered five Myanmar migrants working there.

They took the five employees to the police station and asked the factory owner for their documentation. She stated she had filed all of the necessary documentation, but the authorities claimed they were insufficient and threatened legal action against her for allegedly sheltering illegal immigration.

Police officers demanded money

They allegedly wanted 200,000 baht from the plant owner, who stated that she refused to pay. Their demand was then decreased to 15,000 baht, she told said.

The factory owner believes the workers were legal and that the officers were upset because she failed to satisfy their frequent requests for monetary donations, ostensibly for merit-based advancement.

On Monday, Pol Maj Gen Suwan Chiewnawinthawat, chief of Nakhon Pathom police, signed an order suspending the eight officers who worked at Samkwaipuak police station until an inquiry into the charges leveled against them, an informed source stated on Tuesday.

Pol Capt Natheephong Harnphanit, deputy investigation chief at Samkwaipuak, Pol Snr Sgt Maj Chaiphuek Puirod, Pol Snr Sgt Maj Prasut Saiphromyad, Pol Snr Sgt Maj Narong Hothong, Pol Sgt Maj Rojjasak Khumkhong, Pol Sgt Chaiwat Tumchim, Pol L/Col Wutthichai Sriphunphan, and Pol L/Col Nanthawat Iemjorn have all been suspended.

The proprietor of a chicken processing facility filed a complaint on Sai Mai Tong Rod’s (Survive) Facebook page and with Nakhon Pathom Provincial Police. She stated that on March 29 of this year, eight Samkwaipuak police officers investigated the plant and discovered five Myanmar migrants working there.

Officers caught on CCTV camera

The officers took the five employees to the police station and asked the factory owner for their documentation. She had shown them all of the necessary documents, but the authorities felt they were insufficient and threatened legal action against her for supposedly hiding illegal immigrants.

They allegedly wanted 200,000 baht from the plant owner, who stated that she refused to pay. The demand was then decreased to 15,000 baht, she explained.

A widely shared video clip on social media shows the factory owner handing out 15,000 baht to one of the accused officers at the Samkwaipuak police station. The officer was spotted distributing the money among the other team members.

According to Thairath, the video was taken by station officials who disagreed with the acts of the eight accused officers. A guy going by the name Red Skull posted it on Twitter, also known as X.

The factory owner also said that the accused officers frequently extorted money from her, claiming to be soliciting funds for merit-based programs and asking 2,000-3,000 baht. Because they asked so frequently, she recently gave them only 100 baht. This offended them, which resulted in the raid on the workplace and the claim that she employed illegal aliens, she added.