CHIANG RAI – Police in Chiang Saen are working to piece together what happened after a junior officer assigned to the finance unit died by suicide. The incident came as several officers at the same station were reportedly moved and placed under review after complaints tied them to seized money linked to a “mule account” case.
Local reports say a police lance corporal, who worked in the finance section at Chiang Saen Police Station, used a service revolver to shoot himself in the head. He died in a relative’s bedroom in Pong Ngam subdistrict, Mae Sai district, Chiang Rai. The shooting happened on the evening of January 5.
Officers collected evidence at the scene, including the firearm, and interviewed people close to the officer. Sources said he graduated from the police training school in Lampang and had been on the job for about four years. Friends described him as polite and not someone who got into conflicts. They also said he had a supportive family.
Chiang Rai Provincial Police Commander Maj. Gen. Manop Senakul said he was informed the officer was about 30 years old and relatively new to the force. He usually traveled from Mae Sai, where he lived, to work at the Chiang Saen station’s finance unit.
He filled the role after the previous finance officer retired. So far, there has been no clear sign of wrongdoing linked to his work.
The commander added that the station chief described the officer as quiet and private. He said it’s possible the officer faced depression, but investigators still don’t know what led to the death. Police are continuing to review all possible factors, including any connection to ongoing internal checks.
Reports also say an earlier case involved the arrest of a mule account network in the Chiang Saen district. Officers seized cash worth hundreds of thousands of baht. Later, a complaint was filed about the seized money. That complaint led to an internal investigation and the transfer of at least six Chiang Saen investigation officers to duties outside the area.
As for the finance officer’s death, officials said it’s still unclear whether he was connected to the disputed evidence money. Chiang Rai provincial police are now verifying the facts while the investigation continues.
