A police officer convicted of stealing greater than 150 weapons from a police station over a two-year interval has been sentenced to 270 years in jail, however will solely serve the utmost of fifty years, authorities mentioned on Thursday.
On March 21, the Prison Courtroom for Corruption and Misconduct Circumstances Area 1 sentenced Chaowalit Phumkhachorn, a former crime suppression officer connected to the Pak Kret station, in response to Kosolwat Inthujanyong, a deputy spokesman for the Lawyer-Common’s Workplace. (OAG).
The previous senior sergeant-major was sentenced to life in jail for thefts dedicated whereas serving as a state official, 5 years for every of 28 counts of possession of firearms, and 6 life phrases for firearms commerce offences.
Taking the defendant’s confession under consideration, the courtroom lowered the whole sentence to 270 years, however the most jail time period allowed by legislation is 50 years.
Based on Mr Kosolwat, the courtroom additionally ordered him to return all the stolen weapons or pay 1.34 million baht in compensation to the authorities.
The prosecution claimed that Chaowalit falsified paperwork to acquire the weapons, a lot of which have been signed out from his personal station, over a two-year interval. He offered 47 to strangers and pawned one other 115.
He then fled and was apprehended in Nong Khai on October 20, final yr. Following searches of premises in Bangkok and Nonthaburi, a few of the stolen weapons have been found. Others have been returned by individuals who have been afraid of being prosecuted for possessing stolen weapons.
The invention that numerous weapons had vanished from the offender’s police station with out anybody noticing prompted requires extra rigorous and common checks of police weapons storage amenities.
Police raid on-line playing community
In the meantime, police have raided 17 areas, together with a luxurious house owned by the husband of a Thai actress, for attainable connections to on-line playing networks.
Based on Pol Gen Torsak Sukwimol, deputy nationwide police chief, Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) police and police commandos launched the raid in Bangkok and surrounding provinces on Thursday to seek out proof to prosecute members of the playing networks.
One of many goal areas was a luxurious house on Soi Yothin Patthana in Bangkok’s Bang Kapi district. Phuket hotelier and businessman Mek Rama, the husband of actress Yardthip Rajpal, owned the home.
Through the raid, Mr Mek was current. The police raided his house, which had a hidden room containing a big secure containing beneficial objects.
The police workforce seized the businessman’s belongings price roughly 1 billion baht. A Ferrari, a BMW, and three vans have been among the many objects seized.
Mr. Mek was apprehended on an arrest warrant for conspiring in a web-based playing operation and violating the Anti-Cash Laundering Act. He was taken to the Chaeng Wattana CCIB workplace for questioning.
Mr Mek made headlines just lately after whistleblower and former therapeutic massage parlour tycoon Chuvit Kamolvisit uncovered main playing networks and hinted {that a} TV actress’s husband was allegedly concerned in on-line playing operations.
Mr Chuvit described the accused in his Fb submit, saying the person with the Thai preliminary “Mor” lived in a 200-million-baht mansion and drove a crimson Ferrari. He went on to say that this rich man was suspected of being concerned in a soccer playing community.
The raids on 17 areas in Bangkok, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, Sa Kaeo, and Phitsanulok resulted in 9 arrests, in response to CCIB commissioner Pol Lt Gen Worawat Watnakhornbancha.
Extra details about the police operations can be launched on Friday, he mentioned.
The Division of Particular Investigation (DSI) confiscated Mr Mek’s 200-million-baht penthouse final month for alleged involvement within the Foreign exchange-3D Ponzi scheme.
The actress, 36, declined to touch upon the confiscation of the penthouse however beforehand insisted that her husband was not concerned within the Foreign exchange-3D rip-off.
