Senior police officer sidelined for alleged connection to Myawaddy casino

A senior Thai police officer, Pol Maj-Gen Ekkarat Intasueb, has been suspended amid reports linking him to a casino complex in Myawaddy, a known hub for Chinese call-centre gangs. A 20-member committee has been appointed to investigate the matter.

The national police chief issued an order on Tuesday to suspend a police major-general and appointed a committee to investigate whether he was linked to a casino complex in Myawaddy, as reported.

Pol General Kitrat Phanphet, commissioner-general of the Royal Thai Police, ordered the temporary removal of Pol Maj-Gen Ekkarat Intasueb from his current duties and transferred him to an inactive post at the Royal Thai Police’s operation centre.

Ekkarat, who was serving as the commander of the Police Inspection Division 5 and acting commander of the Police Inspection Division, was sidelined on Tuesday afternoon.Kitrat issued the order shortly after Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai informed the weekly Cabinet meeting that a senior government official would be sidelined that day due to alleged connections with call-centre gangs in Myawaddy.

The casino complex in Myawaddy is known to be a hub for many Chinese call-centre gangs.

Kitrat’s order stated that Ekkarat would remain removed from his post until further notice.The national police chief also issued an order to appoint a 20-member police committee to investigate Ekkarat.

The investigative panel will be chaired by Pol Maj-Gen Charoonkiart Parnkaew, deputy commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau.

The order referenced reports linking Ekkarat to the Myawaddy complex and cited information from YouTube channel Zaabnews, ThaiPBS, NationTV, and PPTVHD36 websites.

Later on Tuesday evening, Kitrat issued another order to transfer Tak police chief Pol Maj-Gen Samrit Ekkamol to an inactive post at the operation centre of the Royal Thai Police.

Kitrat said in the order that the transfer was intended to pave the way for an investigation into whether police officers at their stations in Tak – namely, the Mae Sot, Mae Ramat and Phop Phra stations – were involved in human trafficking rings.

Earlier, the commanders of the three stations had already been transferred to inactive posts pending an investigation into whether any officers at those stations were involved in human smuggling rings. The investigation was ordered following reports that several Chinese tourists had been smuggled across Tak’s border to work for call-centre gangs.

Kitrat said the latest transfer of the Tak police chief would ensure fair investigations. He also appointed Pol Maj-Gen Rawipat Amornmuneepong, deputy commissioner of Provincial Police Bureau 6, as caretaker Tak police chief until further notice.

(2025/02/11-00:00)