Police catch impersonating extortionist

Phu1

In the second reported case of its kind in only a month’s time, Chalong Police on the island of Phuket have arrested a Thai man for impersonating an officer of the law. This most recent case saw a man approach workers at a construction site and claim he’d been sent by the local police to deal with the fact that illegal Burmese workers were being employed on the site.

A man identifying himself only by the name of Chai showed up at the construction site of a project in Chalong on Soi Palai, saying he’d been sent by the regional police to collect 8000 baht in exchange for not reporting the Burmese workers. The foreman of the site, Santi Nasang later called Arthid Sue-sattabongkot, a captain with the Phuket Provincial Branch Police. The police provided the foreman with 5000 baht in order to set up a sting for the would-be extortionist, and arrested the man after the exchange was made.

The man was identified as Tanakorn Kueakoon, a 28-year old who had been responsible for some extortion cases in the past.