Officials transferred after nine Lao teenagers are rescued
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NONG KHAI'S Tha Bo District deputy chief and five senior officers from Tha Bo Police Station were transferred yesterday following the Tuesday night rescue of nine Laotian girls aged 16 to 19 from two restaurants.
Rawichai Paritpahol has been transferred to an inactive post at the city hall, while provincial governor Suchat Noppawan has set up a fact-finding panel to investigate the official’s alleged negligence in allowing such a crime to occur in the district.
The five officers Pol Colonel Somchai Sanguansakpakdee, Pol Lt-Colonel Thansamai Phromsit, Pol Lt-Colonel Ratchapong Artkaew, Pol Lt-Colonel Anant Supanpasat and Pol Major Suriya Taothong were to report for their new positions at the provincial police operation centre later yesterday.
The owner of the Pulsap karaoke bar, Sompit Dongluang, 41, was arrested and her six Laotian employees were rescued.
In Sri Chiangmai district, KS restaurant owner Kosol Uppahad, 60, and his three Laotian employees were rescued.
A special task team of Nong Khai-based Interior officials launched raids after the provincial Dhamrongtham Centre received complaints of prostitution and human trafficking.
Officials collected the victims’ personal information and checked their bone mass to determine their actual age before pressing a human-trafficking charge against Sompit and a charge of employing minors against Kosol.
A 17-year-old Laotian waitress at Pulsap said she had worked at the bar for two months for a daily wage of Bt300 and occasionally served as a sex worker.
