Leader of trafficking probe shifted to South, may resign from police
SOME 88 suspects have been indicted so far in the case of a southern-based human trafficking ring targeting Rohingya and other migrants, Prayuth Sattayarak, deputy head of the Attorney-General's Human Trafficking Case Office, affirmed yesterday.
Legal proceedings against the group would be complete before the detention period was up, he said. The Criminal Court had set November 10-13 for an examination of the evidence, he added.
Prayuth confirmed the transfer of case investigation team leader, Provincial Police Region 8 deputy chief Pol Maj General Paween Pongsirin, to a new post as deputy commissioner at the Southern Border Provinces Police Operation, but said it would not affect this case.
Paween has said the investigation affected the safety of officers on the case, as most suspects were influential people with power and money to threaten them and witnesses. He said some witnesses claimed to have received threats.
He said the transfer was within his supervisor’s judgement but he would consider whether to agree – or resign.
Paween led the police probe that uncovered camps on the Thai-Malaysia border, where victims were held for ransom and many bodies were found buried in mass graves.
