Investments in stock market with links to Victoria’s under scrutiny

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has also been asked to investigate the funds flow from the business to the country’s stock market. 
“We have already alerted the SEC secretary-general,” DSI chief Pol Colonel Paisit Wongmuang said yesterday. 
The de-facto owner of Victoria’s was identified as Kampol Weerathepsuporn. He and his wife, Nipa, have gone into hiding after they were implicated and arrest warrants for them were issued last week.
Kampol has been a major shareholder of several listed companies. 
Paisit said the DSI had the mandate to investigate ill-gotten gains from human trafficking. 
According to police, there is no record that Kampol and Nipa have left Thailand. 
Victoria’s had long been a major massage parlour in Bangkok’s Huai Khwang district. On January 12, the DSI and the military raided the night-time entertainment venue and uncovered multiple alleged illegal activities.
At present, seven suspects including Kampol’s younger sister Sasithorn Weerathepsuporn, are being detained. 
Following the raid, five senior policemen at the Wang Thong Lang Police Station – whose jurisdiction includes the place – were transferred. 
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Pol Lt-General Chanthep Sesavej has also ordered a probe against the officers and tried to find out which of the Metropolitan Police Bureau’s superintendents received services at Victoria’s on the night of January 10. 
Pictures of all superintendents at the bureau were shown to the seven suspects in detention yesterday. But the suspects insisted that they did not know anyone in the pictures. 
“We have also asked staff at Victoria’s as to whether they know the superintendent who used the services at the place but they, too, said they knew nothing,” Deputy Metropolitan Police Commissioner Pol Maj-General Krittapon Yeesakhon said. 
Assigned to nail down this superintendent, Krittapon said he would next week specifically ask staff who worked on the nightshift on January 10. 
There are now 82 approved massage parlours in Bangkok. After the Victoria’s scandal broke out, police checked all other massage parlours.
Deputy national police Commissioner Pol General Srivara Ransibrahmanakul said almost every parlour had violated building control laws as the number of their rooms did not match what was approved in the permits.
Moreover, evidence suggested that many of these parlours had illegally used groundwater too. 
Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Division deputy commander Pol Colonel Suwat Intasit, meanwhile, specifically led a team to inspect The Lord massage parlour after receiving a tip-off that it was related to Victoria’s.
“We believe just like Victoria’s, it might have violated groundwater laws,” he said. 
During police searches, at least two groups of foreigners showed up in the hope of receiving services from The Lord. They were turned away.