National police chief Pol Gen Kittharath Punpetch said the Royal Thai Police (RTP) will continue to diligently crackdown on scamming operations, while disregarding external accusations labelling the force as a criminal gang.
During the signing ceremony for a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation to prevent and combat cybercrime held on Thursday at Government House, Pol Gen Kittharath addressed recent allegations that the RTP was a “criminal gang”.
He said the force is fully committed to the government’s national policy to suppress online scams, which have been declared a major national threat due to their economic and social impacts.
The MoU involves cooperation among 15 agencies to strengthen joint operations against technology-based fraud and has been hailed as a big step forward in the government’s anti-graft fight.
Pol Gen Kittharath said Thailand is not a base for scam networks, which mainly operate from neighbouring countries, adding Thailand has been collaborating with Interpol and the United Nations to crack down on scams, call centre gangs, and human trafficking rings that are often interconnected.
He added that scammers in these neighbouring countries often flee to Thailand to escape prosecution, and Thai authorities have been repatriating them.
However, Pol Gen Kittharath said successful arrests depend on the level of cooperation from these states.
He said any police officer or person found involved in wrongdoing will face strict legal action without exception or protection, in line with the prime minister’s directives, as such actions severely undermine the well-being of citizens.
“At present, the RTP is under heavy attack from external criticism targeting our image,” he said.
“Let me emphasise — these accusations come from outsiders claiming the police are a large criminal organisation in Thailand.
“Such a statement is an accusation against the entire police force. It is deeply hurtful.
“I have remained calm and continued working despite constant criticism, but this accusation is extremely serious — one that no officer can accept.”