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Published on January 30, 2008

An arrest warrant was yesterday issued for another suspect in a police crime syndicate accused of preying on many victims through kidnapping and drug-related set-ups.

Pol Sgt-Major Anusit Natesuwan has been identified after witnesses saw his photograph in a personnel record, said Bangkok police chief Assawin Khwanmueng.

Anusit, now on the run, is known for his closeness to Pol Captain Nat Chonniti-wanich, the alleged leader of the "Border Patrol police ring", as the group has been dubbed in media reports.

Lt-General Assawin said he welcomed a request by the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) to take over the cases from police.

The DSI had reportedly shown interest earlier in probing the entire case but has not yet made an official request to the police to take over the matter.

A Chumphon woman yesterday filed a complaint with local police saying her husband had been wrongly sentenced to an eight-year jail term after Nat and his accomplices planted amphetamine tablets on him and then tortured him to make a confession.

Amornrat Larnkatebutr said her husband Thanom was also beaten up by the rogue officers when they caught him in August 2006. Chumphon police chief Praphat Siriwat said he would further investigate Amornrat's complaint and guaranteed a transparent process.

Praphat later dismissed another complaint by a couple that they had been forced to confess to being drug dealers. He said Pradit and Wanphen Khongmark had been blacklisted by an area Office of Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) for possession of marijuana in 2004, apart from several petty crimes.

Phinyo Silawilasphakdee and Junjira Khlaisuban, allegedly members of the ring who had forced a businesswoman to transfer money to bank accounts through ATM machines, have been detained at the Min Buri Court.

Victims of the police ring should also seek damages through civil lawsuits in addition to separate compensatory payments from authorities, Justice Ministry permanent secretary Charan Phakdithanakul said yesterday.

The Rights and Liberties Protection Department is working on paying compensation to all victims of the police ring. Each of those aggrieved t may file civil lawsuits on their own to also demand payments directly from the Royal Thai Police.

Director-general Suwana Suwannajootha said teams of counsellors had been sent to meet victims and more teams were needed as more and more victims of the ring, allegedly led by Captain Nat Chonniti-wanich, kept surfacing after the news about its crimes broke last Friday. The department has provided various types of assistance, including legal counselling to file criminal and civil lawsuits against suspects, fighting charges falsely pressed against them during police investigations and court trials, and payments of damages or protection for other witnesses to testify against the ring members in future prosecution.

The Corrections Department is now coordinating with the ONCB to determine how many inmates were imprisoned for false drug-related charges after they were arrested by ring members who planted drugs on them. Their release would be approved once it was found they were arrested as a result of set-ups by the suspects.

Corrections Department director-general Wanchai Rujjanawong called on such inmates to file complaints to the courts through prison guards to initiate the move for their own release, which would be made once the courts approved.

Deputy police chief Thanee Somboomsab said the police investigation was being expanded to determine whether Nat and his gang carried out the blackmailing with the approval or with knowledge of their superiors in the Border Patrol headquarters or ranking officers with other units. He said the number of victims of the ring had now reached 20 and was rising.

The Nation