Customs official transferred over assault aired on YouTube

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The Customs Department on Wednesday transferred back to headquarters a senior official based at Suvarnabhumi Airport who allegedly assaulted an airport security officer while refusing to be patted down.

Director General Somchai Poonsawat said the C-7 official, who was identified only as Sombat, will face an investigation into the incident, which occurred on January at in the airport. The investigation will take about 30 days.

Footage from a surveillance camera of the alleged assault, which has appeared on YouTube, shows the official walking through a security check. However, he refuses to be patted down after a security alarm beeps.

In the footage, the official is showing whacking the officer's ears with both hands. The official then points to his badge and the junior officer bows apologetically.

The video was posted on YouTube on Monday and by Tuesday it had attracted many thousands of angry comments.

Somchai said the official in trouble was a chief of passenger services at the airport responsible for crackdowns on contraband and narcotics.

After the incident, the junior officer saw a doctor, who diagnosed injuries to the eardrum. He also filed a complaint with the police.