Chai prakan: "Worrasit and Big Ran" successfully launched an operation to suppress the threat in Chai Prakan, dismantling a network of labor laundering using fake identification cards. Mr. Worasit Liengprasit, Deputy Minister of Interior, led a combined force of over 200 police officers and DOPA NICE personnel in "Operation Suppress the Chai Prakan Threat," raiding 35 locations in Chiang Mai province. This operation dismantled a network involved in fraudulently obtaining identity cards for unregistered individuals (registration number 0 cards), resulting in the arrest of 20 suspects. The suspects included former district officers, village headmen, and foreign nationals involved in labor laundering.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Worasit Liengprasit, Deputy Minister of Interior (M.4), along with Pol. Gen. Samran Nualma, Deputy Commissioner General of the Royal Thai Police, and other high-ranking officials, coordinated the operation to crack down on the corruption ring. The operation targeted the illegal issuance of "Registration 0 cards" to foreigners in Chai Prakan District, Chiang Mai Province.
Pol. Gen. Samran Nualma revealed that the operation was a result of an investigation into the registration of individuals without registered status between 2018 and 2022. During this period, 5,044 registration cards with the number 0 were issued, revealing several irregularities such as the use of fictitious house numbers, incomplete fingerprint collection, and forged document certification.
An in-depth investigation identified 23 suspected foreigners who had illegally obtained identification cards. Facial and fingerprint checks against the Immigration Bureau's database confirmed that all possessed foreign passports: 22 Myanmar nationals and 1 Chinese national. Police gathered evidence to prosecute 35 individuals, including 9 government and administrative officials, 3 homeowners who acted as guarantors, and the 23 foreigners.
Initially, authorities have arrested 20 suspects, including a former deputy district chief of Chai Prakan, one sub-district head, one village head, eight homeowners, and nine Myanmar nationals. Evidence suggests this was a coordinated network involved in illegally obtaining immigration registration cards for foreign workers.
Pol. Gen. Samran explained that the identity card for persons without registered status is meant for groups without a history in the civil registry to obtain basic human rights. However, criminal groups exploited this loophole to fraudulently claim these rights.
The Royal Thai Police confirmed that they will expedite investigations and continue to crack down on this network to prevent threats to national security and the civil registration system. The public is urged to report any information regarding identity theft, extortion, or misuse of identification documents to the local police station or the Royal Thai Police hotline at 1599, available 24 hours a day.