CRIME EXTORTION AND ROBBERY

More Victims Of BPP Gang Come Forward

Five more people yesterday said they were innocent victims of a gang
of Border Patrol Police (BPP) officers led by Nat Chonnithiwanit,
claiming the gang forced them to make false confessions to drug
charges and extorted money from them. The gang is
facing prosecution for allegedly extorting money from their victims
and torturing them into confessing to drug trafficking charges.

Chaiwiwat Bunkua, a 33-year-old from Phuket, lodged a complaint with
Crime Suppression police yesterday, saying Pol Capt Nat's gang had
physically assaulted and detained him and his two friends in September 2006.

Mr Chaiwiwat claimed the gang arrested him along with his friends
Sirithep Mingpicharn, 33, and Rewat Rongmuang, 22, on Sept 12, 2006,
in Phangnga province, accusing them of trafficking methamphetamines.
Mr Chaiwiwat said he and his friends had never been involved with drugs.

He claimed the three were taken to a hotel where they were beaten
and tortured until they agreed to make false confessions that they
had metham-phetamine pills for sale.

Their trial on charges of trafficking methamphetamines is still
before the courts.

Mr Chaiwiwat said he once filed a complaint against the gang at
Phuket police station after the incident, but no action was taken.

Nukul Ruangjui, 44, and his wife Somsi Yos-in, 45, from Kanchanaburi
have also filed a complaint with Surajit Klai-udom, the deputy
superintendent of the 41st BPP unit and Pol Capt Nat's supervisor,
accusing him of malfeasance, unlawful detention and robbery.

Mr Nukul alleged Pol Lt-Col Surajit and his associates beat up his
son and his son's friend on August 3 last year and forced them to
confess that they had 1,182 methamphetamine pills for sale.

Two other people filing similar charges against Pol Capt Nat's gang
with Crime Suppression Division police yesterday were named as
Chokdee Thong-o, 32 from Krabi, and Jamnong Rungruangma, 50, from
Songkhla. Ms Jamnong said she paid extortion money to the gang and
was still charged.

In Chumphon, another drug suspect on bail, Somchai Baengbun, 25,
lodged a similar complaint against the gang.