Bangkok: "Achariya" has been taken into custody and remanded on charges of extortion; police oppose bail. The atmosphere at the Crime Suppression Division headquarters this morning was tense as officers erected metal barriers to manage the media coverage of the arrest of Mr. Achariya Ruangratanapong, president of the Crime Victims Assistance Association, and six others. They are charged with extorting 2.5 million baht from an Immigration Police superintendent in exchange for not exposing the release of Chinese detainees.
According to Thai News Agency, police officers employed a diversion tactic, escorting Mr. Achariya and his associates out of the back parking lot to avoid the large crowd of waiting media before heading to court for legal proceedings. Police Major General Pattanaporn Bubphasuwan, commander of the Crime Suppression Division, revealed that investigators had completed questioning all the suspects separately in the early hours of this morning. Initially, everyone cooperated well, but they continue to deny all charges.
Furthermore, at the end of the detention request, the investigating officers objected to bail because the case is complex, especially regarding the receipt of 2.5 million baht, which is crucial evidence in the extortion case file. While the overall case is divided into two parts, the charge of joint extortion is under the responsibility of the Crime Suppression Division, while the case of removing the Chinese national from the Immigration Detention Center is under the investigative authority of the Bangkok Metropolitan Police Command, as per the order of the Royal Thai Police.