Thai Royal Police Oust Deputy Head Over Suspected Links to Illicit Gambling Syndicate
Fired Without Pension: Ex-Thai Police Chief Tangled in Gambling Scandal
The disciplinary committee of Thailand's Royal Police has booted out its former Deputy Commissioner-General, Surachate "Big Joke" Hakparn, due to his alleged links to an illicit digital gambling ring.
In a unanimous decision on Friday, the committee opted to terminate Hakparn's employment without pension. This decision leaves the ex-police honcho out in the cold, marking the end of a career tainted by scandal.
The controversial cop was initially unmasked due to a series of police raids in 2023, targeting an illicit digital gambling platform dubbed Betflix.
Thai officials charged Hakparn with money laundering and discharged him on Friday, citing disciplinary action for officers under investigation.
While Hakparn admits he was suspended since August following a royal command, he vehemently denies the money laundering allegations.
The fall of Surachate comes hot on the heels of the tragic death in prison of a former Thai police officer, affectionately known as "Joe Ferrari" for his love of supercars, serving a life sentence for the gruesome murder of a suspect during a brutal interrogation.
This revelation follows the Thai Prime Minister's pledge to China's leader in February to intensify combat against human trafficking and related crimes. In the same month, a combined Sino-Thai political push culminated in Thai police liberating over 7,000 victims from a notorious Myanmar gambling and human trafficking ring.
However, it appears the investigation into Hakparn's dealings with Betflix remains ongoing, with no concrete information available in the current search results. To stay updated on the matter, investigating news outlets or official statements related to the probe into Hakparn could provide the most accurate and timely updates. Additionally, there have been unrelated allegations surrounding Hakparn's wife, Sirinatda "Kubkip" Hakparn, for an alleged affair and theft. Nonetheless, those stories do not directly link to the investigation of the digital gambling network.
- The investigation into Surachate Hakparn's dealings with the illicit digital gambling platform Betflix, which was uncovered in 2023, remains ongoing.
- Despite his termination and absence of pension, Surachate Hakparn, the former Deputy Commissioner-General of Thailand's Royal Police, has vehemently denied money laundering allegations connected to Betflix.
- The general news, crime-and-justice sections of various investigating news outlets are likely the best sources for up-to-date information on the ongoing investigation into Hakparn's involvement with Betflix.
- Beyond the Betflix case, there have been unrelated allegations of an affair and theft involving Surachate Hakparn's wife, Sirinatda "Kubkip" Hakparn, but they do not directly link to the digital gambling network investigation.
