Phuket Taxi Task Force Raids Council Office in Search of Money Laundering Evidence

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

PHUKET; Officers from the Anti-Money Laundering Office joined a taxi and tuk-tuk task force that descended on a Patong municipal council office today looking for evidence.

About 60 Army, Navy, police and AMLO officials raided the Kata-Karon municipal building at the south end of Kata beach at 11.30am.

The task force was intent on scanning and perhaps confiscating documents that could shed light on alleged financial misdeeds exposed under questioning since the task force began arrests on June 4.

The council's mayor, two deputy mayors, the senior district officer and the municipal engineer are among 116 people - most of them tuk-tuk or taxi drivers - arrested in the island-wide push to bust the monopoly held by drivers on Phuket's public transport.

Investigators say the Kata-Karon investigation should be wrapped up by July 15 and more action is then expected in relation to the taxis at Phuket International Airport and in Patong, north of Kata-Karon on Phuket's tourist west coast.

Complaints by tourists and resorts of thuggery, intimidation and extortion led to the task force going into action with the backing of the military command that took over the running of Thailand on May 22