The DSI laid their trap meticulously, employing a foreigner to act as the “taxi driver’s” customer.
The DSI does not automatically take on any case of wrongdoing reported to them – that, they argue – is initially the job of local police.
However, if they feel that a case does merit their full attention, they must gather enough evidence to convince a DSI committee that the case must be declared “special”, allowing them to take further action.
Pol Lt Col Preecha Meejaidee, deputy chief of the Bureau of Special Crime Section 3, who led a team of six DIS officials for the mission, told The Phuket News, “We are going to take on the case of the taxis in front of Merlin Beach Resort, Tri Trang. We went there to see how the taxi drivers would react.
“On November 20, we pretended to be a tourist car driver to pick up a foreign man who knows the role play at the resort.
“They threatened a DSI man who was doing the role play as a taxi driver to leave, and pulled the tourist’s arm to not let him get into our car. They also threatened the tourist to choose their service instead.”
On Tuesday (November 26), Pol Lt Col Somboon Sarasit, the commander of the Bureau of Special Crime Section 3 told The Phuket News, “On December 2, we will submit this case to DSI’s committee, with the aim of having them declare this a special investigation.”
“Our role now is to arrest and to put pressure on misbehaving taxi drivers to get them to follow the regulations of the Phuket Provincial Government. We are serious about this mission.”