Crime

Soi Dog Foundation Saving Dogs from the Dinner Table

John Dalley, co-founder of the Phuket-based Soi Dog Foundation, says he doesn’t have time to feel pride – he is always too busy feeling frustrated.

CHIANGRAI TIMES – The trade of dog meat has existed in Thailand for centuries, yet it is only relatively recently with the growth of grass roots Thai animal-welfare groups, foreign-start up groups and an increase in the need for dog meat that the trade has grown to become an issue that can no longer be ignored.

Ever since last year’s first border ‘interception’ spearheaded by Gov Rerngsak, there are now regular dog interceptions at crossing places such as Mukdahan and the areas surrounding Ban Tharae – widely considered to be the hub of the dog meat trade in Thailand.

Kidnapped pets and soi (street) dogs in cages bound for the border.

Although there are literally hundreds of dogs rescued every week, John explains that this is not a long-term solution to the problem.

“It’s good when we intercept the dogs because we are effectively intercepting the profits, but it doesn’t stop [the trade], it just forces the price of dog meat up.”

In turn, this increases the profitability of the trade and encourages new routes and ways of operating.

The most recent interception happened this week, when on October 15, 270 dogs were rescued from three pick up trucks travelling in Mukdahan.

As a result of being caught more often, dog meat traders are no longer brazenly transporting the animals in huge trucks, but have instead resorted to covertly cramming them into chicken crates.

They are then taken and kept in the jungle, waiting until nightfall, for a safe passage across the border.

When the dogs are rescued, they are often suffering from dislocated joints, malnutrition, and diseases.

Even if the dogs do manage to make it to ‘freedom’ and to shelter, it is no guarantee of their survival. They are usually taken to unsuitable shelters that were initially set up for live stock.

“They are not made for dogs,” says John, “And the staff are not trained to take care of small animals. As such, the death rate is usually quite high – and can be up to around 10-12 per day.

dog meat traders are no longer brazenly transporting the animals in huge trucks, but have instead resorted to covertly cramming them into chicken crates.

“1,800 dogs were recently taken to the Buriram shelter and they all had proper paperwork and so on, but after a few months there were only around 100 left. The manager of the centre said that they either all died or ran away, but nobody really knows what happened to those dogs,” says John.

The heart of the solution, therefore apart from raising awareness, lies in creating opportunities for those involved and correct enforcement of existing laws.

Using the law

“So many people are involved in the dog meat trade, the government needs to provide more alternative jobs for the poor people who are involved in this at every level.

“The rice farmers may say they are poor, yet a lot of them are now driving around in brand new pick up trucks and probably having to engage in this illegal activity to fund them.”

John said therefore that this, alongside correct and just enforcement of the law, was the way forward.

“They [dog meat traders] need to know that more will happen to them, perhaps that they’ll have their trucks impounded and they’ll go to jail. At the moment, they are not even having to pay the fines. The big men, those in a higher position [in the trade’s hierarchy] pay them, so they have nothing to fear.

“Then unbelievably the dogs are returned to them, because after they pay the fine, they just claim that the dogs are theirs, and therefore their only crime is transporting them ‘illegally’ across the border.”

A pick up truck containing crates crammed with dogs.

John said however that often the dog meat traders weren’t even correctly prosecuted in that regard. He should know – much of his time at the SDF is spent dealing with the legal process of exporting dogs to homes abroad.

“I see the warning signs clearly every time,” says John of the painstaking process of requirements when exporting animals, “If it’s not done properly you receive up to two years imprisonment or a B40,000 fine. But often these people [dog meat traders] are let off with a few thousand baht fine and I think the maximum sentence ever imposed has been six months.”

Caught on camera

John has also been rather busy as the SDF. In combination with UK-based production company Environment Films, he has been filming and contributing to a documentary, entitled ‘The Shadow Trade’, which plans to expose the inner workings of the dog meat trade to an international audience.

John told The Phuket News that the SDF had sent an ex-Fleet Street undercover reporter for a six-month long investigation into the dog meat trade, in order to check the dog meat traders’ movements and the schedule by which they transport the dogs.

He says this will hopefully lead to more interceptions and more arrests on the ground. “The documentary is not necessarily to ‘reveal’ the four main individuals who are engaged in the running of the trade, as they are already quite well known. Everybody knows it. The police know all right.”

Cherique O’Brien, a producer working on the documentary, said there were still many people, especially outside of Thailand, who didn’t know about the trade, “Awareness for this campaign is key. A film is a great way to spread the campaign message to a much broader audience.

“The film, as part of the campaign, aims to help change the way these animals get treated, change legislation, win stricter laws against cruelty, and ideally bring an end to the dog meat trade.”

John too is ultimately holding out for a blanket ban on the trade, and believes if politicians can see the importance of bringing about change, then this could happen.

Shaming a nation

He believes that local authorities, national government and the TAT need to recognise that international awareness of the integral part Thailand plays in the trade will damage the nation’s image, and will ultimately harm the economy and the business prospects of the country.

For now, however, John said that a more realistic and achievable short term solution will be to increase the number of interceptions and to improve the holding conditions of the dogs once they get to centres.

So John and numerous other charitable organisations continue to keep rescuing dogs and taking them to overcrowded facilities, with the hope that one day as many may be adopted as possible.

This is likely to continue until there’s a nationwide sterilisation programme introduced, much like the one John and the SDF have worked tirelessly to bring about in Phuket.

This is the only solution, John says. “Many Western people think that these dogs would be better off being euthanised when caught, but in Thailand especially, this is unheard of. Buddhism thinking doesn’t allow for the killing of any animals.”

Dealing with ignorance, making people listen and forcing blind eyes to see the damage that this trade is having on Thailand’s reputation is a full time job.

In is for this reason that John Dalley doesn’t allow himself time for pride, he does however often take a brief moment of solace and satisfaction from seeing a rescued dog housed with a new family.

“Whenever I see a picture of a Thai dog that had been bound for the dog meat trade alive and well in the UK, for example, I feel satisfied,” says John.

But that feeling is fleeting he admits and usually lasts just a day. Then it’s back to fighting shadows.

For more information and to read the News’ original story on the dog meat trade and the ‘Trade of Shame’ campaign, click here.

If you would like to help fund production of the documentary, ‘Shadow Trade: The Price of Loyalty’, visit www.indiegogo.com/shadowtrade. For more information on the Soi Dog Foundation visit www.soidog.org

Crime

Police Officer Being Ordained at Temple Arrested for Running Scam Call Center

Police in Northern Thailand have arrested a fellow officer as he was being ordained at a temple in Ngao district of neighbouring Lampang province.

Pol Lt Col Bandit Khonkan chief inspector from the Hang Dong police station was disrobed and taken to the Chang Puak station in Chiang Mai. He was arrested on charges of running a call centre scam gang in Chiang Mai Province.

According to Thai Media Chiang Mai Provincial Police Region 5 obtained an arrest warrant for Pol Lt Col Bandit on Friday from the Chiang Mai Provincial Court for procuring illegal telecom equipment, setting up a station and using public airwaves to run a telecommunications business without permission.

Pol Lt Col Bandit reportedly told investigators that he was not the ringleader and was only a member of the gang with Chinese partners.

His arrest followed the apprehension of his 26-year-old daughter, Miss Wanuchapond, 26, and three others during raids at three housing projects in Chiang Mai on Friday, Pol Maj Gen Weerachon Boontawee, deputy chief of Provincial Police Region 5 told Thai media.

During the raids police police discovered around 12 GSM gateways, or SIM boxes, which are devices used for converting cellular networks into mobile phone numbers used domestically.

The chief inspectors daughter Miss Wanuchapond told the arresting officers that she was paid 8,000 baht a month at each of the three locations for renting thr rooms and monitoring devices.

She claimed she had no idea what the devices were and accepted the job because the pay was attractive.

Police investigators working with telecom regulators used a special tracking device to monitor the gang’s communications and learned that its base was in Myanmar opposite Mae Sai district of Chiang Rai.

The call center gang used the GSM gateways to make calls over the internet to scam people in Thailand out of million of baht.

The GSM gateways transmitting signals via SIM boxes to convert them into domestic phone numbers, duping victims into thinking they were being called from Thai government agencies.

Pol Maj Gen Weerachon said that each SIM box held 32 SIM cards, with a capacity of up to 300,000 calls a month. The seized devices had made fraudulent calls over 3.6 million times.

He said the their investigation is ongoing and they are working to track down the remaining conspirators, including Chinese and other Thai suspects.

Authorities are still deciding whether Pol Lt Col Bandit will be dismissed from the force, he said, adding that so far, no other officers are known to have been involved.

Police in Chiang Rai Launch Crackdown on Cyber Criminals in Golden Triangle

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Settha Thavisin has authorized the establishment of an emergency cyber center operated by the Royal Thai Police to combat transnational crimes committed by call center gangs along the Thai border in Chiang Rai province.

On July 19, Prime Minister Settha Thavisin directed the Center to combat information technology crimes. The Royal Thai Police (Royal Thai Police) will crack down on call center gangs in Myanmar, Laos, and along the border.

His directive comes as call center gangs ratchet up their scams to defraud people of their money, causing concern among Thais and jeopardizing the country’s economic and social stability.

Related Police News:

Machete Wielding Man Shot an Killed by Police in Chiang Rai

https://www.chiangraitimes.com/chiangrai-news/machete-wielding-man-shot-an-killed-by-police-in-chiang-rai/

Crime

Thai Immigration Police Arrest Colombian Tourists Over Home Invasions

Immigration police officers have arrested four Colombian nationals in connection with a series of home burglaries at luxury housing complexes in the Bangkok metropolitan area and Chiang Buri Province.

Pol Maj Gen Panthana Nuchanart, deputy commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, told a press briefing that three of the suspects were apprehended in Nonthaburi Province and the fourth in South Pattaya, Chon Buri Province.

According to the Bangkok Post, the Colombians were charged with stealing conspiracy and seized around 3 million baht (US$82,500.00).

According to Pol Maj Gen Panthana, the criminals rode motorcycles through housing estates, scoping out the properties and waiting for the owners to depart before committing their crimes.

He stated that all four of the accused denied any involvement in the home break-ins, but the arresting squad discovered evidence that implicated them.

Police called to home invasion

Meanwhile, police were dispatched to a luxury housing development in Tambon Nong Prue, Chonburi Province, after a Chinese man was attacked during a house invasion.

When they arrived, they discovered the house owner, Mr. Qian Peng Yi, visibly scared and with marks from being tied up with a cable. He informed police that three Chinese males broke into his home at 9 p.m., one of whom brandished a gun at him and directed him to his bedroom.

They bound his hands and feet, gagged him with fabric, taped his head, and forced him into the bed. The intruders then attempted to compel him into transferring 10 million baht in cryptocurrencies to them, endangering the life of his 33-year-old cousin who was in a second-floor bedroom.

While they scoured the house in search of riches, Mr. Peng Yi managed to flee and hide; he subsequently observed them leave with his cousin. Officials investigated the property and analyzed security camera footage from the incident and surrounding areas.

Around 9 p.m., a 30-year-old van driver came at the Bang Lamung police station after being contacted by an agency to carry Chinese customers from Pattaya to Suvarnabhumi Airport.

The driver informed authorities that he was supposed to pick them up at a motel about a kilometer from the Chinese businessman’s home. He then drove them to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport, arriving at 1 a.m. and receiving 1,800 baht.

The driver took a snapshot of the group smoking at the airport gate and identified one of them as the victim’s cousin. Police suspected coordination between her and the three suspects in her cousin’s heist, who all departed Thailand on the same aircraft.

Other Bangkok News:

Police in Bangkok Discover Six Vietnamese Tourists Dead in 5 Star Hotel

Police in Bangkok Discover Six Vietnamese Tourists Dead in 5 Star Hotel

Crime

Son of Thailand’s Leading Legal Scholar on Corruption Arrested for Running Online Gambling Network

The son of a former senator and leading economist and expert on corruption and gambling in Thailand has been arrested for on charges of running an online gambling network and its payment system.

Police from Thailand’s Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) have confiscated assets worth more than (US$ 11.1 million) 400 million baht.

Narote Piriyarangsan, 33, was arrested following crackdowns in three sites around the city, according to Pol Maj Gen Athip Pongsiwapai, commander of the police Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD).

Mr Narote’s father, Sangsit Piriyarangsan, is an economist who has written articles and books about corruption and gambling. He was one of the appointed senators that were investigating the government’s intention to legalize casino gaming before their terms expired.

Police also detained 39-year-old Narayut Narakaew, the owner of the gambling website 69pgslot.com. The Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for the couple for operating an internet gambling service and money laundering.

According to the Bangkok Post, police seized two desktop computers, one laptop computer, 14 mobile phones, 21 bank passbooks, 53 ATM cards, and four high-end cars — a Ferrari 926 GTS, an Aston Martin, a Lexus, and a Subaru — totaling more than 400 million baht.

Police launched the inquiry after discovering the online gambling site, which accepted funds via an automatic deposit-withdrawal system through bank accounts and deposits in the AskMePay system. Players scanned the VPay QR code as well as the QR codes for Heng Online 888 or Heng Pay Company.

Police also discovered that payments received via QR code scans were transferred to the account of Heng Pay Co and then to the gambling website’s mule accounts using AskMePay, which did not use banks’ face recognition scanning. An inquiry indicated a monthly turnover of approximately 5 billion baht.

According to investigators, the website has been up and running for around four years, with the payment mechanism in use for roughly eight months.

According to Pol Maj Gen Athip, Mr Narote owns the gaming website’s payment systems and is the director of Heng Pay Co. After gathering evidence, authorities requested arrest warrants for 14 people.

Thailand does not allow almost any kind of gaming. Even though the law doesn’t say anything specific about online gaming, it is still considered gambling. The country has pretty strict rules about gambling. Thai punters can bet on the national lottery and horse races, but they can’t bet on any other types of games.

But it’s not a secret that there is a huge illegal gaming business in Thailand, even though it’s illegal.

The illegal casinos, online betting shops, underground lotteries, and pop-up bookies that take bets on everything from cockfights to Muay Thai make a shadow economy that is worth billions of dollars every year.