Minister Orders Arrest of Gang Extorting Factory Owner as Fake Officials
Thai Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Suthat Chomklin directed the Pollution Control Special Task Force to coordinate with police in arresting a gang that extorted 3.5 million baht from a factory owner in Chonburi by posing as officials from multiple government agencies. One suspect, Warin, was arrested on November 6, 2026, on charges of attempted extortion and impersonating a public official, while other suspects remain at large.
Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Suthat Chomklin ordered the Pollution Control Special Task Force to plan the arrest of a gang extorting 3.5 million baht from a factory owner who posed as officials from multiple state agencies, in line with Deputy Prime Minister Anutin's policy.
On November 6, 2026, Minister Suthat revealed that, following the government's policy to prevent and suppress corruption in all forms, aiming to create a transparent, verifiable bureaucracy and take strict legal action against wrongdoers, a report was recently received about a group of individuals impersonating officials from various state agencies who entered and threatened a business establishment in Chonburi province, using the name of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to feign credibility. He therefore ordered the Pollution Control Special Task Force to urgently coordinate and integrate work with police officers in the area to trace the perpetrators and bring them to justice quickly.
The Pollution Control Special Task Force, led by Ms. Phloylaphats Singhthothong, Chair of the Working Group; Pol. Col. Itthiphon Phothong, Head of the Special Task Force and Advisor to the Minister; and Dr. Chamlong Chuearod, Deputy Head of the Special Task Force and Advisor to the Minister, coordinated with Chonburi Provincial Police and Khlong Kiu Police Station to track witnesses and evidence and proceed with legal steps until the arrest of a suspect today (November 6, 2026).
The incident occurred on November 3, 2026, at approximately 12:40 p.m., when a group of men claiming to be officials from state agencies — the Parliament, the Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Labour, and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment — entered Y.D. Industrial Co., Ltd., located in Khlong Kiu Subdistrict, Ban Bueng District, Chonburi province. They presented themselves as officers, spoke threateningly, and pressured the victim to pay 3.5 million baht in 'operating fees' in exchange for not having the cited agencies inspect the company.
After the incident, police officers from Khlong Kiu Police Station, under the command of Pol. Maj. Gen. Wisan Techakasem, Commander of Provincial Police Region 2; Pol. Col. Chatri Sukhiri, Superintendent of Chonburi Provincial Police; and Pol. Col. Kriangsak Sarathongoi, Deputy Superintendent of Investigation, Provincial Police Region 2, ordered Pol. Lt. Col. Phaphanphat Baiya, Deputy Superintendent of Khlong Kiu Police Station, to investigate. Investigators and the investigation team interviewed the victim, gathered witnesses and evidence from the scene, CCTV footage, and suspect descriptions until they could identify the individuals involved and successfully gather evidence to obtain a court arrest warrant.
On November 6, 2026, Khlong Kiu Police Station officers arrested Mr. Warin, a suspect under an arrest warrant issued by the Chonburi Provincial Court, on charges of 'collaborating to attempt extortion by posing as a public official and acting as a public official without authority.' Other accomplices are still being tracked for arrest and further legal proceedings.
Minister Suthat reiterated that the government has a clear order to suppress corruption and close loopholes for illicit gain. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment stands ready to support the work of officers from all sides and will not tolerate anyone using the ministry's name or its affiliated agencies to threaten, extort money, or seek benefits from the public and business operators.
