National Police Chief Highlights Investigative Focus After Chiang Mai Drug Bust
National Police Chief Surachet Hakparn and Deputy Commissioner Nathip Phulsawat visited Chiang Dao, Chiang Mai, after officers arrested a drug trafficking gang during a rainy night operation. The visit underscores the leadership's renewed emphasis on investigative policing, with Nathip — a renowned detective — brought in to mentor and revitalize the detective corps as the spearhead against transnational crime, cybercrime, and online fraud.
News footage shows Police General Surachet Hakparn, the national police chief, accompanied by Police Lieutenant General Nathip Phulsawat, deputy commissioner, rushing to inspect the scene in Chiang Dao district, Chiang Mai, after Region 5 investigative officers arrested a drug trafficking gang in the middle of a rainy night. This signals that police in this era prioritize investigative and suppression work, with the chief personally traveling to the scene to commend officers. Lieutenant General Nathip's presence is symbolic — he is known for investigative expertise. Though his current post as Immigration Bureau chief focuses on transnational gangs — Chinese grey-market groups, nominee capital networks, fake-nationality syndicates, and cross-border criminals — the chief has brought him in closely, likely as an investigative mentor to revitalize detective work as the spearhead against all crime types. The chief's career spans every police function — from barracks life through investigation, inquiry, patrol, and security — giving him deep understanding of all policing dimensions, with emphasis on investigative suppression of criminals as the core mission of public protection. It is well known that investigative work is the key to solving major cases and tracking down criminals. The chief keeping Lieutenant General Nathip by his side shows serious commitment to detective work. Police work has many facets — patrol and prevention, drug suppression, traffic management, national security, crowd control, public relations — but investigative suppression remains the heart of the guardians of peace. Building detectives requires both science and art, with senior experts needed to select and guide personnel development. In the past, the public knew famous police detectives by name and reputation. The Big Ran era is clearly dedicated to investigative work, bringing Big Nop in closely to urgently rebuild and strengthen the detective corps to make investigative suppression of criminals, transnational gangs, cyber criminals, and online fraudsters the hallmark of this police era.
