DSI joins Thai-Australian Taskforce Storm to combat drug trafficking, money laundering, and transnational crime

DSI joins Thai-Australian Taskforce Storm to combat drug trafficking, money laundering, and transnational crime

            On July 25, 2023, Police Major Suriya Singhakamol, the Director-General of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), assigned Police Captain Piya Raksakul, the Deputy Director-General of the Department of Special Investigation, to represent the DSI in attending a high-level meeting of the Thai-Australian Taskforce Storm regarding drug trafficking, money laundering, and transnational crime and sign the extension agreement to further Taskforce Storm's operation for an additional 2 years, until July 18, at Chidchai Wannasathit Meeting Room, the Office of the Narcotics Control Board.

       The Thai-Australian Taskforce Storm regarding drug trafficking, money laundering, and transnational crime is a collaborative initiative between Thai and Australian agencies, comprising the Office of the Narcotics Control Board, the Narcotics Suppression Bureau of the Royal Thai Police, the Anti-Money Laundering Office, the Department of Special Investigation, and the Australian Federal Police (AFP). The mission is to facilitate and coordinate with operational units for information and intelligence exchange, law enforcement, coordination between agencies for operation, and enhancing cooperation among officers in preventing drug trafficking, money laundering, and transnational crime between the Kingdom of Thailand and the Commonwealth of Australia.

            In the recent period, the Foreign Affairs and Transnational Crime Bureau of the Department of Special Investigation, under the framework of cooperation of the Taskforce Storm, has been tasked with investigating 2 cases, consisting of the case involving Thai nationals transporting a substantial amount of cash in Australian currency into the Kingdom of Thailand with suspicious behavior suggesting possible involvement in money laundering activities linked to transnational criminal organizations, and the case involving Australian nationals and other individuals who may have participated in laundering money obtained from drug trafficking for transnational criminal organizations.

       The Department of Special Investigation is committed to fully preventing and combating transnational crime, and prepared to integrate and coordinate with both domestic and international law enforcement agencies to ensure effective prevention and suppression of transnational crime.