A Bangkok nightclub raid on Saturday, August 29, led to five police officers being reassigned and an investigation into allegations that a police officer acted as a nominee shareholder in the venue.
The Department of Provincial Administration received complaints from locals about a nightclub on Pracha Uthit Road in the Huai Khwang area of Bangkok. The complaints alleged that the venue was operating illegally, allowing customers to use drugs and selling alcohol beyond the legal closing time.
The venue was identified as 577 Club. Officials sent undercover officers to investigate the allegations at the end of July.
The initial investigation found that the nightclub could accommodate several hundred customers and was divided into multiple zones, including a VIP area.
Officials found that the venue was operating without a permit and beyond its permitted opening hours. It was reportedly allowing customers to remain at the club until 4am every day.
The nightclub had previously been ordered to close following a raid but later reopened without permission, according to the investigation.
Undercover officers also found several Vietnamese and Chinese workers at the venue. Some Chinese nationals were reportedly acting as managers.
Most customers reportedly paid for services at the nightclub through Alipay and WeChat, with the money transferred to an account belonging to a company called Saeng Mangkorn Thong.
The Bangkok nightclub raid was carried out at around 1.30pm on Saturday, August 29. Officers found drugs inside the venue, while some staff members and customers tested positive for drugs.
MGR Online reported that foreign workers at the nightclub did not have work permits. Officers arrested managers, workers and other relevant suspects during the operation.
Channel 7 reported that some suspects told officers that a police officer known only as Jo had acted as a nominee shareholder for the venue.
The officer reportedly previously served in the Children and Women Protection Sub-division before being transferred to an investigative unit elsewhere. An investigation is now underway into the alleged involvement of the police officer.
Moreover, five police officers from Huai Kwang Police Station were reassigned following allegations of recklessness in allowing the nightclub to open without permission.
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