AN ONGOING probe has found that people close to a big-name politician has been collecting “tea money” from all the shops in the Rong Kluea border market to facilitate a bribery network across Sa Kaew province.

A source at the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) disclosed the information yesterday, without naming any suspects.

Rong Kluea is one of the biggest wholesale and retail markets in the country. However, it is also rife with contraband products.

“Authorities have planned crackdowns several times but often the plans are leaked, allowing offenders to evade arrest,” the source said.

Pramual Khiewkham, secretary-general of Sa Kaew Chamber of Commerce, has shared similar information.

“Yes, entrepreneurs have to pay tea money at designated places and sometimes to collectors who have been sent to the market,’ he said.

Speaking on behalf of vendors at the Rong Kluea Market, Pramual said it would be best for all parties involved to find a solution together.

“I am not a vendor, but I see it as an economic engine for the province,” he said.

He also pointed out that though most vendors in the market were foreigners, largely Cambodians, they rented the stalls from Thais.

Earlier this week, DSI officials from Bangkok clashed with Cambodian vendors at the market after they tried to arrest a Cambodian for selling products without paying tax on the goods.

DSI director general Pol Colonel Paisit Wongmuang said yesterday he would go to Sa Kaew province next Tuesday to discuss on how to prevent intellectual property (IP) violations.

“We are working on the Sa |Kaew model,” he said.

In charge of this case is a committee on the prevention and suppression of IP violations, which has the DSI chief as its chairman and the Sa Kaew governor as its chief adviser.

“We will listen to opinions from 17 relevant agencies in Sa Kaew,” Paisit said. “We will also plan both short-term and long-term measures”.

After the measures were concluded, he said relevant officials would talk to Rong Kluea vendors to ensure that they understand how to avoid breaking the law.

In regard to legal action against Cambodians who injured Thai |officials and damaged state pro-perty during the clash, Thai police and immigration officials yester-|day closely checked Cambo-|dians going in and out of the country via the Aranyaprathet checkpoint.

So far, Thai authorities have been able to arrest just two offenders. They have already been sentenced to three months in jail.

In the wake of the clash, the |number of Cambodians entering Thailand via the Baan Klong Luek checkpoint has dropped by half. |More than half of the shops at the Rong Kluea market that belong to Cambodians are closed.