Deputy police spokesman Pol Colonel Krissana Pattanacharoen said yesterday that the authorities could check the suspects’ transactions under the anti-money laundering law. He said the investigation would extend to others involved and arrest warrants would be issued if they were also deemed law violators. However, no more warrants had been issued as of press time yesterday, he said.

The move followed the raid by Interior Ministry officials on June 7 on the parlour located in Bangkok’s Ratchadaphisek area, which resulted in 121 sex workers, including 15 minors, being rounded up. Five employees were detained and logbooks detailing kickbacks to different police agencies and other officials discovered.

Krissana affirmed that the fact-finding probe led by police inspector Pol Lt-Colonel Termpong Sitthiprasert was continuing its work and would provide clarity later this week regarding alleged bribe-taking by police. The origin of the lion stickers was also being investigated, as the migrant sex workers claimed to have bought them in exchange for protection from arrest.

Meanwhile, Maxim Magazine executive Krittin Jikitsilaphin led seven representatives of the “Maxim Angel On-Duty” project female presenters to file a libel complaint with police after some ill-intentioned people posted photos of 80 presenters – out of the project’s 184 contestants – on the Line app, linking them to Nataree Entertainment scandal.