The court found Senior Sergeant-Major Thirachat-at Mueangkrajang, 53, guilty of abusing his authority by demanding bribes and of setting up his own drug ring.

Thirachat-at was a detective at Bang Khunthien police station until he was arrested on March 11 last year.

After the arrest, police found 0.754 gram of crystal methamphetamine and 0.268 gram of marijuana in Thirachat-at’s desk at the police station.

He was charged with demanding a bribe from a suspect, Pichet (surname withheld as he is facing trial in another case), and after Pichet did not come up with the money, Thirachat-at acquired drugs from the suspect to resell.

The court was told that Thirachat-at had Sayan (surname withheld) sell the drug for him and the money was wired into his account by a woman.

The court ruled that the evidence against Thirachat-at was indisputable and the two other suspects also implicated him, although their terms would not be reduced.

The court sentenced Thirachat-at to 15 years in jail and a fine of Bt1.2 million for selling “ice” and nine more months in jail for having marijuana in his possession for sale.