Acting Metropolitan Police chief Lt-General Sanit Mahathavorn said 18 drivers were nabbed on Sukhumvit Road, nine on Rama IV and four on Yaowarat Road for using mobile phones while driving.

He said the arrested drivers face a fine of between Bt400 and Bt1,000 each for using their cellphone while driving, as it is a violation of Article 43(9) of the Land Traffic Act.

“Officers contact and coordinate with each other before arresting the motorists. Though the motorists were waiting at the traffic light and their cars were stationary, it is still illegal for them to pull out their phone and catch a Pokemon,” he said.

The anti-Pokemon Go campaign is being implemented on 10 major roads in Bangkok, including Rama IV, Sathorn, Vibhavadi Rangsit, Phaholyothin, Sukhumvit, Phaya Thai, Phetchaburi, Henri Dunant, and Rama I.

The volume of traffic is high on these roads and the campaign aims to prevent accidents that can be caused by drivers distracted by Pokemon Go players.

The bribe was allegedly demanded to spare the motorist from being punished for a traffic infraction, said deputy police spokesman Pol Maj-General Piyapan Pingmuang.

Chakthip instructed Central Investigation Bureau chief Thitirat Nonghanpithak and Highway police chief Sommai Kaosamran to assign a fact-finding committee to investigate the case and propose disciplinary and criminal code punishment accordingly.

He said both the person giving the bribe and the recipient would be held accountable.

In a separate matter, Piyapan said a rumour that the police division’s 191 hotline number would be changed to 911 was untrue.

Sanit signed the transfer order on Monday to send Khajornkiat to the city police’s operation centre for 30 days or until another order is issued.

The transfer was due to frequent |traffic congestion at the Din Daeng Expressway gate near Surasak Montri School on Vibhavadi-Rangsit Road during the morning rush hours and the apparent lack of traffic police directing traffic, according to the order.

Pol Colonel Phusit Wisetkhamin will be acting Expressway 2 traffic superintendent in the meantime, the order said.

Sanit yesterday explained that despite previous warnings, traffic jams under the Expressway 2 precinct’s jurisdiction |continued so the transfer order was issued to signal to all superintendents that they must seriously tackle traffic problems.