The Royal Thai Police (RTP) is calling for an upgrade of the Immigration Bureau's biometric identification system through artificial intelligence (AI) technology to help improve the monitoring of international criminals.
The suggestion comes after recent abduction cases that targeted Chinese victims. One operation led by officers from Bang Phong Phang police station rescued a Chinese man who had been kidnapped for a ransom of 1.8 million baht in Sathon on April 18.
Deputy national police chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn said Chinese charge d'affaires were on Wednesday invited to the RTP office for a discussion on crime prevention measures, especially with regard to recent cases, as more Chinese people are now living in and visiting the kingdom since China's borders re-opened.
He admitted that an improvement in the country's immigration system was needed, and it would benefit from the use of AI technology to better prevent cross-border criminals.
The RTP had also ordered immigration checkpoints to put more effort into the screening process while conducting more investigations on Chinese-owned businesses in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, and Pattaya.
Meanwhile, police on Wednesday arrested four more suspects -- three of whom were confirmed to be Chinese nationals -- in connection with the Bangkok abduction of the Chinese man held for the 1.8 million baht ransom.
The suspects, two men and a woman, were believed to be the ring leaders of a plot said to have involved 11 people in total.
Three other suspects were arrested when police freed the victim on Tuesday. The two Chinese men arrested on Wednesday were identified as Liu Zemin and Luo Lijin, and the woman as Wang Xiaolei.
