With help from 21 banks, the Royal Thai Police have opened a centre to receive online complaints against cybercrimes.
National police chief Pol Gen Suwat Jangyodsuk said a Memorandum of Understanding between police, the Government Financial Institutions Association, the Thai Bankers’ Association and 21 bank members had been signed on Monday to assist the newly opened centre in deterring technological crimes.
A memorandum of understanding (MOU) is a legal document describing a bilateral agreement between parties. It expresses a convergence of will between the parties, indicating an intended common line of action, rather than a legal commitment.
The MOU can be seen as the starting point for negotiations as it defines the scope and purpose of the talks.
According to Pol Gen Suwat, complaints can now be made online at www.thaipoliceonline.com.
“After they complete all required processes, including identity verification and filling in the details of the incident, they will receive a case ID. Then, web administrators and case managers will forward the complaint to local police stations who will summon the petitioners to gather more details,” he explained.
The online complaint system is designed mainly to help contain the spread of Covid 19, said CSD commander Suwat Saengnoom.
The online channel would help reduce face-to-face contact between police and people, helping to curb the spread of the virus.
The national police chief said the platform will shorten wait times at police stations, eliminate repetitive activities and expedite the process by which banks may be told to cancel illicit financial transactions. Officers will also benefit from the system as it will enable them to correlate criminal activity across multiple jurisdictions and expedite the acquisition of arrest warrants.
The progress of the investigation can be monitored via an interactive online platform. However, people still can lodge complaints at any police station without the need to access a computer or smartphone, he said.
The centre was launched with 8,383 trained administrators and case managers, 10,487 investigators and 12,305 officers ready to serve the public.