The most senior government figure among the 62 people convicted on Wednesday was Lieutenant-General Manas Kongpan, who received 27 years for multiple human trafficking charges and other offences. A judge at Bangkok Criminal Court said he was also guilty of complicity in a "transnational organised crime" network and "worked with others to facilitate human trafficking". He was found guilty of human trafficking and links to organised crime with judges giving him 75 years. The government is desperate to dispel the kingdom's notorious reputation for human trafficking. The senior policeman who initially headed the investigation, Major General Paween Pongsirin, fled Thailand under threats to his life.

Source: The Nation Bangkok July 19, 2017 15:14 UTC