Bangkok, Mar 12: US and British law enforcement officers will help Thailand set up a new crime-fighting force modeled on the us federal bureau of investigation, a report said today. Five US and British agents will help Thai officials screen more than 12,000 candidates to fill 1,021 positions for the new special investigation department, the nation newspaper reported, quoting a Thai official. Candidates selected for the force will be trained by their foreign counterparts in various areas of law enforcement, including customs and anti-drug procedures, according to the report. The officials are serving as advisers for the force, set to launch in the next year, police lt. Gen. Noppadol Somboonsap was quoted as saying. A US Embassy spokesperson confirmed that US law enforcement officials were providing training in cooperation with Thai authorities, and that they would help with the new force.

Thai officials at various levels would be trained, the spokesperson said on condition of anonymity and without elaborating.


British Embassy officials were unavailable for comment.

Bureau Report