Assistant district chief arrested in illegal migrant registration crackdown

A joint operation under the name “Crackdown on Grey G Registration” has dismantled an alleged network accused of fraudulently using “G” student records in Chiang Rai to obtain identification documents for foreign nationals.

The operation brought together five agencies and led to the arrest of a former assistant district chief and seven others. Authorities are now moving to remove fraudulent records and protect the integrity of Thailand’s civil registration system.

Narucha Kosacivilize, director-general of the Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA), on Thursday announced the results of the operation, which involved DOPA, the Royal Thai Police, the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) and Chiang Rai province.

The operation targeted an alleged scheme in which foreign nationals were registered under the identities of students with “G” records in order to obtain ID cards for persons without legal registration status in Chiang Rai.

The case stemmed from a security checkpoint in Chiang Rai in November 2025, when officers found a foreign man illegally entering Thailand with 140,000 baht in cash.

The man claimed the money was intended to be used to obtain an ID card for a person without registration status. This led DSI and DOPA to expand their investigation.

Investigators found evidence of serious registry fraud. Foreign nationals were allegedly inserted into “G” student records, while student codes were reused to create records for persons without registration status and to unlawfully obtain “0” identification cards.

A total of 19 cases were identified. Some of the people involved were also found to hold foreign passports, including Chinese, Myanmar and Vietnamese passports.

The investigation found that the alleged network was led by a former assistant district chief of Wiang Kaen district in Chiang Rai, who had served as an assistant district registrar.

He allegedly worked with two members of the Wiang Kaen Volunteer Defence Corps and a network of people who assumed the records.

Authorities said the alleged offences may fall under the Civil Registration Act, the Computer Crime Act and Section 157 of the Criminal Code, which concerns misconduct by state officials.

A joint operations team executed 27 arrest warrants, arresting eight suspects: one former assistant district chief, two Volunteer Defence Corps members and five people accused of assuming fraudulent records.

All suspects were handed over to investigators for legal proceedings.

Officers also searched six target locations and found documents related to the registration of persons without legal status, applications for Thai nationality records, birth certificates, computer equipment, mobile phones, CCTV equipment and 491 “G” student registration documents.

The seized evidence will be used in legal proceedings and to expand the investigation into other people involved.

Chiang Rai province will cancel, revoke and remove all fraudulent registry records. Officials involved will also face severe disciplinary action, while the case will be forwarded to the Anti-Money Laundering Office for further action over predicate offences.

Narucha said the suppression of registry fraud and identity impersonation was a key policy of the government and the Interior Ministry.

He said the civil registration system was a core national database linked to basic rights, public order and national security.

If people are allowed to exploit or falsify personal status records, it will damage confidence in the state system and could be used as a channel for transnational crime or activities affecting national security, he said.

“From now on, the DOPA N.I.C.E. working group will move ahead to close legal loopholes, use technology to detect irregularities in the registration system, and develop knowledge among registrars nationwide, so that no one can exploit registry work to harm the public or affect national security again,” Narucha said.