Six officials in Thailand were arrested for allegedly accepting bribes from Chinese citizens in order to grant them permanent residency and Thai nationality.

The corrupt government workers reportedly gave the foreigners fraudulent Thai citizenship and residency in exchange for cach payments.

Witoon Sirinukul, deputy director-general of the Department of Provincial Administration, led the arrest in Chiang Mai province on January 22.

The operation was launched with the Central Investigation Bureau, the National Anti-Corruption Commission, the Department of Special Investigation, and the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission in the operation.

Authorities detained Chiang Dao deputy district chiefs Theerawat Suksri and Wiset Phongnok, and municipal officials Suwanan Worathongchai, Netnapha Koenphet, Rungarun Sawatwai, and Pornpatchara Thanakan.

The Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases Region 5 issued the arrest warrants on January 20 on charges of 'jointly performing or failing to perform their duties honestly', 'preparing or certifying false documents', and 'jointly creating, using, or supporting the use of false civil registration evidence dishonestly'.

The operation was launched following a crackdown on a fake ID scam in the Wiang Haeng district last year, in which several local officials were implicated.

Investigators later expanded the probe and found irregularities in birth certificate applications at Thung Khao Phuang Subdistrict Municipality.

The findings prompted authorities to gather evidence and seek arrest warrants from the court to apprehend the six suspects.

Witoon Sirinukul, deputy director-general of the Department of Provincial Administration, said: ‘We will conduct a thorough investigation to track down other accomplices in the network.

‘We will also inspect other civil registration documents that may have been used fraudulently.

‘This is to ensure strict legal action and prevent further corruption within the civil registration system in the future.'

Thailand has become a notorious base for Chinese crime gangs operating cross-border fraud and human trafficking operations in neighbouring Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar.

Thai and Chinese authorities were coordinating to crack down on the transnational crime rings.