The Bang Na police chief and four other senior police officers have been abruptly transferred to inactive posts after soldiers raided a gambling den and arrested 47 gamblers on Soi Bearing 13 on Friday night.
Pol Maj Gen Chavalit Prasopsil, chief of the Metropolitan Police Division 5, on Saturday signed the order to transfer the five officers to the division's operations centre for 30 days pending an investigation.
The officers are Pol Col Udom Thura-ngam, chief of the Bang Na police station, his two deputies responsible for investigation and crime suppression, and two other investigators.
National police chief Somyot Pumpunmuang said he had ordered a disciplinary investigation to see whether the five officers were negligent in their duties or had a vested interest in the gambling business.
He vowed severe disciplinary punishment against them if they were found guilty.
The 47 men and women caught during the raid on Friday night were interrogated and later taken to the Phra Khanong provincial court on 8am on Saturday.
The gambling den was allegedly operated by Khamron Bamrungrak, a former city councilor who represented Bang Na district.
Khamron turned himself in to police on Friday night to hear charges of providing illegal gambling services, but he denied all charges. He was later released.