Influential figures may be behind the attack by Cambodian traders on law enforcement officials at the Rong Kluea border market in Sa Kaeo on Wednesday, according to the Department of Special Investigation (DSI).
A DSI spokesman said the violence may have been orchestrated by prominent figures who lost their business in the DSI's frequent suppression of the fake goods trade at the market, as the attack appears to have been planned.
The department will find out if the figures are also embroiled in money laundering.
The DSI said it was asked by the French embassy last September to look into the sale of pirated goods including brand-name perfumes at the market in Aranyaprathet district.
The department obtained a court warrant on Tuesday to launch the operation in three locations at the market.
The next day, about 50 DSI plainclothes officials, representatives of perfume companies and the French embassy arrived and identified themselves to Cambodian traders before confiscating about 20,000 bottles of fake perfume.
They also nabbed Cambodian traders who sold the products.
Afterwards, the traders attacked the officials leaving 12 of them injured, and damaged their vehicles. The traders also took back some of the seized goods and freed some of their colleagues detained by the authorities. The violence ended after local police arrived on the scene.
Yesterday, Somon Kong, 23, and Saiha Yim, 24, who are both workers at the market, were arrested and each sentenced by the Sa Kaeo court to three months in jail for their involvement in the attack, according to provincial governor Phakkarathorn Thienchai.
DSI chief Pol Col Paisit Wongmuang, meanwhile, insisted the officials were doing routine work in prosecuting violators of intellectual property rights.
Justice Minister, Gen Paiboon Koomchaya, said the DSI was authorised to launch the raid without having to inform police in advance.
Local police on Wednesday said the DSI did not follow the proper procedure as they failed to alert them before going into the market.
The Cambodian consul-general in Aranyaprathet inquired about the incident with police and will report on to the Cambodian government.