Criminal association charges will be filed against those involved in cheating during the examination for admission to police academies for non-commissioned officers of the 5th and 9th provincial police bureaus, said Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittipraphat, the national police chief, today (Tuesday).

He said that police are investigating connections between the two admission examinations, because the same method forcheating was used in both. Some questions were leaked and their answers were distributed by the cheating gang to applicants who were willing to pay for them, adding that those who provided the answers are very knowledgeable and worked fast.

He also said that the same group might be involved in the cheating in both admission exams.

Applicants who were caught with answer sheets will face theft charges and disqualification from the exam, said the police chief.

73 of the exam takers caught cheating have been disqualified so far, according to Pol Lt-Gen Nirandorn Loemsri, the assistant national police chief.

He said that he is waiting for findings by the 9th provincial police bureau about a report that some serving police officers were involved in the scam, including a female police captain,who allegedly has about 30 million baht deposited in her bank account.

About 200,000 applicants attended the admission examination for only 725 places in the police academy. 1,160 passed the written test, pending oral interviews and physical examinations.

He claimed that the process of issuing exam questions is “water tight”, with all members of the committee responsible for writing the questions being kept in isolation during the process. Each of them presents 10 questions and another committee selects those to be sent for use in the exam.