A high-ranking member of Thailand's police force charged with investigating human trafficking has fled to Australia and requested asylum. Major General Paween Pongsirin said he ... believed his life was in danger after the investigation uncovered evidence that members of Thailand's military and police force were participating in human trafficking operations. I worked in the trafficking area to help human beings who were in trouble," he said. "But now it is me who is in trouble. Paween began leading the investigation in May, after more than 30 bodies were found buried in graves near Thailand's southern border with Malaysia. Paween's investigation has led to allegations of trafficking against 153 people, including at least one senior military official, though he said other government officials would be implicated. The suspected traffickers are accused of starving refugees and denying health treatment, among other offenses. Thailand's military has held leadership in the country since a coup d'tat last year. Paween told the Guardian he resigned in November after the five-month investigations was halted. Despite his protests, Paween was transferred to southern Thailand, where he said "senior police" officials were linked to the human trafficking trade. "Human trafficking is a big network that involves lots of the military, politicians and police," he told the Guardian. "Unfortunately, those bad police and bad military are the ones that have power."