Tum Ruad Lek

Police Lieutenant Colonel Ekkapap, a talented young officer from the Naresuan camp, is summoned by Police Lieutenant General Wichai to assist in a government mission and is appointed head of a special tactical unit. Their mission is to suppress the transnational terrorist organization Atlantis, which is using Thailand as a base for every kind of illegal operation. Atlantis relies on two major crime syndicates that hide behind legitimate businesses: the gang led by Phumchat and the gang led by Viroj. More importantly, Atlantis is about to trade for a large shipment of military weapons, and if the deal succeeds, terrorism will certainly throw countries across Asia into chaos. Ekkapap asks for four skilled officers to join him: Major Thanya from the Arintharat unit, Captain Weerachai from the Ordnance Department, Lieutenant Waranya, a forensic science expert, and Sergeant Major Thongbai, a computer specialist.
Viroj is murdered by a rival gang, forcing his only daughter, Kornkot, to fly back from abroad to take over his business. She must now confront Chanyut, her former lover and the son of Phumchat, the man who ordered Viroj’s killing. Deep down, however, Kornkot and Chanyut still love each other.
Patama, a stubborn young reporter assigned to cover the criminal syndicates, does not like Lt. Col. Ekkapap very much because he refuses to give her any information. On top of that, she has to compete for the story with Sirimas, a top reporter who never yields to anyone.
The special tactical unit believes Viroj’s death is connected to the robbery of narcotics and smuggled gold, so they begin investigating to identify the culprits. They suspect that Nakrob, a feared assassin known as the “Lord of Death gunman,” may be involved. Nakrob was once a capable police officer and Ekkapap’s friend, but his wife Nudi was accused of drug trafficking and was killed to silence her, forcing Nakrob to leave the police force. Nakrob lives mysteriously and keeps himself hidden. Only Dr. Wanwisa, a kind and beautiful doctor, knows the truth, but she never reveals it. She also takes excellent care of Nakrob’s daughter, who suffers from leukemia. Lt. Col. Ekkapap and his “Iron Police” team try to trace the evidence and the missing contraband, but their work is constantly obstructed, making him suspect there is a traitor within the police.
Because of Ekkapap’s work with the Iron Police team, he keeps crossing paths with Patama, and they frequently quarrel due to the chaos caused by her efforts to get the story. The Iron Police team is heavily disrupted: there is the mysterious “Lord of Death” gunman, the still-missing evidence, and the two criminal gangs joining forces to keep the team too busy to investigate by sending out a fake “Lord of Death” gunman to commit minor crimes all over the city. There are assassinations of farmer leaders and anyone who refuses to bow to the two powerful gangs, as well as bombings at key locations. One bomb is wired so intricately that Captain Weerachai nearly loses his life trying to defuse it, but Ekkapap arrives in time to tell him how to disarm it. From this incident, Ekkapap becomes certain that there really is a mole inside the police department, because the situation resembles what he himself experienced in the past. Moreover, only one person is known to be capable of building bombs in that manner: Uncle Sing of Kornkot’s gang. Yet no one has ever been able to gather enough evidence to implicate him, because he has help from the inside.
The Iron Police team receives information from undercover intelligence officers who have infiltrated Phumchat’s gang. With this intelligence, along with the investigation by Ekkapap and his team and the cooperation of Patama, they manage to arrest the “big boss.” However, the Atlantis network continues operating. Ekkapap realizes there must be a mistake and orders Sgt. Maj. Thongbai to search for discrepancies in the computer data. Thongbai eventually cracks the code and discovers that the boss they captured is only a decoy, though it will still take more time to decode the true identity of the real boss.
Lt. Col. Ekkapap then devises a plan to destroy the criminals at the root by exploiting the old rift between the two gangs over the killing of their leaders. From Major Thanya’s investigation, they spread information to stir conflict between the gangs again over profits. Ekkapap and the Iron Police team take a huge risk by using confiscated narcotics as bait, asking Lt. Gen. Wichai to keep everything top secret, known only to him and the Iron Police team. As expected, news of the transfer leaks to both gangs. Each side wants the goods, so they ambush the police convoy, kill all the escort officers, and seize the contraband. But after obtaining it, the gangs betray each other. Chanyut believes he holds the advantage, but he is wrong. Kornkot double-crosses him, forcing him to flee desperately, though he survives thanks to Komsan’s help. Uncle Sing then reveals that he is actually Kornkot’s real father, but his close friend Viroj stole his wife while he was in prison, after being arrested by Ekkapap. When he got out, he had to bitterly watch his wife and child belong to another man, enduring it only so that his daughter could one day rise to power as she has now.
Ekkapap and the Iron Police team come under such heavy attack that their unit is dissolved. Patama worries about Ekkapap, but is puzzled that he and his team act completely calm, continuing their work as if nothing has happened. Uncle Sing orders Kornkot and Suphot to lead the transport of narcotics, smuggled gold, and cash to exchange for military weapons. Sirimas and Parinya reveal themselves as the right-hand people of the real boss and join the mission. They also plan to eliminate the “Lord of Death” gunman after he completes his final task. Kornkot becomes suspicious about the identity of the real boss, but Uncle Sing only says that everything will be revealed once the mission is over.
Sgt. Maj. Thongbai finally cracks the code and discovers that the “big boss” is a fabricated identity created jointly by Uncle Sing and Police Lieutenant General Chalee. The Iron Police team is stunned. Ekkapap plans to capture the masterminds on the day of the exchange. Thanya learns that the “Lord of Death” gunman is likely a former highly skilled police officer. Ekkapap investigates Nakrob’s workplace and sees him contacting Sing’s men, making him certain that Nakrob is the assassin. Uncle Sing forces Nakrob to cooperate by taking Nongdao hostage in case he refuses. Patama happens to visit Nongdao and is captured along with Dr. Wanwisa and the child. Nakrob asks Ekkapap for help in bringing down both gangs and the Atlantis organization, promising his old friend that after the mission he will surrender, because he knows the day must eventually come. But for now, he asks Ekkapap to work with him for the hostages’ safety. Ekkapap agrees.
Uncle Sing and Lt. Gen. Chalee personally supervise the exchange. Chanyut and Komsan gather their men and attack Kornkot and Suphot. Kornkot shoots Chanyut dead through her tears. Komsan is shot dead by Suphot. But Kornkot and Suphot also fail to escape when Ekkapap and the Iron Police team move in to arrest them. Kornkot is seriously wounded by Ekkapap’s gunfire, and Suphot shields her until he dies. Uncle Sing manages to rescue Kornkot, but she later dies from her wounds. Lt. Gen. Chalee threatens to kill the hostages, but Nakrob, who has broken away to rescue them, succeeds and gives the signal for the arrest. Chalee is captured along with all the evidence. The Iron Police team achieves a major triumph, but Ekkapap remains deeply troubled over Nakrob.
Uncle Sing escapes and forces Nakrob to kill Ekkapap to avenge Kornkot, offering in exchange the stem cells that could save Nongdao. Nakrob chooses his daughter’s survival and agrees to become the assassin who kills his own best friend. But before the appointed time, Dr. Wanwisa informs Nakrob that Ekkapap is actually a stem-cell match for Nongdao. Nakrob allows Ekkapap to shoot him, but Ekkapap discovers something even more shocking: Nakrob had no bullets in his gun from the very beginning. He willingly sacrifices himself so that his friend can capture Uncle Sing. His only request is that Ekkapap take care of Nongdao after he is gone and tell her that her father was a good police officer who died in the line of duty. Major Thanya arrests Uncle Sing, but Sing kills himself. Before dying, however, he still causes more tragedy for the Iron Police team by killing Jenjira, the undercover intelligence officer who had infiltrated Phumchat’s gang, and planting a bomb for Captain Weerachai to defuse. This time the attempt fails, and Weerachai is killed in the explosion. Waranya is devastated because they had just promised to marry once the case was over. Patama and Dr. Wanwisa try to tell Ekkapap that Nakrob has chosen to die at the hands of his best friend, but they are too late.
Patama gets the biggest story of the year: the Thai police have successfully destroyed the Atlantis organization. But she loses her older sister, Jenjira, the undercover agent. The Iron Police team also loses Weerachai. Ekkapap undergoes surgery to donate stem cells to Nongdao. Nongdao’s operation is successful. Although the little girl is heartbroken over losing her father, she refuses to be weak, because she is the daughter of the finest police officer. And now she has everything she needs, with Patama as her mother and Ekkapap as her father. Though embarrassed, Patama can no longer deny the call of her heart between the Iron Police officer and the headstrong reporter.
Follow Tamruat Lek (“Iron Police”), airing every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 8:30 PM on Channel 7. The first episode premiered on Saturday, December 4, 2010.