Reach plc titles including the Mirror and Daily Star were among a number of major UK news providers caught out by an AI-generated hoax after reporting that Thai police officers dressed in drag to arrest a suspected drug dealer.d
The bizarre story, which also appeared in the Telegraph, The Sun and GB News, centred around images supposedly showing undercover officers in sequins and feathers posing as a dance troupe during a drugs sting in Thailand, reports Press Gazette.
It even made the front page of the Daily Star’s print edition despite Thai police now admitting the viral images had in fact been created using AI software. At the time of publication the story had been removed from the Mirror and GB News websites but was still available on the websites of the Daily Star and The Telegraph.
The incident is likely to raise fresh questions around newsroom verification processes and the growing challenge AI-generated imagery poses to publishers, particularly as realistic synthetic content becomes increasingly difficult to identify.
The Mirror and Daily Star are both published by Reach plc, one of the UK’s biggest regional and national publishing groups, which also owns titles including the Manchester Evening News, Liverpool Echo and ChronicleLive.
The original story originated from a Facebook post published by Thailand’s Tha Luang police station before being rapidly picked up internationally.
In its front page story, the Daily Star declared ‘cops don frocks to bust drug dealer suspect’. It went on to say ‘undercover cops masqueraded as ladyboys to frocks at a street dance festival’ as part of a ‘crime-fighting strategy.’
According to Press Gazette, a Thailand-based agency editor investigated the claims after the Facebook post began trending locally.
They shared comments from Tha Luang police superintendent Panthep Panadit, who said: “The image showing police officers wearing drag-style costumes while arresting the suspect was created using AI software.
“As for why they were wearing that, I honestly don’t know either. I wasn’t the one who posted it. Someone sent it to me to have a look at.”
The unnamed editor added: “Common sense would dictate that four middle-aged men in dresses standing in a line of carnival dancers is hardly undercover. It’s also not protocol to ever have civilians in the mug shot pictures, so the female dancer sitting there immediately rings alarm bells.”
An updated Facebook post from the Thai police station now reportedly includes the original, undoctored image alongside the message: “The real one is here, everyone. It’s AI. I inform you.”
Reach has been contacted for comment.
