The interrogation unit was split into three separate groups: "Krom Noyobai" or the political unit, "Krom Kdao" or the "hot" unit and "Krom Angkiem", or the "chewing" unit. The hot unit (sometimes called the cruel unit) was allowed to use torture. In contrast, the cold unit (sometimes called the gentle unit) was prohibited from using torture to obtain confessions. If they could not make prisoners confess, they would transfer them to the hot unit. The chewing unit dealt with tough and important cases. Those who worked as interrogators were literate and usually in their 20s.