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TANYALUK 'MANGO' SAKOOT
TANYALUK 'MANGO' SAKOOT
Reporter
091 165 0260
reporter2@classactmedia.co.th
Phuket hits high note for number of drug cases, arrests in the country
Phuket hits high note for number of drug cases, arrests in the country
Phuket Provincial Court, from January through October this year, prosecuted more cases for drug-related offenses than any other provincial court in the country, other than Thung Song Provincial Court in Nakhon Sri Thammarat. The island’s status as the nation’s “runner-up” for drug prosecutions came by a report from the Courts of Justice made public earlier this week, confirming that during the eight months Phuket Provincial Court processed 6,697 cases, second only to Thung Song Provincial Court, which processed 7,438 cases. However, Phuket Provincial Court outshone all other provincial courts in the country for prosecutions of possession of illegal drugs and possession of illegal drugs with intent to sell, taking the number one position with 3,076 cases and 702 cases respectively. Phuket, even as one of the smallest provinces in Thailand, still ranked third in the country for total number of drug-related prosecutions after including cases heard by the provincial minor court, called the Kwaeng Court, with 5,120 prosecutions heard. Phuket Vice Governor Supoj Rotreuang Na Nongkhai took the nation-leading number of drug cases as good news, saying “It shows that officials and police are doing their work very well.” Vice Governor Supoj, who chairs the provincial anti-narcotics committee, added, “This year we have specifically focused on preventing drugs from being brought into the province by fishing boats, as this now seems to be the preferred method of smuggling drugs into Phuket.” To that end, a report from the Phuket Provincial Police, which accumulate their statistics from October through September each year (in line with the Thai fiscal year), confirmed that Phuket City Police Station processed 1,552 drug-related cases. During the same 12 months, Chalong Police Station processed 1,058 cases, Thalang Police Station processed 977, Patong Police Station processed 969, while Thachatchai Police Station processed 676. The same statistics reported increases in the volume of every category of drug seized, with 18.45kg of crystal methamphetamine (ya ice) seized from Oct 2017 to Sept 2018 rising to 19.29kg in the 12 months that followed. Similarly, the number of methamphetamine pills (ya bah) seized in Phuket rose from 303,161 pills in 2018 to 556,383 pills in 2019. Kratom busts also saw a huge increase in contraband seized, with 2.9 tonnes of the plant (25,390 leaves) seized on the island in 2018 rising to 3.73 tonnes (34,058 leaves) in 2019. Meanwhile, marijuana raids saw 7.31kg of the plant seized in 2019, along with 12.76kg of ready-to-smoke dried marijuana. Heroin maintained a much smaller, but still concerning, presence, falling from 292.4 grammes seized in 2018 to 116.87g the following year. “Phuket’s drug problem remains, and mostly because of weaknesses in the community,” Vice Governor Supoj said this week. “However, I still expect the number of drug cases to fall as we focus more on fixing problems in the community first,” he added. Vice Governor Supoj cited a slew of specific issues believed to be contributing to the drug problem. “Most suspects arrested come from other provinces, and Phuket is a busy tourism area full of tourists and non-native people. This has contributed to Phuket’s high rank in the number of cases,” he said. “Also, the economy is not good, and people are ready to take risks. They are willing to be minor sellers, not major sellers like other provinces,” he added. Dealers were also pushing harder for everyday people to risk earning extra money by selling drugs, V/Gov Supoj explained. “Dealers even have promotions like ‘Drugs for sale’. For example, where they would normally charge B200 per ya bah pill, they would sell ya bah to an addict or regular user at B80 per pill just to get their regular business. “Another issue is peer pressure. I have found most young women arrested for drugs are caught selling the drugs with their boyfriends,” he added. V/Gov Supoj told The Phuket News that he wants to seriously start targetting social issues in the community to help prevent people from wanting to take drugs, or sell them. “We want to focus on the community as a priority. Phuket as a community needs to be stronger. It is an important issue that I have to talk about with drug suppression teams and local officials in each area. “Of course this includes working with the police, who the statistics show have already been working hard on this problem,” he said. Pol Maj Gen Rungrote Thakurapunyasiri, who arrived on the island in October to take up the post of Phuket Provincial Police Commander, told The Phuket News on Tuesday that police will ramp up their efforts to prevent anti-drugs efforts in a special campaign for the New Year. “Police will search and focus on drugs hidden in any type of vehicles, such as cars, buses and trucks, from Dec 24, 2019 to Jan 31, 2020,” he said. “Our goal is to eradicate entire drug-trafficking networks, from producers to major dealers to people selling drugs on the street. It also includes those who support drug-trafficking networks,” he added. In addition to the development of a national anti-drugs database, officers will focus “intensive efforts” on all target groups who may be involved in illegal drug cases, Maj Gen Rungrote said. “We will also set up a programme to prevent drugs from spreading to youths, schools and communities, to keep them safe and away from drugs,” he added.
Phuket hunt for fugitive Florida man continues
Phuket hunt for fugitive Florida man continues
PHUKET: Chalong Police today issued a wanted poster for 28-year-old Florida man Ezekiel Shilon Dolcide, who escaped police custody by running away while still handcuffed on Monday afternoon (Dec 16).
Family members of missing kayak couple give DNA samples to police
Family members of missing kayak couple give DNA samples to police
PHUKET: Family members of the couple who disappeared on a kayak off Yanui Beach more than a week ago provided DNA samples to police today (Dec 16) to add to the official missing persons reports.
Rewards for reporting road violations now offered in Phuket
Rewards for reporting road violations now offered in Phuket
PHUKET: People in Phuket who report motorists violating basic transport laws can now receive nearly 50% of the fine issued, Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) Chief Banyat Kantha has confirmed.
Mother holds out hope for daughter missing on kayak
Mother holds out hope for daughter missing on kayak
PHUKET: The mother of Werakan Siriprakon, the 23-year-old from Nakon Sawan who remains missing at sea on a kayak along with Polish tourist Mateusz Juszkiewicz, 26, says she believes her daughter is still alive.
Fire scare in Patong as restaurant catches alight
Fire scare in Patong as restaurant catches alight
PHUKET: A fume extractor caked with grease caught fire in Soi Sansabai in the heart of Patong last night (Dec 10), sending plumes of smoke in the air and raising concerns that the fire would quickly spread to adjacent buildings.
Search for missing kayak couple enters Day 4
Search for missing kayak couple enters Day 4
PHUKET: The search for missing couple Polish tourist Mateusz Juszkiewicz, 26, and Thai national Werakan Siriprakon, 23, from Nakon Sawan, continues today (Dec 10), with the Royal Thai Navy search organisers believing the couple – if alive – are still within Thai waters.
Safety on point: Demerit point penalties for traffic violations to start
Safety on point: Demerit point penalties for traffic violations to start
PHUKET: Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Col Phakin Na-ranong, who also serves as the island’s Traffic Police Chief, has confirmed that the points-based system of penalties for those caught breaking traffic laws will begin nationwide on Dec 19.
Dead dugong found ashore at Koh Lanta, 23rd to die in Andaman this year
Dead dugong found ashore at Koh Lanta, 23rd to die in Andaman this year
PHUKET: A dead dugong found washed ashore at Koh Lanta yesterday (Dec 5) is the 23rd dugong to be found dead along the Andaman coast this year, reports Kongkiat Kittiwatanawong, Chief of the Phuket Marine Biological Centre (PMBC).
Fishermen receive reward for discovery of turtle egg nests as part of new preservation project
Fishermen receive reward for discovery of turtle egg nests as part of new preservation project
PHUKET: Two fishermen in Phang Nga have been rewarded as part of a new preservation initiative for discovering a mother leatherback turtle and her nest of eggs at Khao Lampi - Hat Thai Mueang National Park on Saturday (Nov 30).
Children in need: Police put children first in crackdown on late-night street hawking
Children in need: Police put children first in crackdown on late-night street hawking
PHUKET: Following the arrests of four people for human trafficking and the exploitation of child labour last month for operating a gang of children hawking goods in bars and restaurants, police have revealed that four more children have been found being forced to sell items at late-night venues in Phuket.
Boom on Bangla spooks tourists as overload sees power meters explode
Boom on Bangla spooks tourists as overload sees power meters explode
PHUKET: The sound of a loud explosion unsettled tourists on Bangla Rd in Patong this afternoon (Dec 3) as a power overload saw several electricity meters short out and start a small fire in one of the bars on the busy street.
Phuket mains power supply switchover arrives
Phuket mains power supply switchover arrives
PHUKET: At 10am tomorrow (Dec 4), Phuket’s high-voltage mains power supply from the mainland will be switched over from the old 115kV supply the island has been relying on for years to the new network that can support up to 500kV.
Phuket Marine National Parks step up efforts to protect nesting sea turtles
Phuket Marine National Parks step up efforts to protect nesting sea turtles
PHUKET: Members of the public who come across a sea turtle’s nest or a sea turtle laying eggs on certain beaches in and around Phuket are urged to contact the Phuket Marine National Park Operation Center 2, and they will be rewarded B20,000 for their efforts, the centre’s chief Prarop Plang Ngan has announced.
Three tourists in car hit by tour bus released from hospital
Three tourists in car hit by tour bus released from hospital
PHUKET: Three tourists whose car was slammed by a tour bus in Koh Kaew, north of Phuket Town, yesterday have been discharged from hospital, police have confirmed.
Slow loris tout arrested for the third time, to face new, harsher law
Slow loris tout arrested for the third time, to face new, harsher law
PHUKET: A slow loris tout was arrested in the popular Phuket tourist area Kata Beach last night (Nov 26), marking the third time he has been arrested for possession of the protected animal in Phuket.
Social Security Office fines building collapse company director B100k for unregistered workers
Social Security Office fines building collapse company director B100k for unregistered workers
PHUKET: Chuchart Palasuwan, Managing Director of The Blue Phuket Co Ltd, has been fined B100,000 by the Social Security Office for not registering five workers – four of them killed and one injured in the building collapse in Thepkrasattri last Thursday (Nov 21).
Live online CCTV watches over leatherback turtle nest
Live online CCTV watches over leatherback turtle nest
PHUKET: A series of CCTV cameras have been installed at Thai Mueang Beach, north of Phuket in Phang Nga province, to protect a leatherback sea turtle nest, with the cameras broadcasting online 24 hours a day.
Phuket building collapse: company director surrenders, Myanmar embassy follows up
Phuket building collapse: company director surrenders, Myanmar embassy follows up
PHUKET: Chuchart Palasuwan, the managing director of the company being held responsible for the building collapse last Thursday that killed seven workers and injured two others, has surrendered to police.
Passengers on stricken cruise ship safe, navy to assist immediate repairs
Passengers on stricken cruise ship safe, navy to assist immediate repairs
PHUKET: All 78 French tourists and one German, as well as the 70-strong crew, aboard the cruise ship La Belle des Océans, which breached its hull on an underground rock southeast of Phi Phi Island early this morning, have been brought to Phuket safely, officials have confirmed.