Bangkok cops deliver KO to former Thai boxer after hostage incident
Police today arrested a Thai former boxer who escaped after a theft and held two innocent people hostage in Bangkok last Friday, October 3, in the Isaan province of Nakhon Ratchasima province.
Officers from Tao Poon Police Station today, October 7, raided the home of 39 year old Santi Jehali, a former Thai boxer, last Friday to arrest him for theft. However, Santi would not surrender and instead fired shots at officers, creating a path for his escape.
Santi fled to a house in Soi Inthamara 29, where he took two residents hostage. Although the police successfully rescued the hostages, they were unable to apprehend the suspect. Santi reportedly escaped from the victims’ home through an air vent in the ceiling.
His wife, 42 year old Potjanee Boonlong, caused further disruption when she attempted suicide in an abandoned building near the scene. Potjanee then tricked police into driving her away, only to jump out of the vehicle in the Wang Noi district of Ayutthaya province.
Potjanee could not flee any further and was arrested by the roadside in Ayutthaya. Police suspect that she caused the chaos to distract them and give her husband a chance to escape. However, Potjanee denied the accusation, claiming she acted out of stress.
Officers continued their search for Santi and tracked him to the Lat Phrao area of Bangkok, where he had connections. However, they soon lost his trail.
Santi was later located in Nakhon Ratchasima, and police received a tip-off that he was planning to travel to Amnat Charoen province. They set up a checkpoint to monitor suspicious vehicles.
A suspicious taxi eventually arrived, with Santi inside. He attempted to flee once again but stumbled and sustained injuries, leading to his arrest.
Finally, police apprehended Santi in Nakhon Ratchasima province today. He has now been transferred to Tao Poon Police Station in Bangkok for questioning.
UPDATE 1: Former boxer’s wife charged after Bangkok police standoff
A former boxer’s wife faces multiple charges after a dramatic standoff and police chase in Bangkok. The search for her husband continues.
Bang Sue police escorted 42 year old Potjanee Boonlong to the Criminal Court today, October 6, seeking a 12-day detention approval. Charged with illegal possession of a gun, carrying it without permission, carrying it in public without a valid reason, illegal detention, and possession of illicit drugs, Potjanee’s legal troubles arise from a series of violent events.
Potjanee is married to Santi Jae-arlee, a 39 year old former boxer who broke into a house on Inthamara Soi 29 in Phaya Thai district on October 3 night, evading arrest for theft. When police surrounded the house, where a woman and her two sons were inside, Santi opened fire but managed to escape. The mother had already fled, and the two brothers were safely rescued by the police.
Following the incident, Potjanee went to a deserted building near the house her husband had invaded. Learning about her husband’s desperate situation, she threatened to harm herself, prompting a tense two-hour negotiation with the police.
Eventually, she fled the building and held a police officer at gunpoint, forcing him to drive towards Wang Noi district in Ayutthaya. She surrendered to the police the following morning.
Potjanee apologised for her actions before being taken to court.
Deputy Chief of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, Police Major General Noppasil Phoonsawat, revealed that Potjanee admitted to taking drugs the day before travelling to Bangkok to see her husband. Her stress levels spiked upon learning about Santi’s flight from the law.
During a media briefing, Pol. Maj. Gen. Noppasil displayed a photo of Santi and provided details about the ongoing manhunt. Santi’s break-in and subsequent actions have made him a high-priority target for the police, said Pol. Maj. Gen. Noppasil.
“The woman admitted to having taken drugs the day before travelling to Bangkok to see her husband. She became stressed after learning that her husband was fleeing arrest.”
Two police teams are actively searching for Santi, whose actions have not only endangered his freedom but also brought severe consequences for his wife, reported Bangkok Post.
The police remain focused on apprehending Santi.
ORIGINAL STORY: Bangkok on the ropes: Ex-boxer dodges arrest and takes hostages
A former Thai boxer remains at large after evading arrest for theft. The fugitive then went on a rampage in Bangkok’s Phrayathai district, taking two innocent people hostage in the process.
The 39 year old theft suspect, Santi Jehali, began his disturbing behaviour after officers from Tao Poon Police Station raided his home to arrest him yesterday, October 3, at around 7pm. Santi fired shots at the group of police officers to clear a way to escape.
Santi fled down Soi Inthamara 29, scaling a wall to hide in the home of a family of four. Two family members managed to escape, but the other two were not as fortunate. Santi held these remaining individuals hostage, firing a gun into the air to warn police officers not to approach.
By around 12.15am today, October 4, the police successfully rescued the two hostages. However, Santi eluded capture, escaping from the house through a ceiling vent.
As officers continued their search for Santi, his wife became distraught and attempted to shoot herself in an abandoned building nearby. Police, along with rescuers and other relevant officials, managed to dissuade her from harming herself by around 1.45am.
The officers escorted Santi’s wife to a police car to take her to the station. Yet, once inside the vehicle, she threatened the officer driving with a gun, demanding to be taken to Vibhavadi Rangsit Road.
She later exited the police car on Thanyaburi Road in the Wang Noi district of Ayutthaya province and fled into a grassy field, again threatening to harm herself. Officers finally calmed her down around 5.50am and took her to hospital for treatment of an injury to her left foot.
Santi’s former employer and boxing gym owner, 57 year old Sorrasak Saetang, who was initially called to the scene to help the police pacify Santi’s wife, told officers that Santi was once a renowned boxer, known in the industry as Rittidate Maimueangkhon.
After retiring from boxing, Santi became a trainer. However, he developed a theft habit, used drugs, and carried a gun at all times. As a result, Sorrasak had to dismiss him from the gym about five years ago.
The search for Santi continues.
