Convicted drug offender remarkably escapes custody in Khon Kaen

Police in Khon Kaen are in pursuit of a 35 year old man, a recently convicted drug offender who made a daring escape from custody. Ratchaphon Khiannok was on his way to the prison vehicle at the provincial court when he made his escape last night, April 25, according to the authorities.

Ratchaphon was captured on security cameras, still wearing his fetters, as he swiftly scaled the court’s fence at 5.11pm.

Two individuals, one presumed to be his spouse, were observed waiting for him with a motorcycle, disclosed Police Colonel Yotsawat Kaewsuebthanyanit, the head of the local police station in Khon Kaen.

Escaping on the motorcycle with one of the individuals, Ratchaphon was last seen heading towards Prachasamosorn Road, all the while dressed in his prison uniform.

Reports from Khon Kaen’s local media identified the woman who had been waiting on the motorcycle as Ratchaphon’s wife, and she has since been detained by the police.

Ratchaphon had been at court for his sentencing when he made his escape. He had been detained earlier for possession of 8,600 methamphetamine pills, a crime which led to him receiving a prison sentence of 24 years, six months, and 10 days, as reported by Bangkok Post.

The search for Ratchaphon continues, with police and corrections officials working tirelessly to recapture him.

In a similar story, Police in Pathum Thani province seized a colossal haul of 5.3 million methamphetamine pills, commonly known as Yaba, in a dramatic operation that saw a suspect escape into a canal. The drug bust unfolded today, April 25, when police and military intelligence units descended upon a nondescript residence in the Nong Suea district.

Led by a coalition of law enforcement and military personnel, the operation was a significant hit against the drug trade in the region. In a white Toyota Yaris parked along an irrigation canal road, officers discovered 13 black bags containing a total of 2.5 million Yaba pills.