Beer bottles bombard cop shop

PHUKET CITY: A gang of teenagers, possibly angry with the police for setting up roadblocks to crack down on motorcycle gangs, launched an attack on Phuket City Police Station in the early hours of yesterday morning, lobbing beer bottles at the building.

Pol Lt Theeradet Jiraksa told the Gazette, “While I was on duty, a teenager stopped his motorcycle on the road in front of the police station and threw a beer bottle at the front of our building. It didn’t do any damage, though.

“I couldn’t get a clear view of the driver as he was a long way away, and the motorcycle he was driving didn’t have a registration plate,” he added.

Later, some more youths arrived and began throwing more empty beer bottles at the station, but still from too far away to hit the building or any vehicles in the parking lot in front of it, Lt Theeradej said.

“I think they may have been angry with police for setting up checkpoints to arrest motorcycle gang members. But they may just have been drunk.

“There have been many incidents of teenagers fighting on [Chumphon Rd] outside the police station, but they don’t usually target us. That is why I think that this time they may have been particularly angry with the police,” he said.

Phuket City Police Superintendent, Pol Col Nos Svettalekha said, “Following this incident I have told my officers to be more vigilant around the police station. Incidents like this must not be allowed to recur. If we catch the offenders they will be severely punished.

“Teenagers are currently causing a lot of problems for police, but we still have the same number of officers, so we have to work much harder than in the past.”