Breaking News: Army raids municipality offices for Phuket mafia taxi connections

PHUKET: About 50 officers raided the Kata-Karon Municipality offices today to search for evidence of the popular tourist town’s mayor and handpicked deputy mayors’ involvement in the Phuket taxi mafia.

Pol Maj Gen Paween Pongisirin led the task force of Army, Navy and police officers at about 11:30.

Kata-Karon Deputy Mayors Ithiporn Sangkeaw and Sompong Dabpetch surrendered themselves at Phuket Provincial Police headquarters in Phuket Town on June 25. They were charged for abusing their positions of power for personal gain (story here).

Both men denied the charges.

Karon Mayor Tawee Thongcham was arrested earlier in June for his alleged connections to the taxi mafia (story here).

— Kritsada Mueanhawong