Chalong police issue burglaries warning

CHALONG: Pol Col Chalit Kaewyarat, Superintendent of Chalong Police Station, this morning urged residents in the Chalong and Rawai areas to take extra precautions against burglaries following a recent spate of break-ins, mostly involving homes of foreigners.

“A house in Soi Taiad [Chalong] and another one in Soi Samakkee 2 [Rawai] were recently broken into by burglars.

“A couple of days ago we arrested a man who worked for a mosquito screen shop near Wat Chalong. The man fitted mosquito screens to a house in Chalong, and then returned and robbed the house later,” Col Chalit said.

“Yesterday, we arrested two painters who live in Soi Palai who had robbed a house in Soi Naya in Rawai,” he added.

Col Chalit said that it was normal for the number of burglaries to rise as the low season sets in, but added that he believed the current poor state of the economy was aggravating the problem.

The colonel said that in response to the spike in burglaries, the number of police patrols has been increased. “We are also advising people on how to make their homes more secure.

“The police are not ignoring this problem. We are warning people to be wary of servicemen on call-out to homes, such as workers fitting security bars to windows.

He added that residents should be wary of people with motorbikes and sidecars who come to salvage trash for recycling, as some of them might be “casing” homes as they work, preparing to rob them later.

“Almost all of the burglars we have arrested are not local people,” he noted.

Col Chalit said that people who witness a burglary in progress should call him direct on his mobile phone at Tel: 01-7375838, or Pol Lt Col Sompong Boonrat, the Deputy Superintendent of Chalong Police Station, at Tel: 01-8951969, or Chalong Police Station at Tel: 076-381247.