Eight teenagers nabbed for muggings

PHUKET: Phuket City Police on Wednesday rounded up eight teenagers suspected of at least two gunpoint muggings.

Police reported that the boys – all aged 16 or 17 – confessed to two attacks, one at Saphan Hin on Tuesday and one at Khao Rang viewpoint on March 29. In both cases, the boys used knives and a homemade short shotgun to force victims to hand over money and mobile phones.

Lt Somsak Thongkleing, a Deputy Investigating Inspector at Phuket Police Station, told the Gazette, “At 4:30 pm, April 4, we found the boys sitting together under an unnumbered house in Village 6 in Wichit. Some of them were smoking marijuana.

“On searching them, we found a homemade shotgun, some cartridges, a knife and a small packet of marijuana. They admitted that, before we arrested them, they were planning more muggings.

“All eight boys are between 16 and 17 years old, so we cannot release their names. Seven of the boys are from Village 6, Wichit, and the other is from Village 8.

“Eyewitnesses remembered the boys’ motorbike license plate numbers. From this we could find out where they were,” Lt Somsak said.

“All of the boys have confessed to involvement in the crimes and are being held at Phuket Provincial Juvenile and Family Court. They have been charged with armed robbery and drug possession,” he added.