Gambling cases top crime stats again

PHUKET: Gambling cases once again topped the crime lists in Phuket for the period between January 1 and 15, according to statistics released yesterday by the Phuket Provincial Police. A total of 163 people were arrested for gambling in the course of 96 police raids. Following close behind were illegal immigrants; 94 were caught in the same period. Drugs also occupied a significant place in the charts, with 24 people arrested for possession or sale of ya bah, and 60 held for possessing or selling other narcotics. Police seized 498 ya bah pills in the course of the arrests. Robbery and theft came next, with 21 cases reported and 16 arrests being made. Ten people were held for illegal possession of firearms. Twelve cases of violent crime were reported. Of these, three were rapes and nine involved assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Arrests were made in all 12 cases.