Gambling still the top vice

PHUKET: Even without the Liverpool FC lottery, gambling is still Phuket’s favorite vice, according to police crime statistics for May 1 to 25. Police arrested 169 unlucky punters during the preiod for betting illegally. Being an illegal immigrant came second, with 56 foreigners being rounded up during the period, followed closely by involvement with drugs, with 54 arrests made and 71 tablets of ya bah (methamphetamine) and 62 Ecstasy pills seized. Four murders were reported in the period, with two arrests made. However, police managed to make not one single arrest in the other physical attack cases reported in the period – one of attempted murder, 20 of bodily harm and four of rape. However, five people were arrested for illegal possession of firearms and 13 were arrested for prostitution. There were also 25 arrests for theft, three for snatching, one for robbery, five for motorbike theft, two for mischief and one for misappropriation.