Marine police arrest boat captain with shotgun

PHUKET: Phuket Marine Police arrested a man piloting a boat with a hunting gun and ammunition on board just off Koh Yao yesterday.

Officers discovered the firearm – a 12 gauge single-barrel shotgun – and eight shotgun cartridges during a random inspection of the boat.

“Warayuth Mayer, 39, claimed that he was hired by Rung Nok Satun-Trang Ltd to protect the company’s birds’ nest concession on Koh Li Pi,” said Koh Yao Police Superintendent Jirasak Seamsak. “The nests are a delicacy used to make bird’s nest soup.”

“The boat was anchored about 100 meters from Koh Li Pi,” said Phuket Marine Police Chief Panya Chaichana.

“The gun is registered, but not under Mr Warayuth’s name so we are looking into whether the company has properly registered the gun to be used for protecting its concession, and whether the company has transferred possession of the gun to Mr Warayuth.”

Mr Warayuth was handed over to Koh Yao Police, who charged him for possession of an unregistered firearm.

Col Jirasak said that the case was not related to a recent incident in which a sailor was threatened by men with firearms in Phang Nga Bay when he got close to an island populated with swiftlets, whose nests are used to make bird’s nest soup.

— Kongleaphy Keam