Men flee and fire at Phuket police checkpoint

PHUKET: Two men were arrested in downtown Phuket last night after allegedly firing at police as they sped away from a checkpoint.

The Chiang Mai men were on a motorbike on Phoonpon Road at 7:30pm when police ordered them to stop. While fleeing the checkpoint, one of the men, identified as Wuttichai Rattanaputiwong, 31, allegedly fired a shot from a .38 revolver into the air.

Police pursued the men to a rented house in Suanluang Chaofa village. A police unit, dressed in tactical gear, then stormed the house.

At 9:30pm, Col Peerayuth Karajedee of Phuket City Police announced that Mr Wuttichai and his 22 year-old accomplice, Surat Saeyang, had been captured. Police units reportedly found an unregistered revolver with four bullets as well as 2.86g of heroin on Mr Wuttichai’s person.

Mr Surat and Mr Wuttichai have been charged with illegal possession of a gun and bullets and carrying an unregistered weapon in public. Mr Wuttichai faces additional charges for discharging a weapon in public and possession of a category 1 drug.

— Kritsada Mueanhawong