Phuket November: A month of murder
PHUKET: There were five premeditated murders in Phuket last month, according to crime statistics released by the Phuket Provincial Police.
Once again leading the number of reported cases and arrests were narcotics offenses.
Overall 320 people were arrested in 282 cases, a 4.7% decrease year-on-year.
The breakdown of these arrests was listed as follows:
Consumption: 116 arrests
Possession: 114 arrests
Possession with intent to sell: 48 arrests
Sale: 21 arrests
Production: 15 arrests, all involving the native krathom plant, the leaves of which are ingested as a stimulant.
Most of the narcotics seized as evidence were ya bah (methampetamine) numbering 27,712 pills.
There was no year-on-year change in the number of Category I “heinous crimes” reported.
Of the five murders reported there were arrests in two cases. The other heinous crimes reported were muggings (three cases) and arson (one case).
There was a 33% decrease in Category 2 crimes, which include all crimes to the person. Of the 20 cases reported, the most common charge was for assault: eight counts.
There were also eight attempted murders and three rapes reported.
Reports of Category 3 crimes, a grouping of crimes to property, were unchanged year-on-year with 61 reported cases. Of these the most common were theft, with 54 reported cases and 34 arrests.
Reports of Category 4 crimes, a miscellaneous grouping called “crimes of interest”, included 15 reported cases of motorbike theft (six arrests) and 17 cases of embezzlement (two arrests). There were a total of 37 cases reported in this category, a 9.8% decrease year-on-year.
As usual, Category 5 crimes, listed as “crimes against the state” that must be prosecuted, were the most numerous, with 522 people arrested in 404 cases.
In addition to the drug cases already reported, there were also 282 gambling cases.
Other cases included weapons violations (16 cases), prostitution (five cases) and 27 cases of involvement in the underground lottery, which are tabulated separately from other gambling cases.
