Phuket Riot: Police deny planting drugs

PHUKET: Provincial Police Commander Patchara Boonyasit this morning denied that officers planted drugs on the bodies of the two men killed in a police chase on Saturday.

Patomwat Panarak, 22, and Teerapong Srisamut, 17, allegedly refused to be searched at a checkpoint and fled the scene. They were brought to a stop after their motorbike and a police vehicle collided. Both men were killed in the accident.

Police allegedly found 50 pills of ya ba (methamphetamine) and one kilogram of kratom leaves in the young men’s bags. However, some of those who participated in the mob that swept over Thalang Police Station on Saturday accused police of planting the drugs on the men after the accident.

“I am 100 per cent sure that the drugs belonged to the suspects,” Maj Gen Patchara said. “There is no way that the drugs were planted on them as alleged by relatives.”

Gen Patchara pointed out that there were a number of people at the scene who were not police officers and would have noticed if the officers attempted to introduce drugs in the crime scene.

“I am of course very sorry about what happened. I am sorry about the deaths and the riots,” Gen Patchara said. “However, officers were conducting their work as normal that day. If the two suspects had allowed police to search them, this would have never happened. Instead, they attempted to flee at high speed, crashed and died. Nonetheless, I am deeply sorry for the loss.”

— Kritsada Mueanhawong