Police hunt Phuket Town mobile robber

PHUKET: Police are looking for a man who allegedly snatched a mobile phone from a student at gun point in Phuket Town on Saturday morning.

The incident took place outside the Phuket City Office of Non-Formal and Informal Education on Damrong Road.

“The victim, Kritsana Harinsalai, 24, is registered at the Rawai office but had come to the Phuket City Center for an exam. He had just gotten finished and was walking to the parking lot with three of his friends when the man rode up on a motorbike and asked to borrow Mr Kritsana’s cell phone to make a call,” said Maj Rachan Panwai of Phuket City Police.

“Mr Kritsana said he told the man that he had no credit on his phone, but the man insisted that he try and see if the call would go through anyway.”

The suspect told Mr Kritsana his friend’s number, which he then dialed for him.

“As soon as I handed him my phone, he started to ride away. I tried to get it back from him, but he pulled out a handgun and pointed it at my head. I was in complete shock – the next thing I knew, he was riding away with it,” Mr Kritsana told Phuket City Police officers, adding that his phone was worth about 10,000 baht.

CCTV footage showed the suspect heading in the direction of Phuket Prison. Police say they expect to apprehend him soon.

— Kritsada Mueanhawong