Prostitution arrests sharply up

PHUKET: Arrests for prostitution rose sharply last month, police statistics for January 1 to 25 show. A total of 53 people were held on prostitution-related charges, about seven times the figure in the same period of December. The number of people arrested on drugs charges also rose, from 120 in December to 144 last month. Ya bah (methamphetamine) was involved in 36 of the 132 drugs raids made by police. Officers seized 1,612 ya bah pills, including 900 found during the arrests of four people on January 7 at Ao Por Pier in Pa Khlok. Arrests for gambling, however, were down, from 245 in December to 193 last month. Three murders were reported in the same period, one of which was solved, with an arrest being made. A total of 26 illegal immigrants were caught and there were 16 cases of assault, with 13 cases solved. One rape case was reported but investigations have yet to result in an arrest.