Stats show doubling of murder rate

PHUKET: Eight people were murdered in Phuket between February 1 and 24, more than double the monthly average, the latest police statistics reveal. Only two of those murders have been solved, reflecting the wider picture throughout Thailand, where the Government campaign against drug abuse has triggered a wave of professional killings. In the same period, 160 people were arrested for drug offenses in 172 busts. That compares with 117 arrests in 114 cases in the same period of January, which in turn was almost double the equivalent December figure. Of the 160, 59 people were held in cases involving ya bah (methamphetamine), with 216 ya bah pills seized. The latest figures show 126 arrests for gambling in 42 cases. One rape case was solved, while a total of 62 people were arrested for being illegal aliens, 49 for possession of stolen property and 15 for possession of unlicensed firearms. Meanwhile, police statistics over the same period in February show that 17 people were killed on the roads, with 108 people injured in 80 traffic incidents.