Chalong Police step up patrols

CHALONG: In an effort to step up security at the south end of the island, Chalong Police on October 4 set up checkpoints on all five roads leading to Chalong Circle and increased night-time patrols in the Rawai Beach area.

On October 8, a duty officer told the Gazette that no more muggers were caught, but two foreigners were found with marijuana.

As for bag snatch bandit Manop “Nop” Tongboon, who was arrested and charged with two robberies on September 28, American Sheila McCormick has identified him at Chalong Police Station as the man who attacked her on August 15.

However, Ms McCormick still needs to be interviewed further by police to determine whether or not charges in that case should be pressed against him.

The delay is related to the rota system for police interrogators at the station, a source at Chalong Police told the Gazette.

Ms McCormick has been eager to have charges filed against Manop since seeing his picture on the Gazette website on September 30.

Thus far Manop’s accomplice in that case remains at-large, the source said.

Ms McCormick told the Gazette by telephone that there has been a dramatic increase in the number of police patrols seen in Rawai over the past week.