Embezzlement cases up in Phuket

PHUKET: While drug-related crimes remain Phuket’s most common criminal offense, white collar-crime seems to be on the rise with 33 reported combined cases of fraud and embezzlement recorded in November, according to crime statistics released by the Phuket Provincial Police.

Of the 33 cases, just two arrests were made.

There were 334 arrests for drug-related offenses for the period, a 135% increase year-on-year.

Among the narcotics seized in the drug cases were 195 grams of heroin, 595 grams of dried marijuana, 23.3 kg of kratom (Mitragyna Speciosa) leaves and 7,503 ya bah (methamphetamine) pills.

In the violent crime category, there were eight murders, double the figure from November 2008, with arrests in all but one case.

There were also seven reported cases of attempted murder, with two arrests made.

Fourteen reported cases of assault resulted in eight arrests.

Police also arrested 154 people on charges related to prostitution, a 62 percent increase over the same period last year.

There were 38 cases of theft reported, a 62 percent decline year-on-year.

There were nine cases of motorcycle theft reported, with six arrests made.

Police made 132 gambling-related arrests, an increase of about two percent year-on-year.

There were also 17 arrests for the sale of underground lottery tickets, which are reported separately.

— Atchaa Khamlo