Phuket shopping mall stages active gunman drill in preparation for Vegetarian Festival

Central Phuket shopping mall became the stage of an active gunman training emergency-response exercise spearheaded by officers from Region 8 Police yesterday before the mall opened its doors to the public.

The joint leaders of the active gunman training response scenario were Police Lieutenant General Suraphong Thanomchit, the Region 8 Police Commander, and Police Major General Sermphan Sirikong, the Phuket Provincial Police Commander. The simulation was carried out on the first floor of Central Phuket mall’s Floresta building, from 8.30am to 9.30am.

The scenario involved a lone male gunman discharging a firearm within the Phuket shopping mall, as outlined in the official report of the drill. The criminal, with his face concealed, refused to allow officers to search him. The drill then escalated to the criminal shooting people inside the mall, causing injuries, and taking hostages.

Wichit Police Station was notified of the incident during the simulation. The station coordinated forces and reported to the commander before responding to the situation.

The result of the drill was that the gunman was the only casualty, while the hostages were able to escape safely. Emergency medical personnel attended to participants designated as injured, while EOD police officers found no explosives in the suspect’s bag after an inspection.

The importance of the Tourist Police role was underscored by their ensuring that participants designated as tourists were informed of the situation and guided appropriately.

Pol. Maj. Gen. Sermphan described the drill as a rehearsal of the annual incident response plan.

“This [simulation] has been done once before at Phuket Boat Lagoon and this rehearsal is linked to the real situation in Bangkok earlier this month.”

He was referring to the incident on October 3 where a 14 year old went on a shooting spree, killing three people and injuring several others.

The personnel of Region 8 Police and Phuket Provincial Police, along with various related agencies, are now fully prepared to serve citizens and tourists, especially during the traditional Vegetarian Festival in Phuket. With large numbers of citizens and tourists venturing into the area, he said the necessity for readiness is crucial.

“Police officers are prepared in every aspect, including traffic, Tourist Police, and Immigration police. We are ready to provide safety for citizens and tourists, both Thai and foreigners.”

He concluded by stating that such drills boost confidence and increase the effectiveness of their work. This is evident in the decreasing statistics of incidents, including traffic accidents and other aspects, Phuket News reported.

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