Police Bust BatteryThieves And Drug Dealers

October 5, 2012

Pattaya police announced two recent arrests, one involving a gang of five drug dealers, and the other involving two thieves who stole batteries from the broadcasting poles of cellphone companies.

BANGLAMUNG – October 4, 2012 [PDN]: A press conference to announce the arrests of 7 criminals in two cases was made by Pol. Maj. Gen. Katcha Thatusart, commander of Chonburi provincial police; Pol. Col. Suwicharn Yanakittikul; Pol. Col. Supathee Boonkrong, vice commander of Chonburi provincial police; Pol. Col. Somnuek Jamket, the director of Banglamoong police station; Pol. Lt. Col. Supachat Piammanas, the vice director of supression division, Pol. Lt. Col. Jakkrin Tuasuparp, the vice director of detective division; and police forces.

The first case involved two suspects who had been stealing batteries from the signal broadcast poles of mobile phone companies. The suspects were identified as Mr. Suwat Sankla, age 28, living at house number 48, moo 11, Samrid, Pimai, Nakorn Rachaseema; and Mr. Suwit Jantawong, age 28, living at house number 239, moo 11, Choke Nasarm, Prasat, Surin.

Evidence seized by police included four stolen12-volt batteries, 2 cutting pliers, 3 wrenches, a hammer, a steel saw, and the vehicle used to commit their crimes, a white minibus van, route Bangkok-Sriracha-Lam Chabang, registration code 10-4045.

The arrests of the suspects resulted after Banglamung police officers received reports from the AIS, D-TAC and True Move staffs that the batteries from their signal poles were being stolen in Pong. So the police went to the scene, and caught the two culprits in the act of stealing a battery. They arrested the pair and seized the evidence of the stolen battery.

During questioning, Mr. Suwat confessed that he and Mr. Suwit and another two friends who had escaped had been using a van to steal batteries. They had previously stolen batteries three times, and tried to sell the stolen batteries to a secondhand shop for 15 baht per kilogram. The shop staff said the batteries cost around 10,000 baht, and they only sold those batteries by individual order, so the robbers were not offered much for the stolen batteries.

After the police press conference, the grateful staff from the three victimized mobile companies gave flower baskets to Pol. Maj. Gen. Katcha Panthusart, the commander of Chonburi provincial police, and the Banglamung police officers to thank them for their quick handling of the thefts.

Police also announced the arrests of a drug-dealing gang of five people and had seized their drugs. The suspects were identified as: Mrs. Anchalee Yindee, age 29, with 35 tablets of meth; Mr. Anucha Wangthaworn, age 31, with 110 tablets of meth; Mr.Sathit Jarernying, age 29, with 200 tablets of meth; Mr. Somping Sangtanode, age 37, with 0.9 gram of ice; and Mr. Prasert Buarod, age 33, with 50 tablets of meth.

Pol. Maj. Gen. Katcha Thatusart, commander of Chonburi provincial police, disclosed that after assuming his present rank, he issued a policy to his officers to crack down on crime and drug suppression. While the police commander wants to focus more on drug prevention to deal with the issue, when drug crimes did occur, he wanted the police to act swiftly, which follows the policy of the Commissioner of Provincial Police 2.

Pol. Maj. Gen. Katcha Thatuasart praised every Banglamung police officer who put all their efforts into helping apprehend the drug criminals.