Thai/Italian couple in apparent murder/suicide after police fake Viagra raid - cop injured

[webfact]

Picture: Thai Rath

 

Thai Rath reported that Consumer Protection Police surrounded a two story property on Petkasem Highway in Prachuap Khirikhan yesterday morning and were preparing to present a search warrant.

 

They had been investigating the sale of fake Viagra online.

 

Inside the cement house was 38 year old Wijit Phothilam from Phetchabun and 61 year old Marko Rassu from Italy, reported Sanook. 

 

Pol Maj Theera Phanthuwong from the CPP said they were going to search the house and had a warrant.

 

The drama unfolded at Moo 10, Petchkasem heading south in Ban Don Hang, Muang district, opposite the Toyota showroom.

 

Wijit appeared at a top floor balcony and said they were not ready for a search. He called 191 as a delaying tactic and further announced that he would kill himself if the officers came in. 

 

He mentioned that someone was sick with an underlying health condition as the standoff lasted several hours. 

 

At 11 am Wijit came down to inspect the search warrant giving the opportunity for officers to burst in utilizing an outside staircase.

 

This prompted the Italian man to fire four shots from a 9mm gun at Pol Sergeant Sadayu Saenyot who ducked and fell from the second floor injuring his right arm. 

 

Back-up was requested as Muang district chief Pol Col Samer Yusamran and a special task force arrived and provincial chief Pol Maj-Gen Wanchai Tharanatham headed to the scene. 

 

At 12.30 pm many shots were heard from the property and officers went into a second floor bedroom.

 

In a bathroom they found Wijit dead from two shots to the chest and one to the head.

 

Nearby slumped up by a wall was Mr Rassu who had a 9mm gun in his right hand.

 

He had apparently shot himself in the right temple with the bullet exiting the back of the head. He was covered in blood. 

 

Thai Rath said that police had been investigating Wijit for some time and that he was a big agent dealing in fake Viagra online. Many arrests had already been made in the case.

 

But the investigation had led to Wijit who was hiding in the house.

 

Many medications were found as well as a computer with links to private drugs' firms. 

 

A database had the names of many customers and all this was taken into evidence. 

 

The media surmised that, facing a long prison sentence over the matter, it had been a murder suicide to escape responsibility. 

 

-- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2021-07-02

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

 

[internationalism]

with search warrant they should enter immediately, so not to give time for escape or concealing money, deleting data from computer.

viagra is not classified drug, not a narcotic, so sentence would be probably only some 5 years, if the first time.

who would fake and who would buy viagra, if kamagra 100mg gel is only for 15b?

[J Town]

Hardened criminals!

[IvorBiggun2]

47 minutes ago, webfact said:

further announced that he would kill himself if the officers came in. 

 

41 minutes ago, internationalism said:

with search warrant they should enter immediately,

Not with someone threatening to 'kill himself'. A standoff is the better choice.

[Phuketshrew]

52 minutes ago, webfact said:

A database had the names of many customers and all this was taken into evidence. 

Squeaky bum time for a few "Aseannow" members? ????

[2long]

'The media surmised...'

Lots of details considering that the case isn't complete yet

 

Plus, should the cops have burst in after he threatened to kill himself? Ok, he may have been concealing evidence, but this isn't such a serious and urgent case that couldn't wait a bit longer... and maybe save the life of his poor lady wife.

[IvorBiggun2]

2 minutes ago, 2long said:

save the life of his poor lady wife.

Weren't both suspects male?

[ChipButty]

Better get down here quick we've a couple of stiff ones

[4MyEgo]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

They had been investigating the sale of fake Viagra online.

 

Waste of time and human life.

 

Why not go chasing after Pedophile's or hardcore drug dealers.

 

Idiots wearing badges in my opinion.

[IvorBiggun2]

2 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

Why not go chasing after Pedophile's or hardcore drug dealers.

Or farangs failing to do 90 day reports.

[IvorBiggun2]

3 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

I don't blame them for offing themselves. Sounds like a rational choice compared to prison in Thailand. 

I doubt they'd do more than a year or so. Cant be that hard in a Thai jail. My BiL cam out for the 4th time 2 months ago. 2 weeks ago whilst on parole he turn up for a drugs test and and was back inside straight away.

[harrycallahan]

5 hours ago, internationalism said:

would buy viagra, if kamagra 100mg gel is only for 15b?

That's exactly what they would have been selling, along with other non-Pfizer anti-impotence medications. 

 

Journalism prefers narratives over nuanced accuracy. 

[internationalism]

kamagra is also sold at pharmacies, at around 30b. 

unless they were making on a large scale and supplying kamagra to legal drug companies, and even more so, it it was of a bad quality and people's health suffered, their sentences would be short. There was something else, which triggered their suicide

 

[Asquith Production]

4 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

 

Waste of time and human life.

 

Why not go chasing after Pedophile's or hardcore drug dealers.

 

Idiots wearing badges in my opinion.

Obviously someone as probably complained because they like many others  were being scammed. So the Police do not know the size of the operation and have to investigate, maybe they are drug dealers as well.  So you dont investigate something just in case someone commits murder/suicide? What a strange comment!.

[tifino]

  maybe the two inside were in the midst of a transaction that went wrong?? 

  - with the 'victim' angry that he (did not) get stiffed by the other

[natway09]

Fake or generic, huge difference

I take 2 generic tablets daily as the originals are 6 times the price,

All approved by hospital Dr & sold openly in any pharmacy

[TheFishman1]

Something doesn’t sound right shot twice in the chest and once in the head and that was a suicide TIT

[dabhand]

3 minutes ago, TheFishman1 said:

Something doesn’t sound right shot twice in the chest and once in the head and that was a suicide TIT

Think you will find that it was the Italian guy who probably committed suicide.

[johnnyloda]

With a name like this, Marko Rassu, he's not Italian for sure

[4MyEgo]

36 minutes ago, Asquith Production said:

What a strange comment!.

 

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Thai Rath said that police had been investigating Wijit for some time and that he was a big agent dealing in fake Viagra online. Many arrests had already been made in the case.

 

[Justgrazing]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

 

At 11 am Wijit came down to inspect the search warrant

 

and said the other bloke wanted his in Italian as he don't do the Thai .. 

[Liverpool Lou]

5 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

Why not go chasing after Pedophile's or hardcore drug dealers.

They do, this is not the only RTP investigation in Thailand!

[Liverpool Lou]

30 minutes ago, TheFishman1 said:

Something doesn’t sound right shot twice in the chest and once in the head and that was a suicide TIT

No.  If you read what was actually said you may get the gist of it

[Bangkok Barry]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Wijit appeared at a top floor balcony and said they were not ready for a search.

 

Only in Thailand.

"Okay, let us know when you're ready, after you've destroyed documents, flushed the drugs down the toilet, deleted computer records. We'll just wait here."

[Gandtee]

6 hours ago, J Town said:

Hardened criminals!

They were worried about receiving a stiff sentence!????????

[mfd101]

6 hours ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

My BiL cam out for the 4th time 2 months ago. 2 weeks ago whilst on parole he turn up for a drugs test and and was back inside straight away.

Yes, I have a BIL here who spent 6 years inside for drug peddling. He says the life's not bad there. At least you know where your next meal's coming from.

[hotchilli]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Many medications were found as well as a computer with links to private drugs' firms. 

 

A database had the names of many customers and all this was taken into evidence. 

Some more people are going to be sweating .

[mvdf]

6 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

Why not go chasing after Pedophile's or hardcore drug dealers.

 

BMW smart cars deployed elsewhere searching for anti maskers and errant Karens

[dallen52]

51 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

Only in Thailand.

"Okay, let us know when you're ready, after you've destroyed documents, flushed the drugs down the toilet, deleted computer records. We'll just wait here."

Gives them time to top themselves.

Reduce the paperwork.

More time to play with their phones.

[from the home of CC]

for a foreigner to open fire on police officers imo suggests there was a lot more at play than fake viagra..