Maha Sarakham Police Admit Shooting at Wrong Car
By Khaosod English


Weerapol Pansai, 30, and Suriyan Pakkavesa, 26, (L) speaking to officials at the government complaint center in Maha Sarakham province, 15 June 2015.

MAHA SARAKHAM — A police commander in northeastern Thailand has apologized to two men who plain-clothed officers shot at yesterday because they mistook them for suspected drug dealers.

Weerapol Pansai, 30, and Suriyan Pakkavesa, 26, filed a complaint over the incident at the government complaint center in Maha Sarakham province today. The pair said they were driving to the town center yesterday afternoon when the officers, who were not wearing uniforms at the time, shot at the wheels of their vehicle without warning.

Weerapol said he and his friend then ran for their lives but were soon caught by the men, who identified themselves as police officers, and accused them of being drug dealers. According to Weerapol, the officers forced him to admit that a drug package that had been placed in his car belonged to him. He was reportedly kicked several times when he insisted that he had no knowledge of the package.

The two men were later escorted to Borabue Police Station, where they again plead their innocence, and were eventually released after police officers realized they had misidentified the pair.

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1434364613


-- Khaosod English 2015-06-15

...but what about the package of drugs in the car?

So, where did it come from and who owned it?

It either belonged to the occupants of the car, or was planted by Police.

Either way, there are some more questions that need to be asked...

>>According to Weerapol, the officers forced him to admit that a drug package that had been placed in his car belonged to him.<<

So the cops planted evidence??

No doubt the RTP are the most corrupt and rotten organisation in the Kingdom!!

So Mr P. Forget the beaches and the lottery-prices for a moment, and show us that you are serious about reform by cleaning up the police-force!!

In related news:Four senior Ayutthaya police officers axed after their men were implicated in drug trade

Scum. Disgraceful. So planting evidence isn't a problem alongside the random firing of bullets without any justification. These clowns should get double digits for antics like these

..... and in this situation if you were a foreigner ??

You'd have the book thrown at you.

Would cost you an enormous amount either way, try prove innocence, or expect jail.

This is 1 real danger living in Thailand. Could happen to anyone in the wrong place at the wrong time.

NACC to organize annual award presentation for anti-graft achievements

................and first prize goes to.......................................!

Why do I think this story would have a different presentation if the driver had copped a bullet in the head.

Shot at the wrong car and then planted drugs?

Makes you wonder if the people they were actually after are dealing drugs.

I mean, why would they bring a package to plant if their targets were guilty of dealing.

The guy in the light blue polo shirt on the left looks like something straight out of Madame Tussaud's !!

..... and in this situation if you were a foreigner ??

You'd have the book thrown at you.

Would cost you an enormous amount either way, try prove innocence, or expect jail.

This is 1 real danger living in Thailand. Could happen to anyone in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I am afraid this is true while this "police" force is in place (instead of in prison - where they belong)

Edited June 15, 201511 yr by sweatalot

Who received the lovely gift basket?

This only happened yesterday afternoon so there is a lot more to come on this one.

Would hope that the cops involved are discharged from the force and charged with multiple offences and I would think that as this is in the mainstream media, as well as social no doubt, that will happen.

Their boss also needs to be hauled in and severely spoken to (demoted) for the actions of his men.

Dont tar all the cops with this brush because of this, but there are those who will, all Thais are............right ?

Who received the lovely gift basket?

Nothing says sorry for shooting at you, planting drugs on you and trying to beat a confession out of you like a gift basket.

Who received the lovely gift basket?

Nothing says sorry for shooting at you, planting drugs on you and trying to beat a confession out of you like a gift basket.

.

How much you wanna bet the basket is from the shooteess, to the guy taking their report?

I don't think it was a case of misidentification but one of NO identification.

So this article only claims the police found the drugs in the car yet they may have been planted by the police. Why did the cops shoot at the car if no weapons were used by the other men? Is it police procedure to shoot first at unarmed suspects? Many more questions need to be asked about all of this story than just "were the drugs planted?"

It is unfortunately a fact of life that police forces throughout the world have problems with their drug squads, without exception. The shady, seedy atmosphere in which they operate and the enormous amounts of money involved inevitably lead to some members being corrupt. The Serpico's of this world are few and far between. The so called 'war on drugs' was lost decades ago.

What the circumstances are in this case I've no idea, but as the RTP are involved I can make an educated guess.

Why do I think this story would have a different presentation if the driver had copped a bullet in the head.

Then of course, he would be considered guilty, and a suitable firearm would be found in the car. The police were merely defending themselves, after all.

...no visit to a complaint center is complete without a gift basket...

Very lucky to both be alive and uninjured except for a beating !

sounds like the cops were all prepared to frame someone here as they had their package of drugs ready to plant. Maybe they just picked on the wrong scapegoat? perhaps these 2 were a little more connected than the police planned and managed to use that to prevent the police from framing them? What a bunch of scumbags. I am sure they will get away with this little stunt as well. No accountability, no chance of this ever ending.

Here is a gift basket and 5,000 baht, now move along, watch your back, and think twice about your complaints.

This only happened yesterday afternoon so there is a lot more to come on this one.

Would hope that the cops involved are discharged from the force and charged with multiple offences and I would think that as this is in the mainstream media, as well as social no doubt, that will happen.

Their boss also needs to be hauled in and severely spoken to (demoted) for the actions of his men.

Dont tar all the cops with this brush because of this, but there are those who will, all Thais are............right ?

Dont tar all the cops with this brush because of this, You know, I have heard and read that literally hundreds of times, but here is my problem; I have a long association with Thailand, having married here in 1971 then lived here off and on for many years and now retired here, I have not met one police officer I could trust and furthermore my personal opinion of public servants has changed, from bad to worse.

How many different things are WRONG about the BIB in this article:

1. going after the wrong people (since the two were released at the police station).

2. shooting at the tires of a presumably moving car, potentially endangering innocent bystanders

3. illegally physically assaulting suspects trying to obtain confessions.

4. presumably, illegally planting drug evidence on suspects.

Those boys in brown racked up quite a day for themselves....

So the lottery and a myriad of other worthless corrupt causes are more important than reforming the Thai Police Mafia. My question is General, "It is the Royal Thai Police", so shouldn't their corruption, incompetence and other criminal activities be investigated for another serious crime or that is only used for personal vendettas?

The guy in the light blue polo shirt on the left looks like something straight out of Madame Tussaud's !!

I think he snorted the full planted bag so now there are no evidences anymore...

He looks pretty high, must have been some good stuff...

Reading this shambles a "Tom and Jerry" cartoon comes to mind ... How can these officers even have a job - is this what makes your people happy mr. PM ... ?

The incompetence and level of corruption in RTP seems to get worse by the hour here - there is absolutely no end to the stupidity in Amazing Thailand

Fortunately for these innocent, and the guilty as well, Thai policemen

are only successful at shooting themselves in the foot & often miss that

target as well as foot is in mouth !

'... they ... were eventually released after police officers realized they had misidentified the pair.' And that's the end of it!? I trust not.

So was it police officers like this investigating the B2?