Officials caught in Phuket jungle gambling camp raid

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Officials caught in Phuket jungle gambling camp raid
Eakkapop Thongtub


The two officials were among the 26 suspects arrested at the jungle gambling den. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

PHUKET: -- Two local officials were among the 26 arrested at a gambling camp set up in the hills of Vichit on Sunday night (June 21).

Among the suspects were Sommai Kritson, 51, of the Kamala Tambon Administration Organisation (OrBorTor), and Pradit Ongsantipap, 43, village headman of Moo 1 in Chalong.

Pradit made news last year when disgruntled villagers staged a protest in front of Chalong police station over lack of action by police to investigate a fatal hit-and-run nine months earlier.

Pradit was the driver of a pickup truck that struck and killed a 59-year-old motorcyclist outside the Revenue Office in Chalong. Pradit fled the scene. (See story here.)

Pradit and Sommai were arrested when more than 30 officers led by Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Superintendent Lt Col Prawit Eagchuwn and Vichit police chief Col Kittipong Klaikaew, acting on a tip-off, arrived at the jungle gambling site at 9:30pm.

The camp was in the woods, about a kilometre off the main road. Officers found motorbikes hidden in the bushes, and the gamblers in a tent nearby.

Many of the gamblers tried to run away, but police had surrounded the camp and reportedly apprehended all of them.

Police seized B168,150 in cash and gambling equipment, including 60 betting chips marked B1,000-B5,020 and 17 chips marked B5,200-10,400.

At 2am yesterday morning (June 22), Vichit inspector Capt Nattaya Supanpong escorted all 26 suspects to Phuket City police station, as the Vichit police cells were not large enough to accommodate all of them.

Police are expected to present to the suspects to the court today (June 23).

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/officials-caught-in-phuket-jungle-gambling-camp-raid-52896.php


-- Phuket News 2015-06-23

[steelepulse]

So did Pradit not get sentenced for being the driver and killing someone ( even though he lied and said the driver was Dam)? Looks like 900,000 cleared the case with no criminal charges being brought. Perjury and manslaughter should be coming this guys way, but we know it won't.

[robertthebruce]

How can people like Pradit live with themselves, this is quite a common happening, killing someone whether it's by Fun, Knife or a car accident..., they walk free and go about there everyday lives ?????

Terrible or what.....

[eisfeld]

The solution to all this corruption would be to make all the punishments of any crime commited by an official or police officer much more severe with a minimum sentence of 3 months jail (not just fines) plus a ban of ever working as a public servant.

This plus of course enforcement, but who am I kidding?

[glasswort]

Come from the jungle and lured back there!

[maidee]

thailand has a big airplane carrier that is sitting useless without any planes on top

why don't they drag it into international waters & attrack tourists & thai gamblers ?

maybe for a premium you can also shoot some ....

[Deli]

And tomorrow they all walk...

[NamKangMan]

thailand has a big airplane carrier that is sitting useless without any planes on top

why don't they drag it into international waters & attrack tourists & thai gamblers ?

maybe for a premium you can also shoot some ....

Why bother doing that when they can just go to Cambodia or Vietnam?

[NamKangMan]

Maybe Mr. Sommai and/or Mr. Pradit lost a lot of money and called in the raid to get it back.

[Guest]

If this means that these officials are being hunt down and burned, that's good news for Phuket.

The bandits no longer own the island.