News Life Sport Phuket Hits High Note for Number Of
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
THEPHUKETNEWS.COM FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2019 thephuketnews thephuketnews1 thephuketnews.com Friday, December 27, 2019 – Thursday, January 2, 2020 Since 2011 / Volume IX / No. 52 20 Baht TOUR BOAT COLLISION KILLS CAPTAIN, YOUNG CREWMAN > PAGE 3 NEWS PAGE 2 Rewards offered as families search HIGH for kayak couple HOPES LIFE PAGE 11 You are what you eat. Is it too much meat? A police officer searches the boot of a car for drugs and other contraband at the Phuket Check Point in Tha Chatchai, the main checkpoint onto the island. Photo: Tanyaluk Sakoot PHUKET HITS HIGH NOTE FOR NUMBER OF DRUG CASES AND ARRESTS IN THE COUNTRY Tanyaluk Sakoot processed 7,438 cases. nation-leading number of drug cases Police Station processed 1,552 drug- [email protected] However, Phuket Provincial Court as good news, saying “It shows that related cases. outshone all other provincial courts officials and police are doing their During the same 12 months, SPORT PAGE 32 huket Provincial Court, from in the country for prosecutions of work very well.” Chalong Police Station processed January through October this possession of illegal drugs and pos- Vice Governor Supoj, who chairs 1,058 cases, Thalang Police Station UWC students Pyear, prosecuted more cases for session of illegal drugs with intent the provincial anti-narcotics com- processed 977, Patong Police Station drug-related offenses than any other to sell, taking the number one posi- mittee, added “This year we have processed 969, while Thachatchai provincial court in the country, other tion with 3,076 cases and 702 cases specifically focused on preventing Police Station processed 676. among the than Thung Song Provincial Court respectively. drugs from being brought into the The same statistics reported medal winners in Nakhon Sri Thammarat. Phuket, even as one of the smallest province by fishing boats, as this now increases in the volume of every The island’s status as the nation’s provinces in Thailand, still ranked seems to be the preferred method of category of drug seized, with 18.45kg “runner-up” for drug prosecutions third in the country for total number smuggling drugs into Phuket.” of crystal methamphetamine (yah ice) came by a report from the Courts of drugs-related prosecutions after To that end, a report from the seized from Oct 2017 to Sept 2018 of Justice made public earlier this including cases heard by the provin- Phuket Provincial Police, which rising to 19.29kg in the 12 months week, confirming that during the cial minor court, called the Kwaeng accumulate their statistics from that followed. eight months Phuket Provincial Court Court, with 5,120 prosecutions heard. October through September each Similarly, the number of meth- processed 6,697 cases, second to Phuket Vice Governor Supoj year (in line with the Thai fiscal amphetamine pills (ya bah) seized Thung Song Provincial Court, which Rotreuang Na Nongkhai took the year), confirmed that Phuket City in Phuket rose from 303,161 pills in... CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 @thephuketnews 2 PHUKET NEWS THEPHUKETNEWS.COM FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2019 [email protected] Hopes to open Patong tunnel by 2026: EXAT News Chief > p4 Wanted: Kayak couple leads Families launch own efforts after formal search ‘scaled down’ The Phuket News English speakers with any Consular Section Chief of the intensity of the search has [email protected] information that may help Polish Embassy in Thailand, been reduced… All those locate the couple are urged to Jakub Budohoski, travelled to involved in the search have he families of missing contact Polish private detec- Phuket and held a meeting on now returned to their regular Polish tourist Mateusz tive Krzysztof Rutkowski, Dec 17 at the search centre duties and will of course keep TJuszkiewicz, 26, and who arrived in Phuket last at Yanui Beach, where the looking while performing Thai national Werakan Siripra- Saturday (Dec 21) to begin couple disappeared on their their regular work.” kon, 23, from Nakhon Sawan, his investigation. rented kayak. Maj Ekkachai explained who were last seen on a rented He may be contacted by Mr Budohoski stated that, that the intensive search ef- kayak off Yanui Beach on Dec calling +48 512 058 370 or +48 on behalf of the Consulate and forts were scaled down on 7, are offering rewards for 512 206 030, or through his Embassy, he was extremely Dec 12 after the Royal Thai information that contributes website “Patriot24” or through grateful for all the efforts so Navy, Phuket Marine Police to or directly leads to finding his Facebook page. far. He requested the search and others scoured the search the missing pair. English speakers may be maintained until the couple area, which on paper was A reward of 5,000 eu- also call Khun Chu at 085- are found and that new areas expanded to cover 600 square ros (about B167,000) is be- 6542969. are continually explored. nautical miles – nearly 2,059 ing offered for finding the Thai speakers with any Maj Ekachai on Monday square kilometres. couple safe and sound, Mr information that may help confirmed that search efforts “We already worked to Juszkiewicz’s sister Monika locate the couple are urged were greatly scaled down after our full capacity in the search, Tyszkiewicz, confirmed to to call Khun Chu at 085- five days of intensive searches but we could not find them The Phuket News on Tuesday 6542969 or Khun Bird at by air and sea. or any clue as to what might (Dec 24). 064-3429847. “The full search efforts by have happened,” he said. Minor rewards of B5,000 Detective Rutkowski has helicopters and extra boats “Even in the last efforts are also being offered for been hired by the Juszkiewicz were scaled down on Dec before before Dec 12, Royal those who report substantial, family to conduct a profes- 12,” he said. Thai Navy officials added confirmed clues and sightings sional investigation into the During the five days, from extra patrols of small islands. of boats, life jackets, bags or search. Dec 8-12, a Royal Thai Navy After that (Dec 12), both other items that lead to track- “He wants to look for helicopter and a Tourist Police families began their own ing down the missing couple, them with the help of Ameri- helicopter together launched plans to search for the missing Anongkan Srisupat, a friend can satellites,” Ms Tyszkie- 18 search missions, while the couple,” Maj Ekkachai said. of Ms Werakan’s family, also wicz explained. Rewards are being offered for any information that helps search boats conducted 34 “Intensive search efforts revealed on Monday (Dec 23). “We are at Christmas find the missing couple. Image: Monika Tyszkiewicz search missions and ground will resume if either family A reward of B20,000 is of- time. This is a time of great teams conducted a total of 50 finds something or any evi- fered for reports of confirmed miracles,” she told The Phuket SCALED DOWN that the search has not been search missions along coastal dence such as a life jacket, sightings that lead to finding News on Christmas Eve. The move by the families of called off. areas, Maj Ekkachai said. the kayak or something else the couple or for important “At our table there will the missing couple to begin Maj Ekachai Siri of the Regardless, Maj Ekkachai from the missing couple is information that will contrib- be a place for Mateusz. We their own efforts to locate Phuket Tourist Police told refused to confirm that the found as it would lead to ute to finding them. believe that this miracle will the pair follow the official The Phuket News on Monday search for the missing couple finding them. We will sup- A reward of B50,000 is happen and our brother, son search being scaled to down that the specific search efforts had now been called off. port them the families) to offered for sightings that find and friend will come back to to no extra specific search ef- for the pair ended last Friday Instead, he offered, “The find the missing couple,” both of them safe. us safe and sound,” she said. forts, while officials maintain (Dec 20) – just two days after search has not stopped. The Capt Ekkachai said. Phuket faces front wave in drugs deluge Continued from page 1 be contributing to the drug problem. arrested for drugs are caught selling ...2018 to 556,383 pills in 2019. “Most suspects arrested come the drugs with their boyfriends,” Kratom busts also saw a huge from other provinces, and Phuket he added. increase in contraband seized, 2.9 is a busy tourism area full of tour- V/Gov Supoj told The Phuket tonnes of the plant (25,390 leaves) ists and non-native people. This has News that he wants to seriously start seized on the island in 2018 rising to contributed to Phuket’s high rank in targetting social issues in the com- 3.73 tonnes (34,058 leaves) in 2019. the number of cases,” he said. munity to help prevent people from Meanwhile, marijuana raids saw “Also, the economy is not good, wanting to take drugs, or sell them. A woman is photographed 7.31kg of the plant seized in 2019, and people are ready to take risks. “We want to focus on the com- by police along with the along with 12.76kg of ready-to-smoke They are willing to be minor sell- munity as a priority. Phuket as a kratom she was caught dried marijuana. ers, not major sellers like other community needs to be stronger. with earlier this year.