Past comes back to haunt
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| The pink house where Pond sold bananas |
Tha Sala police were looking for a pair of “strong looking men” who arrived on a motorcycle and could be seen talking to the victim, Ittiphat, also known as “Pond Moklan,” aged 27, in front of his home, before opening fire.
Pond was released from jail several months ago after serving four years on drug-related charges, though his father, who was 40m away when his son was shot, said he was also well-known in the area for theft.
The victim, shot five times in the head and torso, was found clutching a gold necklace tightly, which police suspect he grabbed from his killers when they attacked. Several bunches of bananas belonging to the victim were found for sale on a table and a railing in front of the house.
CCTV images from a shop near the crime scene captured two men wearing black jackets riding past in mid-afternoon on July 8. Two minutes later, five gunshots were heard.
After the shooting, another camera about 300 metres away showed the gunmen removing their black jackets and putting on white t-shirts before fleeing towards Tha Sala district.
Police suspect the killing might be related to a debt in the underground business.
Amornsak, his father, said Pond was living alone, his parents having separated to work on a durian farm in another village. Pond had a history of offending and had several rivals in the area, he said. After his release, Pond had started selling bananas in front of the house to earn a living.
Tha Sala police chief Pol Col Thawatchai Sangkhamitkul said Pond was a prominent gangster in the area.
The men talked to the victim for some time but evidently could not reach an agreement.
While Pond was distracted, one of the assailants pulled out a handgun and fired at him. The victim collapsed and died on the spot. Police were looking for the gunmen.
Steady as she goes
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| Chotiwat points to a huge drug shipment in his car. |
A pickup truck carrying a heavy load tipped off police to an illegal drug consignment passing through Khon Kaen, though they were to find the actual pills in another vehicle.
Highway police, working with the Crime Suppression Division, nabbed a man and his wife from Suphan Buri province for trafficking over 4 million methamphetamine pills.
Police caught Chotiwat (no surname provided), 30, in a grey Chevrolet sedan at a PTT gas station on Highway 2062 in Phra Yuen district. The vehicle was carrying 4,048,000 methamphetamine pills.
The suspect claimed he was originally hired to transport illegal immigrants but was coerced into delivering a consignment of drugs instead.
Police, tipped off about a large-scale drug trafficking operation passing through the province, earlier pulled over his wife, Ploy (no surname provided), after spotting a red four-door pickup truck from Uthai Thani which appeared to be carrying a heavy load.
Ploy was behaving suspiciously when questioned, police said. She claimed she had been to see her boyfriend in Sakon Nakhon and was returning to Suphan Buri.
Although no illegal items were found in her vehicle, her demeanour and constant texting led police to believe another vehicle carrying illegal goods was following. Police told her to carry on with her journey while they looked for the other vehicle.
Officers then drove back to check a PTT gas station about 1km away. There, they found the Chevrolet parked suspiciously. After inspecting the area and finding no driver, they shone a flashlight into the car and discovered several black rectangular packages inside.
Police spotted Chotiwat leaving the restroom of the gas station. When he saw the police, he tried to flee but was caught. Searching the vehicle, police found the drugs.
Chotiwat said he was initially hired to transport illegal immigrants from Bueng Kan province to the Central region for 8,000 baht per person. However, upon arriving at the designated meeting point at a PTT gas station in Bueng Kan, two unknown men took over the vehicle and instructed him to wait at the gas station for about two hours.
It was unclear from news reports what happened to the migrants he was supposedly transporting, as they were not found with him or his wife.
The men returned with the methamphetamines and forced Chotiwat and Ploy to load them into his vehicle, threatening his life if he tried to escape. The pair told him the final destination would be provided via GPS later. Ploy acted as a scout driver using the red Isuzu truck, monitoring the route and updating him on progress, especially when encountering police checkpoints, he said.
Chotiwat was charged initially with conspiring to distribute a Type 1 narcotic. He and his wife were taken to the CSD for legal proceedings, and efforts to apprehend their accomplices ongoing.
Rocky patch ends in fatal shooting
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| Wirapong ‘Bee’ Na Nakorn |
A man in Surat Thani shot dead his girlfriend of three months after she insisted on breaking up with him.
Kanchanadit police nabbed Wirapong “Bee” Na Nakorn, 36, suspected of shooting his girlfriend Supachanee Saelim, 26, at a relative’s house.
A witness said the pair met to clear the air after a rocky patch. A video was made before the shooting in which Mr Bee lets off steam about his relationship problems.
He tells the witness in the video that he felt he was always in the wrong, and every topic they discussed led to arguments, including plans to buy a house. The victim wanted to buy in a specific area, but he did not want to rush it, suggesting they wait until next year.
Over the past 2-3 months, he had also returned to work, which made Supachanee unhappy, leading to her giving him a cold shoulder.
The witness tried to mediate by suggesting they each take a step back in their relationship. Supachanee insisted on breaking up, saying “no, no, no,” which upset Mr Bee.
At that moment, the witness was in a car in front of the house when she saw Mr Bee jump over the wall. Asked where he was going, he replied he was going to get his shoes.
Shortly after, he came back with a firearm and shot Supachanee, before fleeing the scene in a Toyota Revo pickup. Police later tracked down and arrested Mr Bee in Wiang Sa district. He was facing legal action for murder.
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