Police 'keeping an eye' on Bandido members
PHUKET: Police have reported that members of the Bandidos, a notorious international motorcycle gang branded in Canada and the US as an organised criminal gang, are currently in Phuket.
Paritta Wangkiat
Wednesday 30 May 2012, 04:45PM
The Superintendent of Kathu police station, Pol Col Sermpan Sirikong, reported in a meeting today (May 30) of the Phuket Security Committee that the gang haven’t yet caused any trouble.
Most of them have come in as tourists, or are behind businesses such as bars or night clubs in Patong, with Thais as their front men, Col Sermpan.
He said police have been keeping an eye on the gang since first being alerted to their presence a few months ago.
The Bandidos hit the Thai headlines six years ago when a Dane, two Britons and a Thai surveyor were arrested for allegedly being involvement in turning large tracts of government land into sites for property development.
The theory at the time was that the proceeds from the Bandidos’ criminal activities elsewhere were to be laundered by ploughing them into property on Samui.
They were charged with extortion, money laundering to the tune of B3 billion and six counts of illegal sale of public land. The surveyor was accused of supplied forged land documents.
Eventually all the cases were dropped for lack of hard evidence, but by that time the property development was dead.
Plainly, however, Phuket police believe there is no smoke without fire, and will be keeping a close watch on the bikers.
