Fugitives Suriya Lakpet and Wasurat Mulikabut, both 21, managed to free themselves from their handcuffs and kick open the door to the cage on the back of a Chalong Police pickup truck while being transported to Phuket Provincial Court to face drug charges on May 3.
The men had been arrested on drug-possession charges in Rawai the day before.
Suriya and Wasurat were said to have made their getaway via Soi Paisan on Chao Fa East Rd, close to Dowroong Wittaya School, while trying to look inconspicuous on a blue bicycle. (See story here.)
Maj Ritthichai Chumchuay of the Phuket Provincial Police explained that the arrests came yesterday (May 24) after Suriya literally fell through the ceiling of a home in Wichit that his officers were raiding for drugs after receiving a tip-off.
The officers were raiding a house in Moo Baan Tharn Thong 3 at 5:15pm, he explained.
At the house, officers found Panuwat Yaifai, 27, in possession of 16.9 grams of crystal meth (ya ice), 2.04g of marijuana and a home-made pen gun designed to fire .22-calibre bullets, Maj Ritthichai reported.
Little did officers know that the fugitive Suriya was in the same home, and that he managed to evade arrest by scrambling to hide in the ceiling.
However, unlucky for Suriya, the ceiling panel supporting him broke, sending him crashing down to land with a thump in the room below. Grateful for their heaven-sent suspect, officers placed him under arrest.
Adding to their luck, while they were still at Panuwat’s abode, young Panuphon Ariyajirakul, 16 years old, turned up at 5:30pm. A quick search of his person revealed that he was carrying seven pills of ya bah.
Panuwat and Panuphon were both taken to Wichit Police Station, where Panuphon was charged with possession of Category 1 drug, but Panuwat was charged with possession of Category 1 drug (ya ice); possession of Category 5 drug (marijuana) with intent to sell; and possession of firearm without a permit.
Suriya was taken to Phuket City Police Station and was charged with escaping custody as part of a group, Maj Ritthichai confirmed.
During questioning, Suriya told police that Wasurat – his partner in escaping the suspect transport van on May 3 – “might be” at Wasurat “lover’s” rented place at Honsaithong Community near the fishing port area of Rassada, on the east side of Phuket Town.
Police moved quickly and arrested Wasurat at his fishing village love nest at 7:30pm.
The pair told police that they freed themselves from their handcuffs with a key given to them by a foreigner being transported to the court in the same vehicle, reported Maj Ritthichai.
Of note, there were 12 suspects – all men – in the police pickup cage at the time, but no one else fled.
Despite the plethora of reports that combined explained the series of arrests, police have yet to confirm any progress in tracking down the alleged culprit who handed the re-arrested fugitives the key to their temporary short-lived freedom.