PHUKET POLICE ARREST GARAGE OWNER FOR FIRING GUNSHOTS WHILE ON YABA

PHUKET POLICE ARREST GARAGE OWNER FOR FIRING GUNSHOTS WHILE ON YABA

Police have arrested a garage owner in Phuket after he discharged a gun while under the influence of alcohol and methamphetamine (“yaba”).

The Phuket Express reports that the man, named only as 39 year old Mr O, was arrested at his garage in the sub-district of Wichit on Saturday morning, June 1.

Wichit Police had been alerted by a local resident at around 5.45am and, on arrival at the garage, found Mr O behaving in an “erratic” manner, going in and out of the garage repeatedly, while shouting. He then began firing gunshots both inside and outside the garage, with officers having to cordon off the area for public safety reasons.

Armed officers from the Special Operations Unit were then summoned and the garage owner was arrested as he sat in a car in front of the garage. During a subsequent search of the facility, the authorities found 4 guns. Mr O held a valid licence for 3 of the weapons, while a fourth was registered to someone else.

Mr O was taken to Wichit Police Station and tested positive for methamphetamine use. He is expected to be charged on multiple counts, including unauthorised possession of a gun, carrying a firearm in public without a valid reason, discharging a gun in public, and consumption of methamphetamine.