Banglamung District officials denied claims by two East Pattaya motorbike repairmen that they were beaten and robbed during a fabricated drug bust, claiming at least one of them confessed to dealing crystal methamphetamines.
Anuchit Yungkamman, 23, and Wanlob Dangdee, 29, filed a complaint with Nongprue police June 23 that a district assistant chief and four drug-suppression officers burst into their business on Soi Siam Country Club a week earlier, falsely accused them of drug possession, beat them and stole a necklace with three Buddhist amulets.
Anuchit said that during the 2 a.m. raid, the men beat them up after the repairmen failed to produce 50 grams of ya ice. When no drugs were found, the four were drug tested and all passed, Anuchit added. Frustrated, the Banglamung officials beat them up again and stole the chain from around Anuchit’s neck, he claimed.
He said they filed their police report after being treated at a local hospital for their injuries and consulting relatives.
Appearing before the media to defend the charges, Banglamung District Chief Chakorn Kanchawattana flatly denied all the charges, explaining that the after-midnight raid came after a Pattaya speedboat driver was busted for using methamphetamines regularly with his lover June 17.
Yongyuth Sabsin, 29, was taken into custody at a rented room in the Rong Po Community. Officers seized 1.75 grams of crystal meth. Under interrogation, Yougyuth said he bought the drugs from the motorbike repair shop.
He said Assistant District Chief Porasit Jitramwong and drug-suppression officers did drug test the four men and, contrary to Anuchit’s claim, two of them failed their drug tests and were arrested.
Wanlob and Anuchit also were taken into custody, but were released for lack of evidence when no drugs were found. However, Chakorn said, Anuchit wrote out a confession that he sold drugs to Yongyuth three times.
Chakorn and Porasit both denied assaulting any of the suspects or coercing any confession, with the district chief saying authorities were considering filing a defamation lawsuit against the men for accusing them.
They did not address the victims’ assertions they received hospital treatment for their injuries.
