Phuket police arrest fugitive accused of abducting and assaulting ex-girlfriend
Phuket police arrested a fugitive wanted in Ranong after a woman accused her former boyfriend of threatening her with weapons, stealing cash, detaining her and repeatedly assaulting her.
Officers from the Phuket Provincial Police Investigation Division arrested a fugitive accused of abducting, assaulting and threatening his former girlfriend after locating him in Phuket, police said.
The suspect, identified only as Natthapong, with his surname withheld, was arrested at about 2pm on July 6 by a team led by Pol Lt Col Sophonnat Nayaw, chief of the Phuket Provincial Police Investigation Division. Police said they acted after receiving information that he was hiding in Phuket.
The arrest followed a complaint filed at Mueang Ranong Police Station by a 34-year-old woman from Kanchanaburi. According to police, the woman said her former boyfriend threatened her with both a gun and a knife before stealing B5,000 in cash and forcing her to drive south while holding her against her will.
Police said the suspect repeatedly assaulted the woman during the journey. After they arrived in Ranong, he allegedly forced her to burn important personal documents, including identification papers, to prevent her from fleeing.
The woman later escaped after the suspect handed her the vehicle keys and left, police said. She then sought help from staff at a Shell petrol station in Bang Rin, Mueang Ranong District, who contacted police. She was taken to hospital for treatment while investigators gathered evidence and obtained an arrest warrant.
Investigators later learned that the suspect had fled Ranong by bus through Chumphon before travelling to Phuket to evade arrest. The Phuket Provincial Police Investigation Division worked with officers from Mueang Ranong Police Station and the Ranong Provincial Investigation Division to track him down.
Police said the suspect resisted arrest and repeatedly reached toward his waistband, raising concerns that he might be carrying a firearm. Officers said they had also been told by the victim that he was known to carry a gun. Police subdued him and took him into custody without further incident.
The suspect was informed of the charges against him and of his legal rights before being transferred to Mueang Ranong Police Station. Police said the charges include extortion, making death threats, assault and unlawful detention. The investigation is continuing.
