UPDATING All Day, Every Day
PATONG police have denied reports that two jet-skis were seized during Monday's checks on Patong beach. ''There is no room at Kathu Police Station to store jet-skis,'' a spokesperson said.
Original Report
PHUKET: More jet-ski operators at Patong beach were tested for drugs and ordered to produce their Ships Licences today.
One by one, the jet-ski operators went behind a makeshift cloth screen to produce a urine sample, then had their photos taken with their names written on a whiteboard.
The crackdown is part of a Marine Police operation to check all jet-ski operators and parasail boat drivers and day-trip speedboat ''captains'' on Phuket.
Today, one of the 15 operators tested produced a positive result for drugs. Two of the 15 had expired Ship Licences.
The man who failed the drug test will be required to face police questioning and to await the results of a more precise drugs test.
The two men with expired Ships' Licences face fines of 1000 baht to 10,000 baht.
Phuket Marine Police Chief Inspector, Lieutenant Colonel Chatchai Sakdee, led today's operation by a combined team of 16 officers from the Marine Police and Phuket's Marine Office 5.
More raids on more Phuket beaches are likely.
Marine Police say their aim will be to check all the operators of Phuket's 286 jet-skis - 167 at Patong, 38 at Kata-Karon, 37 at Bang Tao, 21 at Kamala, and 12 at Naka Island.
Great Job - did he forget that they are operating an illegal business ?
Posted by Ciaran on September 9, 2013 19:36