PHUKET police believe they have cracked a Thai-Burmese gang of thieves who were stealing motorcycles, dismanting them, then shipping the parts across the border for sale.
The hunt is now on for the gang's leader, a Thai man known only by his nickname, ''Tong.''
Acting on a tip-off, officers raided a camp occupied by Burmese workers ar Vichit Moo 4, south of Phuket City, at 2am today. Officers caught one Burmese at work, dismantling a motorcycle.
The parts of a total of four motorcycles were evident - and police believe many more may have already shipped across the border at Mae Sot to Myawaddy in Burma.
Today the arrest was considered so important that it brought Phuket's new Governor, Tree Ackaradecha, and Phuket Police Commander Pekad Tantipong to Phuket City Police Station where Colonel Wanchai Eakporntip presented Tor, 22, to the media. Like many Burmese, Tor uses only one name.
The Thai leader of the gang, Tong, would identify motorcycles and then the Burmese gang-members, with Tor among them, would steal the specified target bikes. Khun Tong would also give the Burmese the knowledge about how to start the motorcycles, police said.
Three other men, all Thais, were presented at the same time in Phuket City today after police arrested them with yah bah, yah ice, marijuana, plus laptops and two handguns. The men were arrested on Monday.
Police say the computers and the guns were stolen from homes in Top Land, a property development in the Rassada area of Phuket City.
The hunt is now on for the gang's leader, a Thai man known only by his nickname, ''Tong.''
Acting on a tip-off, officers raided a camp occupied by Burmese workers ar Vichit Moo 4, south of Phuket City, at 2am today. Officers caught one Burmese at work, dismantling a motorcycle.
The parts of a total of four motorcycles were evident - and police believe many more may have already shipped across the border at Mae Sot to Myawaddy in Burma.
Today the arrest was considered so important that it brought Phuket's new Governor, Tree Ackaradecha, and Phuket Police Commander Pekad Tantipong to Phuket City Police Station where Colonel Wanchai Eakporntip presented Tor, 22, to the media. Like many Burmese, Tor uses only one name.
The Thai leader of the gang, Tong, would identify motorcycles and then the Burmese gang-members, with Tor among them, would steal the specified target bikes. Khun Tong would also give the Burmese the knowledge about how to start the motorcycles, police said.
Three other men, all Thais, were presented at the same time in Phuket City today after police arrested them with yah bah, yah ice, marijuana, plus laptops and two handguns. The men were arrested on Monday.
Police say the computers and the guns were stolen from homes in Top Land, a property development in the Rassada area of Phuket City.
