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Security camera footage from the hotel where the shooting took place

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Phuket Shooters Linked to Bandidos Gang, Say Patong Police

By Sert Tongdee

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

PHUKET: Two Australian men are being questioned by Phuket police over the shooting of two German men in Patong last night.

The Australians have been named as John Edward Cohen, 33, and Adam Lewis Shea, 26.

Police are keen to establish whether the pair have links to the notorious Bandidos gang, reported to have been expanding from Australia to Phuket.

Some gang paraphernalia has been found, police said today.

However, a caller to Phuketwan said the motorcycle club involved was the Rebels MC.

Initial reports say that Cohen, the man who allegedly fired the shots that wounded Johann Baschenegger, 41, and Joseph Woerner, 71, actually intended to shoot a Danish man in a dispute about a motorcycle.

According to police, Cohen fired the Ruger P345 near the Baan Pirin Hotel about 7.45pm in Soi Sansabai. He then handed the weapon to Shea, the police say, and the men ran in different directions.

Cohen was arrested in the OTOP bar sector off Rat-U-Tit 200 Pi Road. Shea is alleged to have hid the handgun in a plastic bag before being arrested at the Aussie Bar in Soi Bangla.

The men were being interviewed by officers at Kathu Police Station, which oversees the Patong region, today.

The unintended victims are in Patong Hospital. Mr Woerner had just arrived on Phuket while Mr Baschenegger had been holidaying for about a month, police said.

Cohen is a long-term expat who owns a hotel in Patong, police said.

Comments

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Phuket is getting more & more like Pattaya was 10 years ago. Gangs & guns. Not a good combination & not good publicity.

Posted by Logic on January 23, 2013 12:54

The shooters in this article has NOTHING to do with Bandidos MC.

Posted by Mr Smith on January 23, 2013 18:26

Not a nice way to start a holiday getting shot on the first day. Now we have the Russian mafia and the bikies just for good measure. Lets hope the police and immigration can nail this before things get worse.

Posted by chaseable on January 23, 2013 18:49

Aussie tat brigade strike again!
Phuket is fast becoming the place not to go to. It is destined to become, or may already be gangsters paradise. Local corruption adds to this. Great pity.

Posted by Maz on January 24, 2013 07:27

These people disgust me. How can they be allowed to do business in our community. It is time the community had a clean up.

Posted by DD on January 24, 2013 08:04

Just another Australian that thinks he owns Thailand and thinks thai people are small happy people .hope they have a long stay in jail.
seen it many times before no idea whats going on around them probably cant even understand thai.

Posted by phil on January 24, 2013 15:04

IT GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH BANDIDOS MC!

Posted by Anonymous on January 24, 2013 15:57

@Mr Smith & Anonymous
With the Rebels MC ?

Posted by FS on January 24, 2013 18:31

If they had learnt how to shoot there would have been no colateral damage...... I suggest free shooting lessons for all gun holders That way less ppl will get hurt...

Posted by oz on January 24, 2013 19:35

The shooters are patched members of REBELS MC - this is a fact...!

Posted by HD man on January 24, 2013 19:45

Both men are 100% REBELS & have had a chapter in Patong for 2-3 years!

Posted by Anonymous on January 25, 2013 01:48

Phuket is becoming like the wild west.

Posted by Shabba ranks on January 25, 2013 04:51

In phuket 3 weeks and was discusted how rude german people are not only to the locals but to everyone and other countries now i know why most Thai people like Australians. No simpathy and if people paid there bills this type thing would not happen. Isnt it amazing how you condem these men but what about the good tbings they have done .

Posted by tourist on January 26, 2013 16:03

Editor Comment:

No ''good'' person arms himself with a gun and fires it in a street crowded with tourists, tourist. There are polite Germans, just as there are ugly Australians. Better a rude German than an Aussie with a gun.

@tourist, you idiot. No extra-judicial killings or attempts on Phuket by bikies for not paying the rent. Even if your friend or employer, who was nice to you.

And to the Germans: They got shot for being in the way of bullets in a very public place, not for being rude or having anything to do with the grudge this bikie had with the Dutch guy. You idiot.

I am getting really bored by you stupid commenters who write stuff like: "In phuket 3 weeks and was discusted how rude ((fill in the nationality of choice, most likely not-english speakers)) are not only to the locals but to everyone and other countries".

For a bikies these two Aussies are a shame. Bad for business and cannot even shoot straight.

Posted by Lena on January 26, 2013 23:19