Senior police officer, a chief of staff with the anti-crime suppression task force at Sadao Police Station in Songkhla, gunned down his cousin at point-blank range after falling into a hallucinatory state from drugs as relatives tell police the officer saw ghosts while talking with people.
A senior Thai police officer gunned down his cousin, this week, with a Glock pistol in Songkhla province while suffering an hallucinatory episode from drugs while a drug-dealing husband was shot dead in front of his wife after he fled a police sting operation in the northern province of Nakhon Phanom.
The ravaging effects of Thailand’s drug problem continue with murder after murder on an almost daily basis.
On Saturday, in Nakhon Phanom province in northeastern Thailand, Police Colonel Prasert Thammachai of Songkhram Police Station was called to the scene of a killing in the Si Songkhram district of the province where a 48-year-old man was found dead lying by the side of the road in his own blood.
Macabre scene off Highway 2390 in Nakhon Phanom after police shootout with a drug dealer in flight
The macabre scene was off Highway 2390 in the Hat Phaeng Subdistrict.
The victim was found clutching a handgun with which he had fired all the rounds in the firearm’s magazine. He had died after being shot by a police officer who had given chase to him.
The man was named as Supthawee Phia who lived in the Mueang district of Nakhon Phanom with his wife.
Drug dealer recently showed signs of wealth
He was a drug dealer who had recently come to police attention due to a sudden increase in his wealth and status which involved buying land, building a new home and owning multiple vehicles.
It is understood his wife was present at the shootout with arresting police officers as an occupant in the black Isuzu pickup truck that fled from police after an appointment was made with an undercover police officer to purchase drugs from Mr Supthawee.
She witnessed the killing.
Fired at police as they gave chase to his pickup
Reports suggest that the suspect fired at police as he fled from them along the highway.
After the suspected drug dealer’s death in the gunfight, police took his wife into custody and are pursuing an investigation into his death which will require an autopsy.
They are also questioning the wife about the death of her husband and pursuing their enquiries into the drug dealer’s activities.
Reports from the scene suggest the pickup truck contained a quantity of drugs which was retained as evidence in the case.
Police arrested a senior officer who murdered his cousin while suffering a hallucinatory experience after a relapse in his drug addiction problem
On Wednesday, police in Songkhla province in southern Thailand found themselves arresting one of their own when a senior police officer, named as Police Major Isara Ket Suriyong, was taken into custody by a team led by police officials including Police Lieutenant General Nitinai Lung Ya Yao the Deputy Commander of Provincial Police Region 9 and the chief of Klong Ngae Police Station, Colonel Klong Somchai Noppasri.
It followed a killing in the Sadao district of the province near the home of 38-year-old Police Major Isara.
It is understood the police officer used a 9mm Glock pistol to gun down his 39-year-old cousin named by police as Mr Thiyut Ketsuriyat.
The police officer is reported to have fired three rounds into the man at point-blank range.
He then ran from the scene taking his gun with him and took refuge in his home nearby.
66-year-old relative told investigators that he saw ghosts appearing when speaking with people
A 66-year-old neighbour and relative of Police Major Isara, Ms Wanpen Ket Suriyong, told investigating police that the 38-year-old had previously been treated for drug addiction problems at Songkhla Nakarin Hospital after he experienced repeated hallucinatory episodes.
She explained to investigators her relative told her that the incidents involved being haunted by ghosts. She disclosed that the police officer said that he had seen ghosts appear when he was sometimes talking with other people.
The man had reportedly spent hundreds of thousands of baht on the treatment and appeared to have recovered. This allowed him to return to work as a serving officer.
Thailand is currently awash with the drug crystal methamphetamine which is increasingly being found to generate severe mental disorders in people who constantly abuse the substance.
Arrested police officer had served in various positions with the Royal Thai Police throughout the country
Police Major Isara had since served in various positions within the Royal Thai Police throughout the country and was currently chief of staff of the anti suppression division at Sadao Police Station.
Further details of the case were given by Police Lieutenant General Nitinai who confirmed the officer had been arrested but explained his condition did not allow police to properly interrogate him.
He emphasised that the officer would be facing appropriate legal procedures including prosecution for the offence while at the same time, a disciplinary enquiry was underway.
Tested positive for narcotics in his bloodstream
He also confirmed that police had recovered the Glock handgun and two magazines of ammunition with 24 rounds in total from the scene.
The officer had been apprehended in a bedroom of a nearby house.
He said preliminary testing showed the presence of narcotics in Police Major Isara’s blood system and he appeared to be in a stupor.
He was also aware that the serving policeman was the subject of several manic episodes with drugs previously and appeared to have experienced powerful hallucinations.
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