Man Caught Fleeing Police with Gun After Drug Use
A man high on methamphetamine was arrested in Nong Khai after fleeing police and discarding a loaded revolver he was attempting to sell for 25,000 baht.
On September 18, Sergeant Kesem Somsit of Nong Khai City Police was refueling his motorcycle near Saint Paul School on the Nong Khai-Phon Phisai Road when a man riding a green Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle spotted him and appeared visibly startled. When police requested a search, the man swerved toward the officer's bike and fled into nearby woodland, tossing an object as he went.
Police pursued and arrested him, recovering a Smith & Wesson .38 caliber revolver and 24 rounds of ammunition in a plastic bag. The suspect was identified as Chaivatthana from Sawang Daen Din District, Sakon Nakhon Province. A urine test confirmed methamphetamine use.
Chaivatthana confessed that he and his pregnant wife rented a house near the school. He had used methamphetamine before riding out to sell the gun for 25,000 baht. Spotting police while leaving, he panicked, fled, and discarded the weapon before being caught. He faces charges of possessing an unlicensed firearm, carrying a firearm in public without authorization, and illegal methamphetamine use. He has been handed to Nong Khai City Police for further legal proceedings.
