KALASIN: A manhunt is under way for a drug suspect who shot and killed one police officer and wounded another when they raided on a raft on Lam Pao river in Tha Khantho district on Thursday evening.
One policeman was wounded in the arm. The other fell into the river and his dead body was recovered on Friday morning.
Local Tha Khantho police were alerted to the shooting at Ban Dong Somboon in tambon Dong Somboon around 6.30pm.
Arriving at the scene they found residents tending to a 30-year-old man who was shot at his left arm. He was identified as Pol Sen Sgt Maj Pramote Thipmongkol, an anti-drugs officer of Police Region 4’s Investigation Subdivision 2.
It turned out that Pol Sen Sgt Maj Pramote and Pol Cpl Saran Muthakorn, of the same unit, had gone there to arrest Suriyan Lekpet, a drug suspect believed to be hiding on a raft with his wife, Panthong Lekpet, on Lam Pao River.
Mr Suriyon was earlier granted bail by a court on a drug charge but he had subsequenty fled.
Kalasin police commander Montri Charanphong said the two officers were met by Ms Panthong when they arrived at the raft. When they began asking where her husband was Mr Suriyan emerged from inside and shot both of them. Pol Sen Sgt Maj Pramote was hit in the arm and Pol Cpl Saran fell in the river.
The suspect’s wife was taken into custody for questioning, Pol Maj Gen Montri said.
“I have given an order to mobilise a force to hunt down the suspect,” the provincial police commander said.
Officers resumed the search for Pol Cpl Saran's body on Friday morning and successfully retreived it.
A rescue worker told Jor Sor 100 radio station the water is 5-6 metres deep at the place the police corporal fell in, with a lot of weeds underwater.