Police investigating a shooting at Boat Avenue in north Phuket last week believe it may be related to the victim’s business interests. On Wednesday, June 7, a 44 year old Russian businessman was shot as he sat in his car, which was parked outside the Anise Tapas Bar in Boat Avenue, Cherng Talay.
The victim was shot 4 times through the windscreen, with the alleged perpetrator fleeing on a motorbike. Immigration police arrested a suspect at Phuket Airport the following day, as he was attempting to leave the country. Initially, the man, a Kazakh national of Korean descent, was charged with overstaying his visa.
According to The Phuket News, police have not confirmed if he is to be charged in relation to the shooting of the Russian. It’s understood that police discovered the Kazakh man had rented the Yamaha scooter used in the shooting, which is what led to his arrest. The suspect denies any involvement in the attack.
The Phuket News reports that the silence from the police in relation to whether or not the man will be charged with the shooting has led to much speculation on social media. Some netizens are questioning whether there’s any similarity between the man in police custody and the CCTV footage of the shooter at the scene of the crime.
Investigating officers have recovered a number of items the shooter threw into a nearby lagoon, including the clothes he was wearing and the gun used in the attack, a .38 calibre revolver. Police also found two unused ammunition rounds and have also seized the Yamaha scooter.
According to the report, the police have not yet confirmed if they will carry out DNA testing or some other verification in order to determine if the man they have in custody is the shooter.
SOURCE: The Phuket News
