NAN: A handcuffed 19-year-old drug suspect fled in a police truck on his way to court after tricking a police sergeant into getting him asthma medication. He was caught shortly after.
The arrest allegedly brought a relief to the other two suspects of different cases in the speeding vehicle.
The incident happened in Phu Phiang district at around 12.30pm on Friday while police were taking three drug suspects to the Nan provincial court, said Pol Snr Sgt Maj Thawat Lonan, head of a crime suppression and prevention unit at Santisuk police station, who drove the vehicle.
On the way, Chaithat Kham-ek, 19, one of the suspects, knocked on the glass window from the back of the truck. He told the policeman he was having an asthma attack and asked to sit in the front seat with him.
Pol Snr Sgt Maj Thawat said he agreed to let the teen suspect sit beside him, thinking it was safe as the man did have asthma medical records and was also handcuffed.
When arriving at Bupparam village in tambon Fai Kaew of Phu Phiang district, Mr Chaithat pretended to develop asthma symptoms and said he needed medication in the back seat. The officer stopped the small truck and got out to get the pills for him, but the suspect quickly moved over to the driver’s seat and sped off with the two other suspects inside.
This prompted the sergeant to radio police units along the escape route to intercept the vehicle. The fleeing suspect was subsequently caught in Ban Haed village in tambon Fai Kaew after driving about 10 km.
The two other suspects told police that they were terrified, thinking the speeding vehicle would overturn. On the way, the duo said they prayed police would arrest the teen suspect soon as they feared the truck would crash or someone might be shot dead.
They insisted they knew nothing about the plot and breathed a sigh of relief when the vehicle was finally stopped.
Mr Chaithat was taken to Phu Phiang police station to face additional charges for fleeing while in custody.
