A leading drug dealer was killed yesterday in a gun battle with police after a 20-hour stand-off in Pathum Thani.
The man was identified by Lam Luk Ka district police as Bares Minsi, 48, a close aide of notorious drug fugitive Surachai Ngernthongfu, alias “Bang Ron”. The gun battle started on Friday afternoon when a police team arrived to search a house in tambon Bueng Kho Hai, which they suspected was being used by a drug dealer.

Three of the eight officers involved in the raid were wounded when Bares opened fire from inside the house as they were about to enter the premises.

Police then called in reinforcements while the three injured officers were rushed to hospital.

Bares, meanwhile, refused to surrender and instead continued to fire his AK-47 assault rifle intermittently to keep police, who had cordoned off his house, at bay.

When Bares stopped shooting after nearly six hours, police waited for 90 minutes before firing tear gas into the house. But the drug dealer then threw an M26 hand grenade at them, injuring one policeman.

Another round of gunfire broke out and lasted about 30 minutes before police decided to stop returning fire for the night.

At about 7am yesterday, police sprayed the house with bullets before forcing their way in. The bullet-ridden body of Bares was found lying face down on the floor along with his AK-47 rifle and three pistols.

Before the raid on the house, Lam Luk Ka police arrested a suspected drug dealer who confessed to buying drugs from a person in the house where Bares was killed.

Bares was wanted by police on charges of drug dealing, attempting to murder a police officer and jumping bail.