Police confirmed that two Russian female students, who have been involved in a months-long court case after the woman who rented them a room reported them for bleaching salvaged coral in Karon, Phuket, have finally been allowed to return home to Russia after being fined by the court.
Liliya Karmanova, 20, and Polina Likman, 21, left Thailand on March 23, according to Phuket Immigration Office Chief Col. Kathathorn Kumthieng.
However, none of various officials involved in the case were able to confirm the exact amount of fines paid by the Russians for the violation. Earlier it was reported that under Thai law they could face a fine of up to THB20,000 or up to a year in jail, or both.
Capt. Channarong Prakongkue, of Karon Police said, “They have already gone to court and the court has already handed them the penalty. I don’t know how much money they paid.”
“The last thing I know about the case is that they were in the hands of Phuket Immigration,” Capt. Channarong added.
On Feb. 12, Karmanova told the press in her hometown in Russia that she and her friend were released on THB150,000 bail.
Karmonva was arrested after a warrant was issued, and subsequently served by the Karon Police, explained Nares Choopueng from the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) Phuket office on Feb 2.
“The DMCR Phuket office received a tip-off from a neighbor, reporting that a Russian woman was using pink Vixol (toilet bleach) to bleach pieces of coral at a bungalow in Karon,” he had explained.
DMCR officers arrived at the bungalow to find that Karmonva was not at home. However, they did find pieces of corals still soaking in bleach, Mr Nares added.
“We brought the coral to the Karon Police as it is illegal to be in possession of any corals, and Capt. Channarong filed a request for the Phuket Provincial Court to issue a warrant for her arrest,” he had said.
Story: The Phuket News
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