Pattaya Police raided the condominium of a former Dutch soldier, arresting him on charges of illegal drug possession. During the raid, authorities also discovered equipment allegedly used for producing date-rape drugs.
The operation, led by Pol. Col. Nawin Thirawit, Superintendent of Pattaya Police Station, took place at 5:36 PM. Police searched the suspect’s room on the 8th floor of a condominium in Central Pattaya and seized several items, including crystal methamphetamine, drug production equipment, unidentified precursor chemicals, plastic zip bags, 120 euros in foreign currency, and 56,500 baht in Thai currency.
The raid was prompted by an earlier investigation in which patrol officers noticed a suspicious foreigner, later identified as 63-year-old Dutch national Simon Leonardus Petrus Sjerps. Upon searching him, officers found crystal methamphetamine hidden in clear plastic zip bags on his person, leading to the subsequent search of his condominium. To their surprise, officers discovered a small-scale drug production setup, along with tools they believed were intended for manufacturing date-rape drugs.
The items confiscated from the room included a 5-kilogram camping gas stove, stainless steel bowls, glass stirring rods, four plastic gallons presumably containing precursor chemicals, sodium hydroxide, clear plastic zip bags, drug paraphernalia, a plastic sealing machine, Viagra, a digital scale, and open jelly candy wrappers, which appeared to be used for concealing drugs or as part of the drug production process.
Mr. Sjerps, whom the police identified as a former soldier, reportedly admitted to using crystal methamphetamine. He also confessed to using the equipment and chemicals to produce a date-rape drug, stating that he had mixed the chemicals but had not yet tested the final product.
Mr. Sjerps is currently in police custody and faces charges of possessing and using crystal methamphetamine. Pol. Col. Nawin noted that additional charges could be brought against him pending further investigation into the production of date-rape drugs or other illegal activities.
credit TPN
