The Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB) has announced 10 drug busts nationwide at a press briefing this morning, December 15, with 23 suspects arrested and multiple types of drugs seized.
A total of 12,888,000 methamphetamine pills, 20 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, 605 kilograms of cannabis, 10 kilograms of ketamine, and 4 kilograms of raw opium were confiscated, said Police General Manu Mekmok, deputy police chief of the Royal Thai Police.
Among 10 cases, there are five major busts mentioned in the briefing. The first case involved five members of a smuggling gang in Ayutthaya. Wanchai Thongmee, 53, and his relatives were captured at a gas station in Wang Noi district following a police investigation of a huge amount of illegal drugs to be smuggled and distributed from the Northeastern area to clients in central provinces.
7,200,000 meth pills were reportedly contained in a six-wheeler and 2 pick-up trucks. The family was initially charged for possessing narcotics drugs Category 1 for selling illegally.
In the second case, four male suspects – Adisorn Sophonphakdee, 30, Attaphon Matsaphitak, 30, Luklek Songsri, 27, and Chairat Namroot, 31 – were arrested for similar charges after an official lead of a drug dealer in the North who would deliver drugs to customers in the southern region by using a 10-wheeler truck. The capture took place at a gas station in Phetchaburi province where driver Adisorn was discovered with sacks of 5,000,000 meth pills packed at the back.
In the third case, officials had examined several international parcel delivery companies and had seized 8 kilograms of crystal meth packed inside an air purifier from an international parcel delivery in Bang Phli District, Samut Prakan. The parcel was addressed to a receiver in New Zealand and the sender, whose name was not disclosed, was reportedly arrested afterward.
10 kilograms of ketamine were also found packing in a form of teabags at a parcel delivery company in Ayutthaya, ready to be delivered to Cambodia. Another 2 kilograms of heroin and 500 grams of crystal meth addressed to a client in Australia were also discovered at a private international parcel company in Bangkok. All of them were seized in order to track down persons who involved in illegal activities.
In the fourth case, Wattana Aiso, 22, was captured with 400,000 methamphetamine pills, 4 kilograms of opium, and two pickup trucks in the Mae Lao district of Chiang Rai province. Wattana was reportedly hired to secretly smuggle drugs from the border into the inner areas of Thailand together with three other trucks. He tried to escape the arrest and crashed into a house fence of a nearby residence before attempting to flee the scene. The police, however, managed to capture the man and charged him with possessing illegal drugs.
The last case took place in Udon Thani province where Wanchai Kwunwong, 33, and another 7 suspects were captured, along with 605 kilograms of cannabis and 4 private cars. They were reportedly on the way to distribute the drugs to their agents in the central region. Initially, they were charged with joint possession of marijuana for distribution without permission before being taken to the Bureau for legal proceedings.
The pattaya news AJ -Nop Meechukhun
