Couple arrested in Udon Thani for meth trafficking to fund wedding
From baby plans to prison time as smuggling scheme unravels
A couple, expecting their first child, has been apprehended for transporting a substantial quantity of methamphetamine in Udon Thani, lured by the promise of nearly 1 million baht.
The pair aimed to fund their wedding and childbirth expenses. They confessed it was their first attempt at drug trafficking.
Yesterday, June 8, Police Colonel Korn Chaiseua of the Border Patrol Police 24 directed Lieutenant Colonel Jirasak Khamwanet, head of the drug suppression team, to pursue a suspected drug trafficking group. Intelligence suggested narcotics would be transported from the Mekong River into the Udon Thani area.
At 4pm, the investigation team identified two suspects on a black Yamaha motorcycle without a licence plate. The driver wore a full-face helmet, while the passenger, a male, did not.
They were stopped at a traffic light at Mueang Thong Market in Udon Thani. Upon inspection, the driver was identified as 20 year old Pavina, nicknamed View, from Na Mai subdistrict, Baan Dung district, Udon Thani.
The passenger was 16 year old Pathomdet from Baan Dung district, Udon Thani. A grey plastic box was found on the motorcycle seat between them.
Meth trafficking
A search revealed 50 bundles of methamphetamine, totalling 100,000 pills, and an additional 170 pills in a pink plastic packet inside View’s black shoulder bag, amounting to 100,170 pills in total. The suspects were taken into custody for further investigation at the Border Patrol Police 24 headquarters.
Pavina admitted to being hired by a financier from a neighbouring country to transport methamphetamine. She rode from Baan Dung, Udon Thani, to the banks of the Mekong River in Tha Uthen district, Nakhon Phanom, intending to deliver the drugs into Udon Thani. The agreed payment was 909,000 baht (US$27,785) upon completion.
Initially, her boyfriend, Nes, was the driver, but after acquiring the drugs, they purchased a plastic box to store them. Pavina then drove while Nes rode pillion.
She claimed no external influence dictated their method; they devised the plan themselves. It was their first attempt, and she had never used drugs.
Pavina was motivated by the prospect of earning money for her family’s needs, including childbirth expenses for her five-month pregnancy. She wanted to keep the information from her family, fearing their disappointment.
Additionally, she aimed to pay off her motorcycle, which she had only made two payments on, and intended this to be her first and last involvement.
Pathomdet briefly stated his wrongdoing, driven by the need to support his soon-to-arrive child and his desire to propose to his girlfriend. Both families knew of their relationship but not the pregnancy.
Despite initially opposing the plan, he agreed due to their intent to raise 50,000 baht (US$1,530) for the traditional marriage proposal. He apologised to his unborn child for his actions.
Pavina and Pathomdet face charges of possessing a category 1 narcotic (methamphetamine) for sale and distribution. Nes faces an additional charge of using methamphetamine, as his urine test returned positive. The suspects have been handed over to investigators for further legal proceedings, reported KhaoSod.
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