Earthquake chaos exploited for drug trade, 2.5m pills seized
Drug traffickers exploited the chaos following an earthquake to transport illegal substances, resulting in the seizure of over 2.5 million methamphetamine pills.
Police apprehended 42 year old Ekalak Krataijun when his pickup truck was found without a registration plate on March 29.
The arrest was reported by the superintendent of Highway Police Station 1, Subdivision 8, of the Highway Police Division. Ekalak was caught with 2,560,000 methamphetamine pills in a white Isuzu D-MAX pickup truck with the registration number 3 กฮ-1785 Bangkok, along with a mobile phone.
The arrest occurred on Highway 7 at kilometre 55+500, outbound, in Bang Nang subdistrict, Phan Thong district, Chon Buri province.
This operation followed a tip-off from an informant who alerted the police about a gang smuggling methamphetamine from Lam Luk Ka district in Pathum Thani province to Ban Khai district in Rayong province.
The informant provided details of a white Isuzu D-MAX pickup truck with the specified registration number, prompting officials to deploy a radio patrol to monitor and intercept the vehicle within their jurisdiction.
At around 3pm the previous day, the suspect vehicle, matching the informant’s description, was spotted in the right lane. Police pursued the vehicle, signalling it with flashing lights to pull over for inspection.
Upon examination, Ekalak was discovered driving alone, and a search of the vehicle uncovered six black sacks containing over 2.5 million methamphetamine pills.
During questioning, Ekalak confessed to transporting the drugs. He was subsequently taken to Highway Police Station 1, Subdivision 8, of the Highway Police Division for official documentation, reported KhaoSod.
Initially, he has been charged with possession of a category 1 narcotic (methamphetamine) with intent to sell, contributing to the spread among the public without permission, and using a category 1 narcotic without authorisation.
Ekalak was then handed over to the investigators at Phan Thong Police Station, Chon Buri province, for further legal proceedings.
Latest Thailand News
