Father and son arrested with 50kg crystal meth in drug bust
Family ties tested as drug run ends in betrayal and a major police bust
A father and son were apprehended at a police checkpoint for transporting crystal methamphetamine. Police seized over 50 kilogrammes of the drug. The father admitted to receiving 45,000 baht per trip for the task, while the son claimed he was deceived by his father into participating.
Yesterday, May 20, Police Major General Kongkrit Lertsitthikul, commander of the Highway Police Division, and Police Major General Wichaya Sriprasertphap, commander of the Central Investigation Bureau, instructed Police Lieutenant Colonel Piyaporn Riensut and Police Lieutenant Colonel Theerapong Khongkhiew to lead the operation.
They arrested 47 year old Sabree and his 19 year old son, Fittree, at the Highway 41 checkpoint in Thung Song district, Nakhon Si Thammarat province. The police also seized 50 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine, a grey Honda CR-V, a white Honda Accord, and two mobile phones.
The arrests followed a tip-off about a drug network in the south transporting crystal methamphetamine from the north using two vehicles. Police set up a checkpoint on Highway 41 in Thung Song district, Nakhon Si Thammarat, where they stopped the two Honda vehicles. Both drivers appeared suspicious, and a search revealed 50 packages of crystal methamphetamine concealed in tea bags.
During questioning, Sabree confessed to being paid 45,000 baht (US$1,375) to transport the drugs from Mae Sai district, Chiang Rai province, to Narathiwat province. He had done this twice before.
Fittree, however, denied full knowledge of the operation, claiming his father had merely asked him to drive to Chiang Rai.
On the return journey, he was told to drive ahead and inform his father of any police checkpoints. He thought his father was only worried about being caught for drug use, not drug trafficking.
The pair face charges of possessing a category 1 narcotic, methamphetamine or crystal methamphetamine, with intent to distribute and causing public harm.
Additionally, Sabree faces charges of driving under the influence of methamphetamine. Both suspects, along with the seized evidence, were handed over to the detectives at Division 5 of the Central Investigation Bureau for legal proceedings.
The operation was part of Fast74, a police initiative targeting organised crime. Investigation revealed that the suspects operated systematically, with defined roles including lead vehicle driving and route clearing.
They used high-speed vehicles, reaching speeds of up to 170 kilometres per hour at times. Police carefully planned the operation, employing tactics to deceive and ultimately capture the suspects using specialised highway police strategies.
Latest Thailand News
Follow The Thaiger on Google News:
