Man arrested in Kanchanaburi smuggling heroin worth 50,000 baht
A man from Sangkhla Buri was apprehended at a checkpoint while attempting to smuggle heroin concealed in a hidden compartment of his pickup truck. The arrest occurred yesterday, February 4 at 3pm, with police seizing 15 bars of heroin. The suspect was travelling with his family to avoid suspicion.
At a joint checkpoint in the Thong Pha Phum district of Kanchanaburi province, Police Lieutenant General Naiwat Phademchit received a report from Police Major General Pornchai Chalodet and Police Colonel Bancha Srirujimethakorn that a suspicious vehicle, a white Toyota pickup with Bangkok registration, was stopped. The truck was approaching from Sangkhla Buri towards Kanchanaburi when it was flagged down by police.
An initial search found nothing illegal, but the driver’s suspicious behaviour prompted a more thorough inspection. This led to the discovery of 15 bars of heroin, marked with a lion stepping on a globe, hidden in a secret compartment in the truck’s rear, weighing a total of 5 kilogrammes.
The driver, identified as Aran, was arrested and taken to the Thong Pha Phum Police Station for further questioning.
During interrogation, Aran confessed to smuggling the drugs from Phaya Tong Su district in Myanmar, using a natural route near Ban Bo Yee Pun. After concealing the heroin in the truck, he crossed back into Thailand, intending to deliver the drugs to a financier on U Thong Road, Mueang district, Kanchanaburi province, for a fee of 50,000 baht (US$1,480).
However, he was arrested before completing the delivery. Following his confession, Aran was handed over to the Thong Pha Phum police for legal proceedings.
It was reported that Aran was not alone in the vehicle, he was accompanied by his mother-in-law, wife, and 11 year old son. The police are investigating whether the family members were aware of or involved in the smuggling operation, reported KhaoSod.
If found complicit, they will face legal action. After the arrest, both Aran’s wife and mother-in-law were seen weeping in distress.
Latest Thailand News
