Songkhla mother alleges neighbour tricked son into drug use

A mother in the province of Songkhla has filed a complaint with the Paveena Hongsakul Foundation for Women and Children, claiming that her 10 year old son has recently been showing signs of drug abuse. His erratic behaviour included destructiveness, verbal abuse towards family members, and attempting to harm a cat.

The distressing behavioural shift came to a head when the boy was caught holding a sharp knife intending to slit a cat’s throat on July 25. His mother is convinced the violence is linked to drug use.

But how was a 10 year old getting drugs and getting high? The mother revealed that her son was being fed hallucinogenic drugs daily by their neighbour, a man known as Singh.

Supposedly tricked into consuming two to three narcotic pills each day for over a month, her son started to exhibit drug dependency tendencies. Singh was alleged to have then demanded the boy to bring him daily payments of between 50-100 baht.

The mother confessed she was unaware of this drug force feeding until the incident with the cat led her to seek medical help for her son. To her shock, doctors found trace amounts of illicit substances in her son’s body.

The mother’s worries are further amplified after being threatened by Singh, after noticing that the woman’s son had been off the drugs for a few days since August 15. The complaint detailed that Singh had made two attempts to harm the boy by running him over with a car.

This prompted the mother to finally report the matter to law enforcement officers from Ja Na Police Station. Obliging her distress call, the police detained Singh for further questioning at the station for further proceedings.

The situation was further aggravated when Singh’s brother and son defensively claimed Singh has connections to the police. They even warned those who reported the matter to the police of their safety, leaving the victim’s family in fear.

Following the complaint, Paveena Hongsakul, President of the Paveena Foundation, coordinated with Pol. Col. Pacharapon Nakhon, the Superintendent of Ja Na Police Station in Songkhla province. As the investigation proceeded, Singh was charged with possessing illicit drugs (heroin, methamphetamine, ice) and was held for investigation.

A follow-up was scheduled at 11am yesterday for the victims to provide additional statements before more charges are lodged against Singh and a court detention request was submitted today.

Meanwhile, the 10 year old’s mother alleged that Singh had been selling methamphetamine to children in their community, initiating the addiction by offering them for free at first. Once addicted, children like her son had to buy drugs from him.

The parents were oblivious to this as he was a trusted member of the community, reported Sanook. Paveena Hongsakul underlined the extensive spread of drugs in many communities, addressing the issue as a concern for all.

“I would urge parents to better supervise their children. We must protect our young ones from falling prey to drug enslavement as they are our future. Strong families contribute to building a robust community, ensuring peace and prosperity for our country.”