Thai police seize 110kg of drugs in major bust in Songkhla

Thai police intercepted a major drug trafficking operation yesterday, seizing 100 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine and 10 kilogrammes of ketamine hidden in a vehicle bearing deceptive Attorney General’s Office stickers. The bust occurred in Songkhla province and involved both Thai and Malaysian nationals.

The Region 9 Police Investigation Unit, led by Thanawat Saengsui, executed the operation on a bridge over the Kuha intersection on Phetkasem Road in Rattaphum district. Police had been tracking the vehicle, a black Toyota Harrier with Bangkok registration plates, from Laos, where it was believed to have been loaded with drugs destined for Malaysia.

Upon inspection, officers discovered substantial quantities of drugs stashed in the spare tyre compartment. Asawin, a Thai national drove the vehicle, while Luis Rajohn, a Malaysian, occupied the passenger seat. Both men confessed to being hired to transport the drugs from Vientiane, Laos, to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, using the Sadao border checkpoint. They revealed they were paid nearly 1 million baht (US$29,000) for each smuggling trip, said Thanawat.

“The total street value of the drugs if they had reached Malaysia would be over 100 million baht (US$2.9 million).”

The operation was announced at the Hat Yai Police Station, where Nitinai Langyanai, the Deputy Commissioner of Region 9 Police, along with Sakda Charoenkul and Thanawat Saengsui, briefed the media. The police disclosed that their investigation had started on August 8 when they identified Rajohn’s suspicious movements.

Rajohn had entered Thailand from Malaysia through the Sadao Immigration Checkpoint in Songkhla and proceeded to Laos via the Nong Khai Immigration Checkpoint on the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge.

“We noticed Rajohn’s vehicle, a luxury car, making repeated trips between Malaysia, Thailand, and Laos, which raised our suspicions,” said one of the officers involved in the case.

On August 17, after confirming that Rajohn had re-entered Thailand through the Nong Khai checkpoint and was heading towards Songkhla, the police laid a trap. The vehicle was intercepted as it was crossing the bridge over the Kuha intersection, marking one of the year’s largest drug busts involving an ASEAN-level international drug network, reported KhaoSod.

The two arrested individuals admitted to being part of a larger network coordinated by individuals known only as Pro and Tevid, who are also Malaysian nationals. These coordinators were responsible for hiring traffickers and arranging the logistics of the smuggling operations.