Police catch Phuket couple with half a kilogram of crystal meth

There’s been another meth bust in Phuket, this time involving a couple.

Police caught a Phuket couple with half a kilogram of crystal methamphetamine in the island province’s main city district on Friday night.

Officers from the Narcotics Control Board seized 510.98 grams of crystal meth from the couple at Saphan Hin Public Park. They also seized two meth pills. The meth was packed into six plastic bags.

The police also seized drug paraphernalia, a mobile phone, and a motorbike.

The two drug possessors were identified as a 35 year old man named Eakanan Wangsuwan, and a 26 year old woman named Patrasuda Oncham, the Phuket News reported.

The cops brought Eakanan and Patrasuda to Phuket City Police Station and charged them with illegally possessing Category 1 drugs with intent to sell.

This news comes two weeks after another meth incident in Phuket. A Phuket minivan driver was left without a license after police reprimanded him for driving high on meth.

The Phuket Land Transport Office said the man, 29 year old Pichai Klomsanoh, admitted to taking three meth pills and driving.

The recent meth busts are just the latest in continuous crackdowns by Phuket police trying to tackle the island province’s meth problem. The problem reflects the major issues with meth in Thailand at large.

Earlier this month, it was reported that police nabbed over 400,000 meth pills in seven provinces in South Thailand. Some 430,029 meth pills were found in the provinces of Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Chumphon, Krabi, Phang Nga, Ranong, and Phuket.

Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police, Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn said in a press conference on Wednesday that the crackdown aimed to ensure safety in tourist provinces during Christmas and the new year holiday.

Region 8 Police searched 517 places in the seven provinces. The officers seized 88 firearms, 1,199 bullets, 430,029 methamphetamine pills, and 305 grams of crystal methamphetamine. The firearms were mostly seized in Nakhon Si Thammarat, followed by Surat Thani and Chumphon.