Thai police seize meth with a street value of 600 million baht

The Narcotic Suppression Bureau (NSB) swooped on a drug cartel in the early hours of Saturday morning in Songkhla province and confiscated crystal methamphetamine with a street value of 600 million baht.

The NSB impounded 631 kilograms of crystal meth, arrested seven suspects, and confiscated three cars and a plot of land with a house suspected of being used for drug trafficking. Police believe the crystal meth, also known as ice, was on its way to Malaysia, and Australia.

The operation was carried out thanks to information garnered from another successful operation. Arrests were made on June 22 and 402,000 meth pills were seized in tambon Khuha Tai in Rattaphum district of Songkhla.

That operation revealed that another large drug shipment was in the planning and the NSB was ready to intercept it.

Police pulled over a Honda Civic, and Toyota Vigo pickup, at a police checkpoint in tambon Khuha Tai, Rattaphum district at about 1am Saturday. Another vehicle, a Mitsubishi Triton pickup, travelling behind the two vehicles pulled over before reaching the checkpoint. But police managed to pounce before it could make an escape. All three cars had Bangkok number plates.

Police found 14 bags containing 631 packages of crystal meth packed in 631 Chinese tea bags weighing 1 kilogram each. Eight phones were also confiscated.

Police arrested the seven suspects travelling in the three vehicles: 40 year old Lukman Cheduramae, 41 year old Wanida Asae, 38 year old Waemae Lomae, 38 year old Daki Mueli, 33 year old Alading Dingpo, 24 year old Mapaosi Salae, and 34 year old Nakarin Salae. Six of the men were from Narathiwat while one woman, Wanida, was from Pattani.

Pictures courtesy of Matichon

They were all charged with being in possession of illegal drugs category 1, with intent to sell, without permission which is a commercial act, causing it to spread among the people and causing an impact on the security of the state or the safety of the general public.

The three vehicles were impounded, along with a plot of land with a house worth about 5.1 million baht.

The suspects confessed they were transporting the drugs from Bang Len district, Nakhon Pathom province, to the Su-ngai Kolok Drug Network Group, Narathiwat Province.

Pol Lt Gen Sarayuth reported that they were investigating whether the house was bought with the proceeds of drug trafficking. Sarayuth also made known they would be casting their net wider hoping to catch the leader of the drug cartel.

SOURCE: Matichon Bangkok Post