Impostor monk busted in Ang Thong for drugs and donation scam
A man posing as a monk was arrested in Ang Thong yesterday, December 18, after police discovered him without monkhood credentials and attempting to fake a urine test.
Police from Wiset Chai Chan Police Station were alerted to the suspicious activity near Rong Thong Shrine Market in Moo 6, Sala Chao Rong Thong subdistrict. Responding officers found a man in monk robes holding donation envelopes and leaflets claiming to be collecting for a monastery in Kanchanaburi. He was later identified as 48 year old Jaran.
Upon questioning, Jaran failed to provide any documentation confirming his status as an ordained monk. When asked which temple he had been ordained at, he claimed he couldn’t remember, spoke incoherently, and was unable to wrap his robe properly, admitting that a friend had wrapped it for him. He told police he had travelled with three others, whom he referred to as disciples, but they had since left.
Suspicious of his behaviour, officers asked him to chant basic prayers in Pali, which he was unable to do. Jaran became increasingly agitated as the questioning continued, and attempted to deceive police during a drug screening by putting cold water in a urine sample container. He eventually confessed to consuming two methamphetamine pills mixed with water. A later urine test confirmed narcotics in his system.
Khaosod reported that the suspect was carrying 25 donation envelopes and a total of 700 baht in cash, collected from unsuspecting locals who believed they were contributing to a religious cause.
Police charged him with impersonating a monk for the purpose of soliciting donations without permission, and with illegal drug use. He was taken to Wiset Chai Chan Police Station for further questioning, while authorities pursue legal action. His three alleged accomplices, who fled in a vehicle before police arrived, are still being sought.
Similarly, previously in September, a Buddhist monk in Bang Lamung was arrested after police discovered methamphetamine hidden in alms bowls and other items.
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