Thailand scores a ‘meth’-odical victory with Saraburi drug bust
More than five million methamphetamine (meth) pills have been seized in Saraburi, marking one of the largest drug busts in Thailand in recent months. Provincial Police Region 1 confirmed the significant confiscation.
Police intercepted a total of 5.2 million meth pills on Sudbantad Road in the Kaeng Koi district last Friday, November 8. The acting commissioner, Silpakom Iamwong of the Provincial Police Region 1, shared details of the operation during a press conference.
The meth pills, meticulously packed in 12 sacks, were concealed within a pickup truck registered in Bangkok. The vehicle was driven by a 47 year old man named Phusit, also known as Bang Sup.
Phusit reportedly disclosed to the police that he had been offered 30,000 baht to transport the drugs from the northeast to central provinces for distribution. He claimed it was his first time engaging in such illegal activity.
The driver is currently facing charges of possessing illegal drugs with the intent to sell. Officers revealed that the street value of the seized meth pills is estimated at 167 million baht.
Silpakom Iamwong stated that the investigation is ongoing, with efforts being made to arrest additional individuals involved in the drug distribution network, reported Bangkok Post.
In related news, Thai police have successfully dismantled a major drug trafficking network, seizing over one billion meth pills and other narcotics throughout the year. Assets worth more than 12 billion baht have also been confiscated.
Assistant Commissioner-General Nirandorn Lueamsri, and Somboon Thiankaew, Deputy Commissioner of the Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB), announced the arrest of key figures involved in the drug trade on October 24.
In other news, a drug trafficking gang’s pickup truck, loaded with over 1.6 million methamphetamine pills, crashed after a tyre burst. The suspects fled into a nearby forest, prompting a police manhunt.
At approximately 2.45am on October 29, Chaiyachai Nathanakarn, the superintendent of Phatthana Nikhom Police Station, led a team to investigate a report from Chaiwat Kuntolthong, a local volunteer and assistant village headman.
