Man arrested for allegedly smuggling durian into Thailand
Last night, a man was arrested and charged with smuggling durian into Thailand from Myanmar.
25 year old Pairat Wattanom, a Thai Man from the Thai Province Ranong, which is part of the isthmus that has the Andaman Sea on one side and the Gulf of Thailand on the other, has been arrested and waits for the judicial system to decide his fate.
Allegedly, the man and his crew had taken long tail boats to the Myanmar side of the river. Once there, he allegedly purchased 2.5 tonnes of durian from his Myanmar durian dealer.
However, the score was foiled due to a tip off.
After finishing his durian transaction and returning to Thailand, Thai soldiers ambushed the man.
Reportedly, Pairat says he bought durian from a Myanmar seller to sell the pungent fruit to buyers in Ranong.
Thailand has seen its share of smuggling: from artefact smugglers, to cannabis, methamphetamines, and occasionally orangutans, durian smuggling is a somewhat rarer reported illegal good.
SOURCE: Thai Residents