Old habits die hard: Man fresh out of prison nabbed for Yaba pills

Barely a week after his release from prison, a Bangkok man was apprehended for distributing Yaba pills obtained from a former inmate friend. He was caught selling pills at 8 baht each, totalling 6,000 pills, before being ensnared in a police sting operation.

At 7.40pm yesterday, investigative units from Sing Buri Provincial Police, alongside local authorities, received intelligence about a drug dealer planning to distribute narcotics to customers.

In response to the tip-off, the authorities orchestrated an operation to encircle the following area near Wat Pho Kaew Nopakhun in Mueng district, Sing Buri province, waiting for a chance to strike.

Shortly after, at 8.30pm, they spotted a 43 year old man, identified as Kla, arriving in a green-yellow taxi. He disembarked, carrying a bag and wearing a helmet, and headed towards a dimly lit corner within the temple.

Law enforcement officers swiftly moved in and apprehended him. The ensuing body search and inspection yielded three bags of methamphetamine pills (Yaba), amounting to 6,000 in total, alongside a mobile phone used in the explicit sale.

Kla and the taxi driver were subsequently taken in for further questioning at the police station. Kla confessed that he had been released from prison just seven days prior, after serving time for drug trafficking.

Upon his release a week prior, he had been residing in an apartment complex in Rom Klao, before being approached by a fellow former inmate nicknamed Jack Rom Klao, who offered him drugs to sell.

Facing financial constraints, Kla agreed to return to his former illicit profession. He contacted customers in Sing Buri province, looking to sell the drugs under the price set by Jack for 15,000 baht per bag (7.5 baht per pill).

He had arranged to meet a customer, agreeing to sell three bundles for 16,000 baht each, keeping some profit for himself.

After acquiring the drugs, he rode a motorcycle, parked it near the agreed meeting point and took a taxi inside. However, before he could complete the transaction, law enforcement swooped in and police officers promptly apprehended him, reported Khaosod.