Woman arrested for using deaf people to deliver meth
Police arrested a woman for allegedly using deaf individuals to distribute methamphetamine in an attempt to avoid detection. The suspect, 53 year old Prayoon claimed she was forced into this illegal activity and feared losing friends if she spoke about it.
Police Lieutenant General Thiti Saengsawang today ordered Police Major General Teeradej Thammasuthee, alongside his team to apprehend Prayoon.
The arrest warrant, issued by the Criminal Court on May 24, charged Prayoon with conspiring to commit a serious drug-related offence and distributing methamphetamine for commercial purposes, thereby facilitating its spread among the public.
Authorities received a tip-off about the use of deaf individuals to deliver drugs without implicating the sellers, a tactic reportedly employed by a drug trafficking gang in the Rama IX area.
On May 10, undercover officers arranged a sting operation by contacting a dealer via the LINE application. They set up a meeting point in the Silent Community in Bangkapi, Bangkok. After an hour of surveillance, a Thai male arrived on a motorcycle and handed over a bag of crystal meth to the undercover agent.
The police immediately arrested the man, who was later identified as Pattarasit. Initially, he could not verbally respond to police inquiries, only making gestures. Officers provided him with paper to write on, which confirmed his identity.
The investigation team faced significant challenges in expanding the probe due to Pattarasit’s inability to communicate verbally. Recognising the unusual tactic of using deaf individuals to deliver drugs, the team spent over two weeks gathering additional evidence.
After tracking Prayoon for a considerable period, authorities apprehended her while she was with her deaf boyfriend on charges of conspiracy.
The couple had just returned from a gathering in the Silent Community in the Rama IX area. Upon arrest, officers discovered photos on Prayoon’s phone depicting drug use in the community and messages indicating regular drug sales.
During interrogation, the hearing-impaired Prayoon admitted to all charges and confessed to selling methamphetamine but denied selling crystal meth, claiming she was coerced into selling drugs.
She insisted that she did not deceive other deaf individuals into distributing drugs, suggesting their participation was voluntary. Prayoon gave up the names of two prominent distributors in the drug trade but refused to provide additional details out of fear of losing friends, reported Khaosod.
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