Sakon Nakhon headman caught in 9 million baht heroin bust

In a major drug bust, authorities in Bueng Kan Province apprehended three individuals, including a prominent subdistrict headman from Sakon Nakhon, for smuggling nearly 10 kilogrammes of heroin.

The arrest took place yesterday afternoon at a border patrol police company in Bueng Kan, following a covert operation led by the local law enforcement and border patrol units. The suspects were caught red-handed with the narcotics, valued at approximately 9 million baht, along with a white Nissan sedan and three mobile phones, which have been seized as evidence.

The operation was a result of meticulous intelligence gathering by the border patrol police company 244, which received a tip-off about a suspicious bag located in a scrubland near Highway 212. Upon further inspection, the bag contained an aluminium frame with heroin concealed within, cleverly disguised to look like ordinary folding bed legs. The heroin, totalling 9.29 kilogrammes, was expertly hidden and would have required a keen eye to detect its presence within the aluminium tubes.

The suspects include 29 year old Wachira, 55 year old Rungphet, and 53 year old Petchrat, all from Sakon Nakhon. During the sting operation, Wachira and Petchrat were observed retrieving the bag and attempting to load it into the vehicle, while Rungphet waited inside the car. All three were immediately apprehended by the officers lying in wait.

Upon questioning, Rungphet, the headman, confessed that following his wife’s death, he had been in a relationship with Petchrat. She had invited him on what he believed to be a casual trip to Bueng Kan and to transport some items for a friend, unaware of the illicit contents. Wachira, on the other hand, admitted to being hired for 50,000 baht to deliver the heroin to Sakon Nakhon, intending to share the payment with Petchrat upon successful delivery.

The Bueng Kan Governor, Chumphon Wannachatchawansiri, expressed shock at the involvement of a local official in such illicit activities. Rungphet, despite claiming ignorance about the heroin, is facing not only criminal charges but also disciplinary action due to his status as a government official, reported KhaoSod.

The governor emphasised a zero-tolerance policy towards any state officials involved in drug trafficking and assured that stringent measures would be taken against such individuals.