Silent but deadly: Thai woman nabbed for using mute couriers in drug ring
Police arrested a Thai woman with impaired hearing in Bangkok for using mute people as drug couriers, believing they would be unable to identify her or other dealers if caught.
Officers from the Investigation Division of the Metropolitan Bureau (IDMB) and Makkasan Police Station arrested the 53 year old woman, Prayoon, with impaired hearing, for drug trafficking conspiracy at her home in the Yannawa district of Bangkok yesterday, June 6.
Her arrest came after officers received a tip-off that a group of drug dealers were using mute people to deliver drugs. The drug dealers believed that the mutes would be unable to give their names to the police because of their disabilities.
An investigation into the case led to the arrest of a mute man, Pattarasin, in a community of mute people in the Bangkapi district of Bangkok on May 10. An undercover officer posed as a customer and bought drugs from the gang. Pattarasin was arrested while delivering crystal methamphetamine to the officer.
Although Pattarasin could not speak, he was literate. He was able to give police some information that led to Prayoon’s arrest two weeks later.
Payoon was apprehended after returning home from a drug party with her mute boyfriend and friends. She surrendered to the evidence presented by police and confessed to selling drugs but insisted she only sold methamphetamine, not crystal meth.
According to Channel 7, Payoon was hard of hearing but could understand speech if it was loud enough.
Payoon stated that she did not want to sell drugs but was forced to do so by a more powerful figure. She also insisted that she had never tricked or lured any mute people into drug couriers. Everyone was willing to do it for money.
Payoon eventually identified the two powerful people who supplied her with drugs as a Thai man called Tor and a Thai woman called Fon. She refused to give further details, citing fears for her safety.
Officers are now investigating the mentioned powerful drug dealers.
