Thai man arrested in South Pattaya for selling meth and firearms

A team of investigators arrested a Thai man for illegal trading of methamphetamine and unauthorised firearms in South Pattaya on January 18.

The suspect, 35 year old Rueangrit (surname withheld) was found residing in an abandoned Soi Batman building.

In an operation led by Bang Lamung Police Chief Police Colonel Navin Sinthurat, officers observed Rueangrit’s suspicious activities before initiating a search. Although no immediate illegal items were found on his person, the suspect confessed to recent methamphetamine use.

A subsequent raid on his hideout exposed a concealed compartment housing a stash of seven 12-gauge shotgun rounds, 0.78 grammes of crystal methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia, reported Pattaya News.

The accused, under the alias M, was implicated as the drug supplier by Rueangrit, who also asserted personal gun ownership for protection. Currently behind bars, Rueangrit faces charges of illegal drug possession, firearm possession, and drug use.

In related news, police arrested five kids aged between 8 and 17 for breaking into a house, holding a drug party inside, and stealing valuables in the Isaan province of Udon Thani. The homeowner filed a complaint with Mueang Udon Thani Police Station officers on January 15 after returning home to find his home had been ransacked and several items damaged or stolen.

The total loss was over 100,000 baht. A motorcycle, a bicycle, many electric appliances, more than 100 amulets, and a karaoke amplifier were stolen. The thieves left their belongings, drug tools, and footprints in the house.

In other news, a Thai court dismissed a case against a postal worker accused of being involved in drug trafficking. The case pertained to the seizure of a parcel containing 6,000 ecstasy pills, intercepted at the Bangkok Post Centre in Hua Lamphong, Bangkok, on October 17, 2022.

The parcel was traced back to Germany. An Airport Interdiction Task Force comprising Customs officials, the Drug Suppression Police, the Security Maintenance Centre, and the Office of Narcotics Control Board discovered the illicit package.