Thai man faces jail time after dropping Yaba pill in front of officials
A Thai man absent mindedly forgot that he had hidden some methamphetamine, better known in Thailand as Yaba, in his wallet and accidentally dropped six tablets in front of government officials.
According to a new law, anyone found in possession of less than five Yaba tablets will be encouraged to attend rehabilitation. After rehab, suspects can waive a jail term of up to one year or a fine of up to 20,000 baht.
For anyone with more than five Yaba tablets, the punishment will be imprisonment of up to two years and a fine of up to 40,000 baht.
The 58 year old drug-addicted man in Nan, A, would have escaped a jail term if he did not accidentally dropped the Yaba pills in front of Mueang Nan District officials yesterday, March 11.
The Deputy District Chief, Teeraporn Mankaew, revealed the full story to the media, stating that A was one of the targets of an ongoing crackdown on drug addicts in the area, following a tip-off regarding his drug use.
Officials noticed A driving past and signalled for him to stop for questioning. He admitted to using Yaba and tested positive for the drug, so he was taken to the district office for further processing.
Officials conducted a thorough search but found no Yaba tablets at that time, concluding that A was a drug user and planned to send him to the rehabilitation centre.
However, A did not have his identification card with him, and officials could not proceed without it, so they accompanied him home to retrieve it.
When A presented his ID card to the officials, he accidentally dropped a plastic zip-lock bag containing six Yaba tablets in front of them. This discovery meant that A’s rehabilitation plan was abandoned, and he now faces imprisonment of up to two years and a fine of up to 40,000 baht.
A told KomChadLuek that he took two Yaba tablets daily and took two in the morning on that day. He explained that he hid his remaining drugs at home but forgot where they were until he accidentally dropped the package at the district office.
Naewna reported that another wanted drug dealer was arrested outside A’s home on the same day. The suspect, who walked past the spot as officials arrived, was previously found in possession of 80 Yaba tablets but managed to escape arrest at that time.
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