Thai soldier arrested with 11 kilogrammes of crystal meth

The Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) arrested a Thai soldier at Rattanaphon Military Camp in the southern province of Songkhla yesterday for possessing and selling 11 kilogrammes of crystal meth.

ONCB officers received a tip-off that a 29 year old soldier working in an administrative office at the Rattanaphon Military Camp was a member of a drug trafficking gang. Further investigation into the matter revealed that the administrative soldier, whose identity was not revealed, was involved in selling drugs.

According to the report, the soldier stocked up crystal meth and distributed it to his customers by parcel delivery. With the evidence, ONCB officers arrested the soldier suspects at the military camp yesterday, December 11, and found 11 kilogrammes of crystal meth in his possession.

Pictures released by the ONCB showed that the drugs were in tea packages under the counterfeit brand name Very Good. Some of the drugs were registered with a private transport company to be picked up and shipped later.

The acting Permanent Secretary of the ONCB, Phanurat Lakboon, reported that the sale of crystal meth, under the drug category 1, will result in imprisonment from one to five years and a fine from 500,000 to 5 million baht. However, the penalty for government officials who were found involved in drug trafficking will be three times harsher.

Accordingly, this soldier could face imprisonment from 15 years to life imprisonment and a fine from 1.5 million baht to 15 million baht.

Phanurat announced that the ONCB had just opened an official LINE account, @govoff.drugtrade, for residents to report drug trafficking in the communities. The 1386 hotline was another channel for the reporters.

Phanurat stated that the Prime Minister of Thailand, Srettha Thavisin, had a policy to effectively reduce drug-related violence and presented a concrete result within one year. Tough operations and measures, especially against corrupt government officials, would be implemented.

Phanurat added that officers would question the soldier to identify all of his customers and other people who were involved in the drug trade.