New dad and pal busted in Pattaya drug sting
Two drug runners in Pattaya found themselves slammed, quite literally, by police during a sting operation that ended with a rear-end collision, a massive drug bust, and one new father behind bars.
At 6pm yesterday, April 7, Bang Lamung police teamed up with local officials to take down two key players in a major drug network operating across Pattaya and Bang Lamung district.
The suspects, 32 year old Pichit Singnamo, also known as “Too,” and 26 year old Thitipong Saepaisal, alias Min, were arrested in a carefully coordinated ambush.
The sting was led by Police Colonel Sarawut Nuchanart, Chief of Bang Lamung Police Station, with Bang Lamung District Chief Patcharapat Sritanyanon.
A joint task force tracked the suspects after earlier arrests revealed that drugs were being distributed via roadside drop-offs under orders from a major dealer.
Acting on a tip received late on Sunday, April 6, police learned that 4,000 Yaba pills were set to be dropped near an advertising billboard in a housing estate along Highway 36.
Surveillance teams spotted a white Toyota Hilux Vigo, registered in Sa Kaeo, repeatedly circling the area. Officers then recovered the pills abandoned near the billboard and began tailing the vehicle.
To stop the suspects from fleeing, officers staged a minor collision with the truck on the railway-parallel road near Soi Nong Krabok. When the visibly agitated pair stepped out, officers revealed their identities and found incriminating chat messages on their phones, instructing clients to collect the drugs.
A follow-up search at their residence in Soi Khao Talo uncovered 2.2 kilogrammes of crystal meth, a digital scale, and packaging materials. The suspects confessed to working under a man named Somnuk, who they identified as the ringleader. Both men said they were paid 500 baht per delivery.
Pichit told officers he was under financial strain after the recent birth of his daughter, just five days earlier.
Police seized a total of 2.26 kilogrammes of ice, 4,000 Yaba pills, and the suspects’ pickup truck. Both men now face charges of jointly distributing and possessing Category 1 narcotics with intent to sell, reported The Pattaya News.
They have been transferred to investigators for further legal proceedings.
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