4 nabbed, 1,500 pills seized in ya bah raids

PHUKET: Following a three-day investigation, the Muang District drug suppression unit yesterday arrested four men and seized a total of 1,572 ya bah (methamphetamine) pills is a series of sting operations.

Police identified the suspects as Nontawat Intawanti, 19; Soontorn Boonjunkong, 24; Wannachai Kongsonpet, 24, and a minor aged 17.

Muang District Palad Teerapon Sittaboot told the press that undercover officers arranged to buy a single ya bah pill from Nonthawat for 500 baht.

After his arrest, they had Nonthawat call Soontorn and arrange to buy 50 pills for 10,000 baht at a home in Moo Baan Irawadee Ketho, in Kathu, police said.

Also taken into custody in the subsequent arrest was a 17-year-old boy found in possession of 210 pills.

Soontorn confessed that the rest of his ya bah stash was at a home on Chao Fa East Rd Soi 10 in Wichit, where officers seized 1,300 pills, police said.

Soothorn then arranged to buy 11 more pills from Wannachai in front of the 7-Eleven near Villa Dowrung, also in Wichit, where the fourth suspect was arrested.

All four of the suspects were taken to Phuket City Police Station for questioning and to be charged. None of them are Phuket natives.

The three adult suspects are now at Phuket Provincial Prison, while the minor was sent to the Phuket Juvenile Observation and Protection Center.

Also seized by police during the arrests were an unlicensed shotgun with two cartridges, two mobile pones and a motorcycle.