Two men caught in ya bah busts

PHUKET TOWN: Two men were arrested on Sunday on charges involving possession of 49 ya bah (methamphetamine) pills, a 12-gauge shotgun with four shells and 8,280 baht in cash. The arrests were made during a joint operation involving a total of 11 officers from the Phuket Branch of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board and Phuket’s Marine Police. Acting on a tip-off, a plainclothes officer phoned Watcharapong “Too” Wattanasin, 19, and organized to buy ya bah from him outside a hotel on Luang Pho Wat Chalong Rd. At 9:55 pm, Too arrived at the rendezvous and sold the officer two pills of ya bah. As the squad of officers lying in wait moved to arrest Too, he sped off on his motorcycle. The officers gave chase and arrested him in front of his aunt’s shophouse on Phang Nga Rd, Soi 2. Besides the 320 baht from the sting, officers found that Too was carrying 8,280 baht, which they believed to be the proceeds from selling ya bah to other people. Officers also found 25 ya bah pills lying on the ground nearby, which they believe Too threw away before being arrested. Believing that there might be more drugs in the house, officers searched the house and found a 12-gauge shotgun with four shells. During questioning, Too named his supplier as Prasit “Duang” Kongsanit, 23, and said that he could be found at a house on Phang Nga Rd, Soi 4. Police moved to raid the house, where they found Duang with 22 ya bah pills in his shorts. During further questioning, both men named two other suppliers, Somkiat (surname unknown) and Somporn Sudjit, and explained that the four worked together selling the drug as a team. Police were unable to find the other two men. Both Too and Duang were charged with being in possession of and selling ya bah.