Young love ends in ya bah bust

PHUKET CITY: A Muang District special operations unit arrested a pair of young lovers and seized 697 ya bah (methamphetamine) pills in a sting operation early this morning.

The arrests were announced by Phuket Vice Governor Worapoj Ratthasima and Muang District Chief Wisit Kurattanavej at a press conference at Muang District Office at 9:30 this morning.

The couple were identified as Nakhon Pathom native Natchapong “Ou” Kaewrattanachai, 22, and his 21-year-old girlfriend Natthanaree Boonsong, from Phitsanuloke.

The arrest followed reports from informants that the pair were selling 10 to 20 ya bah pills at a time to clients in and around Phuket City at a price of 300 baht per pill.

The special operations officers arranged to buy 10 pills at a price of 3,000 baht during a rendezvous at Bangneaw Intersection at 2:30 am.

The couple arrived in a dark blue Honda Civic. After the transaction was complete, officers quickly surrounded Natchapong, who was standing outside the vehicle.

A search of the suspect uncovered 587 ya bah pills and 63,660 baht in cash. A search of Natthanaree uncovered 100 more pills. All the seized pills were branded with the “WY” logo, indicating they were produced in Burma.

Also taken as evidence: a homemade shotgun with 12 cartridges, three gold chains, three Nokia mobile phones, four bankbooks recording savings of more than 100,000 baht and two ATM cards.

Both confessed to charges of possessing a Class 1 narcotic with intent to sell and were taken to the Phuket City Police Station.