Drug suspects in Phuket: 1 pill, 1 gun, 1 boat shop of trouble
Early-morning raids net trio of dealers as meth, ice and ammo haul stuns island cops
It was an early wake-up call with handcuffs for three drug suspects in Phuket after a series of dawn raids uncovered meth pills, crystal ice, and a stash of illegal firearms, including a boat mechanic armed to the teeth.
The dramatic swoops kicked off at 3am yesterday, July 8, in Srisoonthorn and Koh Kaew, led by narcotics chief Chaiporn Yangchin alongside Thalang district officials and volunteer defence corps. By 7.30am, three suspects were in cuffs and a worrying haul of drugs and bullets was off the streets.
First to fall was Mr A, caught red-handed with a single meth pill (Yaba) in a rented room in Moo 5, Srisoonthorn. He was carted off to Thalang Police Station and charged with possession and use of a Category 1 narcotic.
But things escalated quickly. The next raid targeted a boat repair shop in Koh Kaew, where Mr B was found not only holding 111 Yaba pills and 1.77g of ya ice, but also a 9mm pistol, plus enough bullets for a small war.
Police recovered 20 rounds of 9mm ammo, 15 rounds of 0.32-calibre, and 49 rounds of 0.25-calibre shells. He now faces charges of drug trafficking, illegal gun possession, and drug use.
Finally, officers raided a nearby house in Koh Kaew and arrested Mr C, found with a jaw-dropping 2,350 meth pills and over 16g of ya ice. He too was marched to Phuket City Police and charged with trafficking and drug use, reported Phuket News.
District officials said the raids were part of a crackdown on Phuket’s spiralling drug networks and illegal firearms.
It’s not the first major bust in Phuket this week. On Saturday, July 5, police in Thalang swooped on a teenage dealer and his pals, including a 15 year old, seizing more than 3,400 meth pills, a bag of crystal, and a cache of ammunition in a single sting.
That raid, led by Police Lieutenant Colonel Suchart Luecha and narcotics officers, netted 28 year old Prakasit ‘Games’ Phromma, 18 year old Phathon Sengiamsaksri, and 15 year old Thaksin Chuachan.
All three now face charges of joint possession of Category 1 narcotics with intent to sell.
Phuket authorities say the war on drugs is far from over
Latest Thailand News
Follow The Thaiger on Google News: