2 Lebanese men arrested for drug and illegal clinic on Koh Samui
Restaurant front linked to narcotics trade and unlicensed medical practices
Police arrested two Lebanese men for illegally operating a clinic and supplying drugs to foreign tourists on Koh Samui, an island in the southern province of Surat Thani.
Officers from the Surat Thani Provincial Immigration Bureau, Koh Samui Tourist Police, Bor Phud Police Station, and the Koh Samui Public Health Department raided a restaurant on Lamai Beach in the Maret sub-district of Koh Samui district after becoming suspicious of the foreign owners.
The owners were identified as Lebanese nationals: 38 year old Ihab Awala and 28 year old Chadi Raidan. Police suspect the pair of distributing various types of narcotics to foreign visitors in the area.
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During the raid, officials found multiple drugs, including ecstasy, methamphetamine (known locally as Yaba), magic mushrooms, ketamine, and cocaine.
In addition to the drugs, officers also seized several Chinese medical instruments and discovered that Awala had been illegally offering traditional Chinese medicine to both locals and foreigners without a permit.
The two Lebanese men were taken to the police station and now face multiple charges, including:
- Section 145 of the Narcotics Control Act: Production, import, export, distribution, or possession of Category 1 narcotics, punishable by up to 15 years’ imprisonment and a fine ranging from 200,000 to 1.5 million baht.
- Section 146 of the Narcotics Control Act: Production, import, export, distribution, or possession of Category 2 narcotics, punishable by up to 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to 1 million baht.
- Section 148 of the Narcotics Control Act: Production, import, export, distribution, or possession of Category 5 narcotics, punishable by up to 5 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to 500,000 baht.
Awala faces an additional charge under Section 35 of the Medical Practice Act for performing Chinese medical practices without a permit. This carries a penalty of up to three years in prison, a fine of up to 30,000 baht, or both.
Further investigation into the restaurant they operated as a front for their illegal activities revealed it was jointly owned by the two Lebanese men and one Thai national.
Police noted that the Thai national appeared not to have participated in the business as expected, leading to suspicions that he was acting as a nominee for the foreigners. Officers are continuing to gather evidence in order to pursue legal action against all three if they are found guilty.
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