Suspected drug agent flees sting operation, leaving kids in Sadao

A 30 year old suspected drug agent narrowly escaped a sting operation by security forces, leaving behind her two young daughters amid chaos. The incident unfolded today, May 15, when a combined military and administrative task force initiated a series of raids targeting drug trafficking in the Sadao district of Songkhla Province.

The suspect, known as Kanjana or Khom, managed to evade capture by utilising her intimate knowledge of the local area’s complex network of alleys.

The operation, spearheaded by District Chief Wichet Saikiseang, Assistant District Officer Kathawut Pimsak, and Deputy Company Commander Yameen Sethasuk of the 5021st military unit, centred on a rented house in the Padang Besar subdistrict. It was here that Kanjana, an experienced drug agent, had been residing.

As the police orchestrated an undercover purchase to apprehend her, Kanjana detected the ruse and fled through the densely populated neighbourhood, successfully outmanoeuvring law enforcement.

Despite her escape, the operation was not entirely fruitless. Officials seized 200 methamphetamine pills stashed in a pair of trousers hanging outside her rental room, along with 1,200 baht (US$33) in cash intended for the undercover buy. However, in her haste, Kanjana abandoned her two daughters, aged one and four, who were left crying inconsolably inside the house.

Neighbours intervened to provide temporary care for the children, as Kanjana, originally from the Isaan region and with no local relatives, has a husband currently incarcerated on drug charges.

The crackdown on Kanjana was part of an extended investigation stemming from the arrest of a 27 year old woman severely addicted to methamphetamine, who was seeking treatment and rehabilitation, reported KhaoSod.

In a candid disclosure, she provided the police with comprehensive information about her supplier, which led to the sting operation. The young woman’s testimony was instrumental in mapping out the network and identifying Kanjana as a pivotal figure in the local drug trade.