Chiang Rai couple arrested for smuggling more than a tonne of crystal meth

Chiang Rai police have arrested 2 more people for arranging and overseeing the smuggling of more than a tonne of crystal methamphetamine, or “ice” to southern Thailand. The 48 year old man and his 31 year old wife were nabbed at their home yesterday in the province’s Mae Chan district, within 15 kilometres of the Burmese border. They’re charged with supervising the transport of 1,199 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine for smuggling into a third country.

Investigators found that the unnamed couple were at a condominium in Lat Phrao area of Bangkok overseeing the transport of drugs seized in the southern province of Surat Thani on Saturday which saw 3 men arrested.

The drugs were concealed in the cargo of a 6 wheeled truck stopped on southbound Highway 41 in Surat Thani’s Phun Phin district. There were 30 sacks of crystal meth hidden under bags of cow dung on the back of a blue Isuzu truck, which was registered in Trang province.

An anonymous source says the drugs were smuggled from Laos and destined for a buyer in Malaysia. The woman had allegedly arranged for several shipments of 170-1,000 kilograms at a time, paying her couriers about 500,000 baht per delivery.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post