Satun fisherman arrested trying to ship 216 kilos of marijuana south to Malaysia

PHOTOS: The Nation

A fisherman has been arrested trying to smuggle 216 kilograms of marijuana into Malaysia. The fishing boat had been modified for the purpose of hiding and smuggling the drugs.

Officials received a tip-off earlier this week that a large batch of marijuana was being stored in Satun’s Tambon Tammalang district. Officials had learnt that a large shipment of marijuana had been transported from Northern Thailand to Satun in the south and was being stored before being shipped to Malaysia.

Provincial authorities arrested 45 year old fisherman Ari Leesa and seized the marijuana at Tammalang pier yesterday (Thursday). He told police he hired for 100,000 baht to ship the marijuana into Malaysia.

Satun’s police chief noted that the seized drugs could fetch up to 5,000 per kilogram in Thailand and perhaps double that in Malaysia. He told a media conference today that police are now tracking down the ‘mastermind’ who is suspected to be a Satun resident.

SOURCE: The Nation

Jaruwat Kliangklao, governor of Satun province