Thailand Department of Special Investigations officers broke up an alleged ring of drug dealers responsible for smuggling methamphetamines into Chonburi Central Prison.
Three people were arrested in a trio of sting operations July 29. Like dominos, each arrest knocked over the operation of even larger alleged dealers.
The operation began with a tip that a woman would be dropping off a shipment of drugs in the Chonburi prison’s parking lot. DSI officers set up a buy, then swept in when the trade went down, arresting Rasa Saetan, 29. On her, they allegedly found 4.3 g. of crystal meth and subsequent searches of two Pattaya apartments uncovered 104 ya ba tablets and 30,770 baht in cash.
Saksit Suwadit (seated center) is brought in for questioning after police nailed him in a sting operation.
Police claim Rasa confessed to being a dealer, saying she got the drugs from Patumpa Unsri, 30, on Soi Nong Hin. With her assistance, police set up a second sting operation, arresting Patumpa and seizing 13 g. of ya ice and 28 ya ba pills.
DSI investigators said Patumpa confessed she bought the drugs from Saksit Suwadit, 33, of Surasak. Officers then set up another sting operation with the Sriracha man, this time at the Pattaya Remand Prison.
Police captured Saksit and recovered 483 ya ba tablets and 18.5 g. of ya ice from his van. At Saksit’s home, DSI officials said they found a 9 mm pistol, 52 bullets, 15,280 baht in cash and a motorbike.
Investigators claim Saksit confessed, saying he was working for his brother Chaiyaporn Suwadit, 30, an inmate at Chonburi Central Prison. The brother allegedly ordered drugs by phone and arranged a place for them to be picked up and smuggled into the jail.
