CHIANG RAI, Sept 25 – Police arrested a suspected member of a major drug network in the North, two suspected drug traffickers in the capital and a suspected drug smuggler in Phuket.
Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung and Acting national police chief Pol Gen Priewpan Damapong informed a news conference on Sunday of the arrest of a drug suspect, Weera Kunchaethong and seizure of 80,000 pills of methamphetamine.
The drug was seized from cabbage baskets in a pick-up truck in Mae Sae in the northern province of Chiang Rai, 200 metres from Thai-Myanmar border while Mr Veera was transporting it to a small-scale dealer.
After the arrest, police investigated further and seized another 60 million baht in assets. The deputy prime minister ordered the Mae Sai border checkpoint to tighten inspections on people crossing the border to prevent the possible influx of illegal drugs.
In the capital, the Metropolitan Police Division 1 investigated five urban communities in Huay Kwang, Din Daeng. The police arrested Chaiwat Jatupusin and his girlfriend at a house in the Sutthisan area and confiscated 1,400 pills of methamphetamine, 90 pills of crystal methamphetamine, 51 pills of ecstasy, 90 pills of Erimin 5, one handgun and ammunition as well as 74,000 baht in cash. Several small-scale drug users were also rounded up during the operations.
Meanwhile, a Nepalese priest was arrested at Phuket International Airport for smuggling 8-kg marijuana, worth about Bt800,000.
The suspect, Hise Chhiring Tamang, flew in to this southern island province from India after a transit in Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur. The man had entered Thailand for the fifth time according to his passport record. The previous times he entered the kingdom were through Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport.
He was sent to officials for further questioning and charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and cross-border drug smuggling.
