Policeman injured by suspect in Ayutthaya
Region 5 Police announced the arrest of a major drug trafficking ring that was tracked down after the arrest of ten members of the ring in January, 2016. Police announced the arrest of five people at a press conference at Region 5 Headquarters on May 3, 2016; four in the North and one accomplice in Ayutthaya.
The case began with the arrest of Phumpipat Intarapradit, and nine other accomplices with a haul of 398,000 methamphetamine pills, 3 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine and ten firearms on January 3, 2016. The investigation led them to Phrae where they worked with police on a tip off that more members of the gang were smuggling drugs hidden under cabbages in a pickup truck.
Region 5 Police show the suspects in a drug trafficking ring recently apprehended in Lamphun and Ayutthaya.
Police traced the truck, driven by Prakit Puapornsawan, age 68 of Chiang Mai with Nangluck Saraphan age 54, to Li District, Lamphun where they found 218,000 Yaba pills in a paper box hidden inside 700 kilograms of cabbage and cauliflower. The couple told police they had been hired by Sunan Saraphan, age 26 and Thitiwat Nusa, also of Chiang Mai, to carry the drugs to Charoen Daoduangsook, age 32 of Amnart Chareon Province in Ayutthaya.
Some of the weapons seized from the suspects during the arrest.
Police went to arrest Charoen in in front of the central fresh market in Ayutthaya but he attempted to flee the scene and struck a police officer with the truck in his escape attempt. Police fired at the vehicle, injuring the driver slightly. Police then arrested Mr. Charoen for assault and drug trafficking.
In addition to the Yaba pills police found semi-automatic weapons, and froze the assets of the suspects including six cars, 1,181,000 baht in a bank account and many other assets.
