BANGKOK, Aug 7 — Two members of an alleged transnational drug syndicate were detained with 432,000 methamphetamine (or ‘speed’) pills, valued at Bt129 million (about US$4.3 million), in Hat Yai district of the southern province of Songkhla, according to Thailand’s Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB) at a press briefing on Sunday.
Waesayutee Teuramae and Mustopa Yeepa, both Narathiwat residents, were apprehended while smuggling the meth pills from a neighbouring country in the North of Thailand to Hat Yai, NSB Commander Pol Lt-Gen Atithep Panjamanon told the press briefing chaired by Police Chief Pol Gen Wichean Potephosree.
An initial investigation found that the alleged transnational drug ring used Hat Yai as a hub for selling and distributing the speed pills to key drug dealers in the three southern border provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat, as well as smuggling the drug to neighbouring Malaysia.
In addition, this drug syndicate is believed to be linked to a suspected insurgent group in the far South, according to the drug police.
As a preliminary information found that the suspected transnational drug ring stayed in a hideout in Malaysia, Thai drug police coordinated with Malaysian authorities for further arrests.
The Malaysian officials captured nine alleged drug syndicate members and seized 16 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine, 22 kilogrammes of heroin and 2,000 meth pills.
Apart from the detention of the two suspects linked to the transnational drug ring, the police also detained two Laos nationals with 2,000 speed pills at Mo Chit Bus Terminal in Bangkok, preparing to deliver the drug to customers in the Ramindra area.
