On Friday morning, police arrested a man attempting to bring a kilo of ice and almost 8,000 yaba pills worth THB5 million into Phuket.
A team of officers from various branches of Phuket Police arrested Somphan Meemuangnok, 32, for smuggling the drugs into Phuket for distribution among local teenagers.
Phuket Police Chief Maj. Gen. Teeraphol Thipjaroen explained that local police received a tip-off from sources that a big drug delivery from Bangkok was expected to happen this week and the drug mule would be using one of the night buses arriving on Friday morning.
The source indicated that Somphan would be the man to deliver drugs, and when the bus arrived at Phuket Bus Terminal 2, law enforcement had already been there waiting for the suspect.
Having searched the man’s luggage, officers found a cardboard box with a kilo of ice and 7,886 yaba pills.
Police said the estimated street value of the drugs they seized was approximately THB5 million.
Somphan was taken to Patong police station, questioned and charged with possession of category 1 drugs with intent to sell.
Police officers are confident that he is a member of a major drug network operating in Thailand.
“We didn’t just find him by luck. We had contacts, we had background information and knowledge about the drug network,” Gen. Teeraphol said at the press conference.
According to police, Somphan had already admitted that the drugs belonged to him and provided officers with information about two other persons from the drug network.
Phuket police are now trying to identify Somphan’s suppliers in Bangkok and other member of the network.
News of Somphan’s arrest follows the announcement of a nationwide anti-crime campaign to ensure law and order during the Songkran holiday.
Measures planned for the coming festival include more vigorous suppression of unauthorized possession of weapons, human trafficking, and narcotics.
Story: The Phuket News
Reader Interactions