Three people were arrested at Don Mueang Airport yesterday after police found a kilogram of crystal methamphetamine with a street value of about THB800,000 (US$27,000), stuffed inside cans of fish.
Police officials announced the arrest of Pattaraporn Sawachote, 33, her brother Manatchai Chotithana, 43, and his wife, Maneeploypleun Chotithana, 46, at a 5pm presser on Monday.
Maj. Gen. Phiraphong Wongsamarn, deputy commander of a police special operations division, told reporters that they were tipped off by a vigilante Facebook page. An investigation led them to track Pattaraporn from a motel and then to the airport.
Upon the trio’s arrival at the terminal, police asked to examine their bags. Inside they found 100 grams of meth stuffed into 10 empty cans of Thai sardines. The cans were also wrapped in paper and another plastic bag.
Upon their arrest, the trio reportedly confessed to criminal intent, saying they were preparing to export the meth to Japan. They said to have been hired by a Thai woman living abroad and the trio would split their tasks. Manatchai would pick up the drugs from an associate and store them at a motel where Pattaraporn would pick them up.
After the transaction was done, Manatchai and Maneeploypleun said they would be wired THB20,000 (US$660) each while Pattaraporn got THB50,000 (US$1,656.) They had apparently completed two such transactions before being taken down.
The three face charges drug-related charges including possession and intent to traffic class one narcotics.
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