Muangthong United star footballer Kone Mohamed was detained in a police crackdown in the Nana area of Bangkok in late February and reportedly tested positive for drugs.
Mohamed and the owner of the team Mr. Ronnarit Seuwaja are fighting the charges, however, maintaining that the urine test came up as positive because of vitamins he was taking.
On Feb. 29, 120 officer from the Narcotics Suppression Bureau rounded up people from entertainment venues on Soi Nana and Soi Maku – areas frequented by African immigrants – for urine drug tests and passport checks, The Daily News reported.
Mohamed Mohamed, a 28-year-old and from the Ivory Coast, was detained as well as fellow footballer Abdul Kuribali, a 25-year-old midfielder for Phuket Football Club. Mohamed’s initial urine test came up positive for drugs on the scene, so police arrested him and took him to the police station for an official test. He reportedly was angry and shouted, “I am a soccer player!” from the police car when he was taken away.
At the police station, Mohamed looked away when the Daily News reported tried to photograph him and the Chief of Immigration Bureau Pol. Maj. Wirachai Wankanokkul has to speak to him to cool him down.
Mohamed insisted that he was in Nana to get some food and a hair cut and that he hadn’t taken any drugs, only vitamins. Pol. Maj. Wirachai told the reporter that they were sending his urine to be officially tested, and that if the didn’t find any drug elements they wouldn’t do anything to him. Mohamed was then released to await the results of the test.
Later on March 5, the director of SCG Muangthong United Football Club Mr. Ronnarit Seuwaja and Mohamed visited National Police Chief Pol. Gen. Priewpan Damapong with a letter proclaiming his innocence. Ronnarit also brought a urine test from Bangkok Hospital to confirm that Mohamed was clean and demanded to see the official police test, according to another story in the Daily News.
Pol. Moj. Gen Piya Utayo, a spokesman for the royal police, said that he would request the urine test results from the Narcotics Suppression Bureau.
Mohamed is one of the top goal scorers in the Thai Premiere League and has led Muangthong United to win the championship three times. A video of him scoring a nice one is below.
Original Thai language stories plus photos from the Daily News are here and here.
Translated by Christal
