Police announce huge recent drug hauls
By JESSADA CHANTARARAK
THE NATION
2011-03-10
Phitsanulok Police have seized around 2,600,000 ya ba tablets and 102 kilograms of crystal meth from drug smugglers, while Prachuap Khiri Khan Police arrested an Indian man with 22 kilograms of heroin, it was announced at a press conference yesterday.
Police Region 6 chief Lt-General Ajin Chotiwong reported via video link that police obtained a search warrant after an investigation indicated smugglers would bring a large amount of narcotics over the Thai-Laotian border in Chat Trakan district.
Finding a group of suspicious men loading bags onto a Toyota Vigo pickup truck and an Isuzu D-Max pickup truck in Ban Rak Thai village, police presented themselves to carry out a search but the men jumped on the trucks and sped away.
At the scene, police seized seven bags containing 986,000 ya ba tablets, 48kg of crystal meth (known on the street as ice) and a cellphone.
Another police team later found the Toyota Vigo abandoned in a tapioca plantation four kilometres away and seized 11 bags containing 1,630,000 ya ba tablets and 54kg of ice, Ajin said.
Yesterday morning, Phitsanulok police searched other communities and seized 2,000 ya ba tablets and 2kg of ice.
As for the Prachuap Khiri Khan case, national police chief Pol-General Wichien Pojprosri announced police in the province had arrested Indian national Ammed Siyid, 29, along with 22kg of heroin worth Bt1.3 billion.
The arrest was made at Thap Sakae bus station at 00.20am yesterday following a tip-off that a foreigner was transporting drugs by bus from Bangkok to Songkhla.
The Indian reportedly confessed he was hired by a Malaysian investor to deliver the drugs to Songkhla in exchange for Bt30,000.
Police will investigate further to find and arrest his accomplices.