Bt500m drug ring busted, 4 arrested

Bt500m drug ring busted, 4 arrested

By The Nation

Police raided 25 spots nationwide Wednesday morning to bust a drug ring that has been using bar receptionists to push drugs, arresting four suspects, including the alleged ring leader.

As part of the “PR Ngern Larn” operation, Deputy Police Commissioner General Pol Gen Chalermkiart Srivorakhan and Narcotics Suppression Bureau acting commissioner Pol Lt Gen Chinnaphat Sarasin led police in raiding a condominium room in Bangkok at 6.30am and arrested the ring’s alleged distributor.

The distributor and the tenant of the room was identified as Santiparp Amphanpenroj, Chalermkiart said.

Another arrested suspect was identified as Prasong Maneejit, the gang leader.

Santiparp had been renting the room for Bt12,000 a month to store and repack crystal meth and ketamine for drug pushers to resell.

Chalermkiart alleged that Santiparp mostly used receptionists at bars and cocktail lounges, known among Thais as “PRs” to help distribute the drug, a practice that also give the operation its name.

Chalermkiart added the search of the room revealed a “lot of drugs” but did not elaborate.

He added that the network’s circulation was worth some Bt500 million and authorities have frozen Bt500 million worth of assets of nine gang members. He said five other alleged gang members are still on the run.

Santiparp said during an interrogation that he has been distributing some 100 kg of the drugs each month.

Chalermkiart said police have been conducting an investigation for over a year after a drug suspect was arrested in Chon Buri ad the suspect implicated the gang, saying he bought the drugs from it.

Chalermkiart added police simultaneously searched 22 spots in Bangkok and three others in the provinces.

He said arrest warrants have been sought for the five remaining suspects.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30358516

 

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