Huge "ice bust" - but its just the mules arrested - bigger fish slip through the net

[webfact]

Daily News Thai Caption: International "Ice" bust

 

All the press were invited to Songkhla yesterday for a big photo opportunity for local police and officials to celebrate a crystal meth or "ice" bust in the southern Thai province.

 

But despite the bluster it was just a couple of mules who were arrested - the bigger fish got away again.

 

Daily News reported that provincial governor Jessada Jitsan was at Region 4 HQ along with a long list of RTP top brass, too numerous to mention here.

 

They had seized 585 kilos of ice worth 117 million baht that would fetch half a billion baht if it had got abroad as intended.

 

Pollawat, 33, and his girlfriend Saranya were nabbed. They are natives of Rattaphum district in Songkhla.

 

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Houses were searched and the drugs were found concealed in electric fryers. 

 

Also taken into evidence was a gun and ammunition, six phones and SIM cards and an Isuzu pick-up.

 

But two men named as Aphisit and Abdolunat managed to get wise and flee from the authorities in time. 

 

Picture: Daily News

 

Also nowhere to be found was the big player behind the intended shipment abroad, a man called Chollee. He and the two others remain at large with an arrest warrant out for Chollee.

 

Pollawat said this was the fifth time that he'd been involved in such a deal.

 

He was paid just 100,000 baht for his involvement showing just how far down the gang's chain of command he is. 

 

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[flyingtlger]

Same ole song and dance....The big fish always seem to get away and even if they're caught they have enough connections and $ to slip through the cracks.....

[Iamfalang]

I’m the CEO of a multi trillion operation and I wrap myself in ICE when I fly.   Is Putin in Ukraine?  I’m shocked the big fish isn’t flipping hamburgers at midnight while cleaning the toilets!!

[Hans Johnson]

They never let the product get to the big fish. To excited for the photo shoot and media attention 

[Pedrogaz]

So the big news in this story is that usually it's the big fish who get caught and the minnow mules escape? Ahhh now I understand and here's me thinking the RTP were giving the big fish an easy ride. How stupid can I be?

[RichardColeman]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Pollawat said this was the fifth time that he'd been involved in such a deal.

Sometimes, these idiots really are their own worst enemy

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

But despite the bluster it was just a couple of mules who were arrested - the bigger fish got away again.

Surprisingly... the big fish get away and the haul will be dealt with accordingly.

[Dumbfounded]

this is the sideshow while the main shipment of a few tons has safely left the port ????

[Andycoops]

We all know that the lowest rung here cops the jail time as of course those higher up are buying off the arresters, hardly news, just a sad reflection of the endemic corruption.