Up Date On 2005 Heroin Bust Phuket

[newtronbom]

Hello members. My name is Ian Newton. My wife and I are free!!!. We were in prison for 22 months. I won't even begin to describe the conditions there. This website ran an article on me and my wife, when we got busted in Phuket for heroin in October 2005 on our yacht. First off my name really is Ian Newton. No false passport as averred by the police. I was born in the UK but grew up in New Zealand. We had nothing to do with the drug bust. There were no drugs found on us or our property. We are totally innocent as we proved in court!! The Judge said that there were no grounds for the arrest and imprisonment of us by the police. There was no evidence at all, linking us to the crime during the 4 months surveillance by the police, nor in the following 24 months that it took to hear our case and be set free. Not that the police didn't try! It is not easy to win a case like this in Thailand. If any of you want the full story, please let me know and I will send it. I do note that one of our members did have his doubts. He was right about the hearsay but wrong about the passport. Cheers people. Ian Newton.

[Orangutan]

Hello Ian,

What a nightmare I think you should post the story so we can all read it. Would like to understand how and why this happened to you and your wife.

Welcome back to the world,

-O

[newtronbom]

Hello Ian,

What a nightmare I think you should post the story so we can all read it. Would like to understand how and why this happened to you and your wife.

Welcome back to the world,

-O

Thanks for the wellcome back. Believe me it is good to be back. The last couple of years have really been an eye opener! Right now I am working hard to get my beer tolerance back up. Appreciate the support. Where would it be best to post the full story?

[taxexile]

as well as posting it here , i think you should try and get the story picked up by the international press.

name and shame those responsible for the false arrest and imprisonment.

[triplegee]

Congratulations on your return to freedom Ian. It's great to see justice served for a change. I am sure you will find there's massive interest in your story - I'd love to hear it.

Enjoy those beers.

Cheers,

GG

[newtronbom]

Thank you for asking. There is really too much to put on paper but I will try to cover the basics. If you have any further questions please feel free to ask. The drugs were never even close to us at any time! The police said on the news that there were two suitcases on the wharf by the yacht containing heroin. This was one of their many lies!! The two suitcases of heroin were with the Hong Kong guys at their hotel in Patong beach. This is a long way from where we were at Yacht Haven Marina. The cases pictured beside the yacht on the news, held some of our clothes. The police searched the yacht with 15 specialists and two drug dogs – and found nothing. However, 5 hours later (we were still being grilled by the police), a policeman, on his own, discovered a small plastic bag with my wife's name on it in one of the bathrooms. They put this there themselves, because they realized, after questioning us and the Hong Kong guys, that there was no evidence to support their case. There were two DEA guys there as well and they were right in with the Thai drug police. Turned a blind eye to the lack of evidence. When I asked them about it they just said "you are a dead man" may as well confess and get it over with. When the policeman who found the bag was questioned in court as to just where he found it, he said it was in a drawer in the bathroom. When shown a photo of the bathroom and asked where the drawer was, he couldn't, as there are no drawers in the bathroom only cupboards!! The Judge was really angry with him too, as he did not have permission to search the yacht again or have any witness to support his claim. It was obvious that he was lying and the Judge ordered him out of court!!. In my country he would have gone to prison not us. But hey, this is Thailand.

The two Hong Kong men did not know us and had never had any contact with us in any way. This was proven in court despite the police saying otherwise. They did not as the police said, implicate us. How could they since they had never heard of us. The first time we ever met was in the police cells. The police told them to say that, another fact which came out in court. The police followed us for 4 months, 24 hours a day and did not have a scrap of evidence (apart from 100s of innocent photos of us shopping and going about our lives) for their troubles. Having spent all that time and manpower however, cost them a fortune. The day of our arrest they had two army helicopters and over 150 men on the jetty at Phuket. They were determined to put us in prison and tried and find the evidence later. There was none, so we are free. This is not an easy thing to do in a Thai court. Their whole case was built on the coincidence of me being at a hotel in Bangkok which the two Hong Kong men visited briefly and me having a prior conviction in Taiwan (positive urine sample at a night club after smoking laced gunga. Big deal!). They had no idea where the heroin was to be sold (the two HKs were only boys and didn't know) and the reason they said Australia was because I had told them that, on being questioned, that I could sell the yacht in Aussie for profit. They wanted to know why I had bought the yacht. When I told them I had bought it to do up for sale or for charter, they did not believe me. They asked me where I could sell it. As I pointed out, I would have made quite a good profit selling it in Australia. The yacht cost me 4.7 mill baht and could have sold in Aussie for at least 8 or 9 mill baht. As I only had to spend about 200,000 baht to get it in top shape, that would have been a nice profit. We really wanted to charter it though. It is ideal for that, as it has so much room both inside and out. When I asked one of the Hong Kong men in court, where the drugs were supposed to go, he said the bags were to be picked up from Phuket and flown out of the country. He did not know where. At that point, he had no reason to lie. When I asked him why he had not told the police, he said that he had, but the police weren't interested. Meanwhile, my yacht has been tied up at the jetty in Yacht Haven for over two years without any care or maintenance. It has smashed up against the wharf in every storm and sustained a lot of damage. Not even an inch of water in the bilge 2 months ago though. My wife and I went down there to have a look. Everything that was of value has been stripped off it by the police (we have witnesses at the marina who were too scared to stop them) – tools, spare parts, Garmins GPS receiver, charts and all the food, wine, whiskey and even clothes and bed sheets!! Now I have a bill for the mooring fees at 15,000 baht per month (21 months). We have had our house returned to us, but the police stripped it of all our things too. At the time of our arrest, I owned an Isuzu 4 door pic up 4x4. I was paying it off. We owed only 100,000 on it. We have lost this. Also lost my motor bike, 3 computers, Sony home theater, all my tools both electric and hand, along with a radio controlled helicopter, gold and jewelry. The court case cost us just over 1 million baht to fight and I can not even begin to calculate how much I have lost business wise. I used to do computer graphics and backgrounds for video games. Right now, we are really broke and have no work. Our name is crap all over the world (no one wants to know if you win and are innocent!) and we are struggling to survive. Who wants to do business with an international drug dealer?? Conditions in prison were atrocious. If not for the support of my family, I would have been a lot worse off. My wife needs a heart valve transplant now, because she got no medicine for an existing heart condition while she was inside. Neither of us could get bail as the case was so big and the police fought it. I have aged more than 10 years past the age I should be. We both suffer from nightmares. Despite all this, I love Thailand. It is my home. My wife and I had tremendous support from family and friends while we were in prison and they continue to support us now that we are out too. You couldn't say that we are living comfortably though. Barely surviving. Hope this article has been of interest to you. I thank you for taking the time to find out the truth and not believing all that you hear on the news. We would appreciate any good advice from you members.

Yours sincerely. Ian and Sangwan Newton.

**email removed per forum rules** sbk

[OxfordWill]

Time to write a book and make your million - Im sure you deserve it by now.

[LiveSteam]

Are there any news articles or site you can direct us to for information.

There's lots of this stuff here in Thailand and it really makes me sad because it always boils down to FACE.

LiveSteam

[bangkokrick]

It sounds like you have been to hel_l and back mate. I wish you and your wife good luck for the future and hope that you manage to salvage some of your lost property.

[newtronbom]

Are there any news articles or site you can direct us to for information.

There's lots of this stuff here in Thailand and it really makes me sad because it always boils down to FACE.

LiveSteam

there are still a few old pieces out there. will try to track them down and get back to you. thanks for your support. mitch

[newtronbom]

It sounds like you have been to hel_l and back mate. I wish you and your wife good luck for the future and hope that you manage to salvage some of your lost property.

we hope to get back some of our stuff too. my really good computer is being used as a game machine in the drug enforcment offices at din dang as we speak. saw it there on one of our many visits while trying to get our house back. we think that most of our things will have just dissapeared!! thank you for your support as well. mitch

[gusG]

Congratulations on outcome of your trial, I'm sure a lot of folks around here would like to read the whole story. maybe a blog or then again as OxfordWill suggested write something you can make some money from. good luck in the future. Cheers.

PS Is there a link to the original story?

Edited May 10, 2008 by gusG

[steelepulse]

Congratulations on outcome of your trial, I'm sure a lot of folks around here would like to read the whole story. maybe a blog or then again as OxfordWill suggested write something you can make some money from. good luck in the future. Cheers.

PS Is there a link to the original story?

Does  the gazette archives go back this far, or was TV around back then.  I seem to recall the case, can't believe it has been so long.  To the OP, glad that justice finally was found and served, too back it too so long.

http://www.phuketgazette.net/news/index.asp?id=4623

here was a thread from tv http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...mp;#entry537368

://http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index...#entry537368

Edited May 10, 2008 by steelepulse

[sbk]

Topics merged. I beleive this is the story from 2005 as reported in the news: Farang Held In Phuket Drug Bust

[jumnien]

Sorry to hear about your drug bust in Taiwan and then in Thailand. Sober and free living from here on out, no?

[JetsetBkk]

Time to write a book and make your million - Im sure you deserve it by now.

Absolutely!

I would also say "name names", but as you indicate that you will probably stay here, that would be like signing your own death warrant.

So best of luck, write up everything you can remember and try to get it published.

[BEENTHEREDONETHAT]

newtronbom

I agree you should consider writting a book about it. If writting is not your thing you may be able to arrange a ghost writter for part of the profit. In any case we wish you the best of everything. .

[Boater]

contact Phuket Gazzette, make them put a story in the paper, also Bangkok Post, but not the Nation,

[mrtoad]

Good luck to you for the future, you deserve it after that treatment. Sadly, I doubt anyone will take any responsibilty for the losses that you have inccured through their crooked police work.

[steve w]

is the Nation a gov. controlled paper then?

[logbags]

Your story is a classic case of why I have never invested 1 baht in Thailand even though I have been going to Phuket for the last 24 years.

The cops are no better than khaki clad gangsters and you will never see your gear again.

This is a sobering story for people who have little experience in Thailand or are thinking of parking their hard earned dosh there.

In some respects you are fortunate to have had the money to fight as others including Thais just get sent to jail for 30 years as they have no hope of paying for a decent lawyer and no legal assistance is available for the poor.

Let me ask, how many times were you approached for a sling for the prosecutor or judge? If you fall for that which you obviously didn't, they will milk you like the proverbial cash cow with all sorts of promises of freedom etc.

I was involved in a court case in Phuket that ran for 10 years. We had a good lawyer who was very cheap. We won after our opponent appealed 3 times.

Put out a book, go on the chat circuit and recoup your losses, who knows a movie could come if the book is juicy enough.

I'm arriving in Phuket next week, I'll help you write it LOL..........

[Macx]

Write your book. Better yet find an agent. He/She will find you a writer and sell your movie rights as well. I don't suspect our local Boys in Brown read many English books. And by the time your movie comes out, you'll be sailing onto brighter horizons anyway.

People here have short memory. They'll have bigger fish to fry by the time your book/movie comes out.

And if some of them don't, Thailand isn't the only LOS in the world.

Seriously, find a positive way out of this unfortunate hole they've put you in.

Best wishes.

[bob4you]

I'm curious, why not "The Nation"?

[Naam]

Despite all this, I love Thailand. It is my home.

you seem to be a brave man Ian. i will submit your case to the Klingon High Council with the recommendation to award you with honorary Klingon citizenship.

congratulations on the outcome and joke aside. if something like this would have happened to me and my wife we'd take the next available flight out of Thailand.

[bangkokrick]

Despite all this, I love Thailand. It is my home.

you seem to be a brave man Ian. i will submit your case to the Klingon High Council with the recommendation to award you with honorary Klingon citizenship.

congratulations on the outcome and joke aside. if something like this would have happened to me and my wife we'd take the next available flight out of Thailand.

If i was Ian i would be doing the same as soon as possible. Look at the case of Kevin Quill he was acquitted by the courts and then the supreme court overturned this ruling.

See below.

Kevin Quill, 45, former owner of the Fighting Cock pub, was arrested and convicted in 2001 on drug charges, which he has strenuously denied.

He served six months in a Thai jail before being granted bail. In 2005 the country's Court of Appeal acquitted Mr Quill of the charges saying there was no evidence against him.

However this week the case went to the Supreme Court who rejected the acquittal and sentenced him to six years' imprisonment.

Scource: Telegraph and Argus (British local paper)

How can anyone have any confidence in the Thai judicial system when you see this kind of thing happening. He had every chance not to return from the UK to Thailand when he was acquitted, but believed in the Thai system and he was sadly let down badly.

Cheers, Rick

[Boater]

I'm curious, why not "The Nation"?

Just increditably bad reporting at the moment

just read some of the news clippings as an example..........

[flamingtodd]

This is shocking.

They did this to you and you are being advised to write a book about it?

I would probably leave and file suit.

But that is me.

Forget about your stuff.

[Carib]

It is not just the thai police, read the part about the everywhere present doing such a fine job.... DEA !!

[logbags]

Well if you want to understand the USA look at just two movies on Y tube or the web. One is called Zeitgeist and the other is called the Money Masters. Everything gets back to the control of money and keeping the rich where they are. Thailand is full of DEA and various spooks. I remember seeing them in Chiang Mai and Mai Sai back in the 80's. Patong must have a few for sure. Suckers who dunno who really runs the drug trade.

Thailand's legal system can work well in some cases but if people of influence are involded, money and face saving will prevail over justice in most cases.

The Duang Yubumrung case is the all time classic case in seeing Thai justice at work. The son of current interior minister Police Captain Chalerm was involded in a nightclub fight where a policeman was shot dead in front of countless witnesses.

He fled Thailand and turned much up later in Malaysia where he surrended. He was stripped of his rank in the army and was charged with murder. He walked free due to "lack of evidence" put up by the prosecution even though this cop was shot in a crowded nightclub in front of many eye witnesses.

The widow of the Policeman appealed but strangely dropped the appeal the day it was to be heard. To make it a complete shambles this man was recently reinstated into the army with his previous held rank even though he had been kicked out for desertion and being AWOL. In 10 years time he will be a General or a cabinent minister.

His father is the current interior minister and a former Police Captain, the former Prime Minister Thaksin is also a former Policeman as is his father-in-law. So this heroin case must of been a complete no brainer, if not I'm sure they'd have found a way to lock up the farang.

My advice is this, avoid any contact with the Thai police at all. If ever arrested sort it out there and then with a bribe and bolt. If arrested and totally innocent still try to get out quickly as this case shows waiting for justice can eventually cost heaps more, even if you walk free. Half of the cops in Thailand drive cars or motorbikes they have corruptly taken off others.

The more police involded in your arrest the worse you will be as they will all want a sling or you might get a hard arse who wants to bust a farang just for the glory of having one on his quota. You must remember ranks in the Thai services are bought and sold so any officer must accumulate large sums to get up the ranks, so don't expect talking to a senior officer will do anything. It will just ensure an even larger bribe.

Never flaunt what you have as you might as well paint a bulls eye on yourself. People will be quietly waiting for a chance to take you down if you give them an opportunity. I could name 20 businesses off the top of my head in Patong that were started by farangs but are now run by Thais. The only farangs I have seen last are people with some local support through a wife or in-law. Many have young adult Thai born children who can legally run things for them.

This poor bastard walked free but lost all his possesions, in any other country this would be a huge story and compensation could be sought. In Thailand nobody cares.

[newtronbom]

Despite all this, I love Thailand. It is my home.

you seem to be a brave man Ian. i will submit your case to the Klingon High Council with the recommendation to award you with honorary Klingon citizenship.

congratulations on the outcome and joke aside. if something like this would have happened to me and my wife we'd take the next available flight out of Thailand.

If i was Ian i would be doing the same as soon as possible. Look at the case of Kevin Quill he was acquitted by the courts and then the supreme court overturned this ruling.

See below.

Kevin Quill, 45, former owner of the Fighting Cock pub, was arrested and convicted in 2001 on drug charges, which he has strenuously denied.

He served six months in a Thai jail before being granted bail. In 2005 the country's Court of Appeal acquitted Mr Quill of the charges saying there was no evidence against him.

However this week the case went to the Supreme Court who rejected the acquittal and sentenced him to six years' imprisonment.

Scource: Telegraph and Argus (British local paper)

How can anyone have any confidence in the Thai judicial system when you see this kind of thing happening. He had every chance not to return from the UK to Thailand when he was acquitted, but believed in the Thai system and he was sadly let down badly.

Cheers, Rick

Hi Rick. Thanks for the advice. It's a shitty situation we have cause on one hand this is, for better or worse our home now. Burnt all my bridges so to speak at home. I too am worried about Thai justice, but what to do? If I stay we run the risk of going down, but on the other hand, if we get out of dodge, I will be breaking the law as well. The prosecutor has appealled our case and I am not allowed to leave the country without permission from the court. I don't have Taksin Shinawatts clout and I doubt that the court would give us permission to leave. Oh dear. Mitch.