Another Ya Bah Dealer Busted In Phuket

Another meth dealer busted in Phuket

Kathu District Chief Siriphat Phathakul (right) poses with confessed meth dealer Kittipong Na Nakorn.

The suspect's Benz 230E, seized as state evidence in the case.

PHUKET: -- The Kathu Narcotics Suppression Unit arrested a Bangkok-based drug dealer in Phuket Town on Monday morning, seizing almost 3,000 ya bah (methamphetamine) pills and a Mercedes-Benz as evidence. It was the third drug arrest for the suspect, who was only recently released from jail

The arrest was announced at 1pm the same day by Kathu District Chief Siriphat Phathakul.

The raid leading to the arrest took place at room 205 of the Thidarat Apartment complex on Soi Surin 1 in Phuket Town.

Undercover officers approached the room after arranging to buy a quantity of ya bah from the suspect, later identified as 39-year-old Kittipong Na Nakorn of Bangkok, he said.

Items seized as evidence included 2,939 ya bah pills, 70,000 baht in cash and Mr Kittipong's car, an old Benz 230E with Bangkok plates.

Mr Kittipong confessed to using the car to smuggle ya bah from Bangkok onto the island through the Tah Chat Chai checkpoint.

He had made the run many times, stashing the drugs away in the cars loudspeakers, he said.

Mr Kittipong was arrested twice before on drug charges and was only recently released from prison, District Chief Siriphat said.

The seized pills had a street value of over 600,000 baht, he said.

The Kathu Narcotics Suppression Unit would continue to investigate to learn the identities of other members of Mr Kittipong’s network, he added.

-- Phuket Gazette 2010-09-08