Farang Held In Phuket Drug Bust

[Buff-horns]

BANGKOK (AFP): -- Thai police have arrested a Briton, his Thai wife and

two Hong Kong men in connection with a seizure of 40 kilograms (88

pounds) of heroin.

The Hong Kong residents, Chung Oi Fung, 42, and Leung Pak Lun, 21, were

arrested late Friday in front of a hotel in the popular Thai resort

island of Phuket.

The Hong Kong men were carrying two pieces of luggage containing 100

bars of pure heroin estimated at 35 million baht (875,000 dollars).

Police later arrested Briton Ian James Newton, 49, and his Thai wife

Sungwan Newton, 38, who were waiting to receive the heroin from the

Hong Kong men at the hotel.

"The suspects confessed to possession of heroin and drug trafficking,

which could earn them a death sentence" if convicted, Colonel Chatree

Paisalsilp of Thailand's Narcotics Suppression Bureau Police told AFP.

He said the four were part of an international drug trafficking gang

that authorities from Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Norway and the

United States had cooperated in tracking for three months.

--AFP 2005-11-05

Edited November 5, 2005 by george

[george]

New Zealand man among four arrested for drugs in Thailand

Photo:Thai Rath

BANGKOK: -- (AP) A New Zealand man was among four people arrested for allegedly attempting to smuggle 40 kilograms (88 pounds) of heroin into the southern tourist island of Phuket, police said Saturday.

Kerry Graeme Mitchell, 49, was arrested with his Thai wife, Sangvan Newton, near the Phuket port on Friday, Lt. Gen. Wacharaphon Prasanrachakit said.

Earlier in the day, two Hong Kong nationals _Leung Chun Yu, 20, and Barry Chung Oi Fung, 42_ were detained with the heroin and later implicated Mitchell, he said.

Mitchell also allegedly held a fake British passport under the name Ian James Newton, Wacharaphon said.

The four are being held in a Bangkok jail. If convicted, they could be sentenced to death.

Thailand has some of the most draconian drug laws in Asia and scores of foreigners are on death row for drug-related convictions.

Authorities believe the four were planning to ship the heroin _ bought in Myanmar _ via a private yacht to Hong Kong and Australia for sale. They were detained before they boarded the yacht, authorities said.

--AP 2005-11-05

Edited November 5, 2005 by george

[sriracha john]

The Hong Kong Connection:

Leung Pak Lun and Chung Oi Fung

Edited November 5, 2005 by sriracha john

[Lifelover]

Good work. One small win against a rising tide of trafficking.

I can only assume that the perps were desperate individuals.

[Maejo Man]

They don't seem to learn, but of course they are far smarter than the police aren't they

[vilma]

New Zealand man among four arrested for drugs in Thailand

Photo:Thai Rath

BANGKOK: -- (AP) A New Zealand man was among four people arrested for allegedly attempting to smuggle 40 kilograms (88 pounds) of heroin into the southern tourist island of Phuket, police said Saturday.

Kerry Graeme Mitchell, 49, was arrested with his Thai wife, Sangvan Newton, near the Phuket port on Friday, Lt. Gen. Wacharaphon Prasanrachakit said.

Earlier in the day, two Hong Kong nationals _Leung Chun Yu, 20, and Barry Chung Oi Fung, 42_ were detained with the heroin and later implicated Mitchell, he said.

Mitchell also allegedly held a fake British passport under the name Ian James Newton, Wacharaphon said.

The four are being held in a Bangkok jail. If convicted, they could be sentenced to death.

Thailand has some of the most draconian drug laws in Asia and scores of foreigners are on death row for drug-related convictions.

Authorities believe the four were planning to ship the heroin _ bought in Myanmar _ via a private yacht to Hong Kong and Australia for sale. They were detained before they boarded the yacht, authorities said.

--AP 2005-11-05

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[OZONE]

"If you sell it, they will come". In Thailand, everyone knows its a harsh punishment for selling drugs, yet they still do it. Play with fire and you get burn; in this case, you'll get death for a bunch of green papers.

[britmaveric]

Death or life in prison is waiting for this lot. Fking h ell 88lbs?

[taxexile]

Fking h ell 88lbs?

exactly.

i wouldnt be surprised if they get the full monte as an example to others.

[sriracha john]

Four nabbed in B50m heroin bust

Suspect Ian James Newton is escorted off his yacht.

PHUKET: Three foreign men and a Thai woman were arrested yesterday on charges of attempting to smuggle 40 kilograms of heroin out of Thailand in a yacht.

Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB) Deputy Commissioner Pol Maj Gen Suwat Chanitthikul said that two men from Hong Kong, whom he named as Barry Chung Oi Fung, 42, and Leung Pak Long, 20, were arrested at a hotel in Karon.

The general told the Gazette that the NSB had received a tip-off from the Hong Kong Police that the two men had brought the heroin, worth 50 million baht, from Bangkok to Phuket.

He said, “We arrested them when they brought two heavy suitcases out [of the hotel], and put them into their car.

“After questioning them, we were convinced that more people were involved.”

The police then went to the Yacht Haven Marina and arrested Briton Ian James Newton, 49, and his Thai wife Sangwan Newton, 38, the owners of the 15-meter yacht Short Time.

Gen Suwat said that no evidence of crime had been found during a search of the yacht, but police still believe the couple were involved in the smuggling attempt.

All four were taken to Bangkok and are currently undergoing interrogation at the NSB headquarters.

--Phuket Gazette 2005-11-05

[jaapfries]

The police then went to the Yacht Haven Marina and arrested Briton Ian James Newton, 49, and his Thai wife Sangwan Newton, 38, the owners of the 15-meter yacht Short Time.

===================================================

I have no compassion for any drug-dealing people. As they would say in Thailand "are you Tupid ?!"

I am, however very interested in this 15 Mtr. yacht named "Short-Time" ! Maybe the 'tupid' British-Kiwi needs money for his attorneys ? ? Wanna sell this boat ? ? I am very keen to discuss this matter.

Also 1/2 a "K1W1"

[Thaipwriter]

Death sentence for these guys, 88 pounds of heroin.......its goodnight, and rightly so.

Heroin is the worst of the worst.

[Maejo Man]

The police then went to the Yacht Haven Marina and arrested Briton Ian James Newton, 49, and his Thai wife Sangwan Newton, 38, the owners of the 15-meter yacht Short Time.

===================================================

I have no compassion for any drug-dealing people. As they would say in Thailand "are you Tupid ?!"

I am, however very interested in this 15 Mtr. yacht named "Short-Time" ! Maybe the 'tupid' British-Kiwi needs money for his attorneys ? ? Wanna sell this boat ? ?  I am very keen to discuss this matter.

Also 1/2 a "K1W1"

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Me too, that's a sizeable piece of floating real estate. I wonder where it's registered

[meom]

Except for hearsay and a false passport there's not much of a case against the Kiwi & Thai.

[Potato]

NICE ONE,IF GUILTY HOPE THEY GET THE CHOP !!!!!!

[Greer]

Look at them - the picture of health - sailing around dealing death to the poor unfortunates who know no better. Hang them... a nice needle and off to sleep is too good for them!

[britmaveric]

Except for hearsay and a false passport there's not much of a case against the Kiwi & Thai.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

In a thai court that's enough for a conviction!

[bino]

The police then went to the Yacht Haven Marina and arrested Briton Ian James Newton, 49, and his Thai wife Sangwan Newton, 38, the owners of the 15-meter yacht Short Time.

===================================================

I have no compassion for any drug-dealing people. As they would say in Thailand "are you Tupid ?!"

I am, however very interested in this 15 Mtr. yacht named "Short-Time" ! Maybe the 'tupid' British-Kiwi needs money for his attorneys ? ? Wanna sell this boat ? ?  I am very keen to discuss this matter.

Also 1/2 a "K1W1"

Me too, that's a sizeable piece of floating real estate. I wonder where it's registered

I would imagine that the boat has been seized / confiscated and is not his to sell anymore. Likely to become some minister's new plaything.

[bob/nyc]

You would think that being in this business, you would know what the consequences are for getting caught, but that does not stop them. I guess they think that they will be the ones that will not get caught.

[Sir Burr]

88 lbs. Well, you might as well get hung for a sheep as for a lamb.

[RhodeIslandRed]

Hopefully they will not be back on the streets. Lets hope that the heroin does not make it back on the street also.

[dantilley]

Thailand has some of the most draconian drug laws in Asia and scores of foreigners are on death row for drug-related convictions.

Is this true? I thought no foreigner had been executed, or indeed sentenced to death, for years.

[meemiathai]

Another bunch of victims of the stupid unrealistic hypocritical law followed by a series of cold-blooded comments followed by again pointless arguments followed by pressure of not-known-to-me source followed by closure of the thread followed by another post on people smuggling drugs followed by ........

And yes! Let's pick rocks up and throw! What else can we do to those bloody criminals? What about some torturing? What about using mercury? What about necklacing? .........

And people talk about human rights of terrorists. Strange, strange, .....

[Sir Burr]

Drug bust threads are just like the paedophile threads. The usual, predictable stuff.

[Joey Boy]

Except for hearsay and a false passport there's not much of a case against the Kiwi & Thai.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

woulda thought they'd have let the hand over take place if more evidence was required on top of what they have from surveilance over the last few months

[dantilley]

Another bunch of victims of the stupid unrealistic hypocritical law followed by a series of cold-blooded comments followed by again pointless arguments followed by pressure of not-known-to-me source followed by closure of the thread followed by another post on people smuggling drugs followed by ........

And yes!  Let's pick rocks up and throw!  What else can we do to those bloody criminals?  What about some torturing?  What about using mercury?  What about necklacing?  .........

And people talk about human rights of terrorists. Strange, strange, .....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Very true! Gets quite tedious doesn't it? Unless, as I very much doubt, this thread takes a different course than all the others have, I'd advocate much eariler locking.

[taxexile]

meemiathai

Another bunch of victims

who did you say were the victims here ?

[Heng]

Thailand has some of the most draconian drug laws in Asia and scores of foreigners are on death row for drug-related convictions.

Is this true? I thought no foreigner had been executed, or indeed sentenced to death, for years.

For those convicted, I think a humane and more comfortable option would be to put them in glass tanks *like the ones in the Amsterdam red light district* at the airport with "a hi! My name is Ian James Newton, this is what happens to drug dealers (if they are lucky) in Thailand. I have chosen to have 3 regular meals a day and live in this glass box for 20 years instead of spending 20 years eating fishheads and rice everyday at Bangkwang. Thank you for visiting the magic kingdom." signs as part of a deterrence campaign.

[phuketrichard]

Come on, the only reason they were busted is there were no thai's, ( a thai wife of a farang doe snot count) involved!!!

If there had been you never would have read about it.

"If you sell it, they will come".  In Thailand, everyone knows its a harsh punishment for selling drugs, yet they still do it.  Play with fire and you get burn; in this case, you'll get death for a bunch of green papers.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Edited November 5, 2005 by phuketrichard

[meemiathai]

meemiathai

Another bunch of victims

who did you say were the victims here ?

Those four human beings, tax.