Bangkok Police Seize 'historic' Drugs Cache Worth 1.5 Billion Baht

[webfact]

Bangkok police seize 'historic' drugs cache worth 1.5 billion baht

BANGKOK, 22 May 2013 (NNT) – Bangkok police have made a historic drug bust in the capital city, in which they seized 4.5 million Meth pills and 60 kilograms of Ice, worth 1.5 billion baht.

The Metropolitan Police yesterday raided an apartment room in Bung Kum, Bangkok, finding the massive cache of narcotics in travel suitcases in the room. 4 guns were also found. 3 Thai suspects were arrested, comprising Sutthichai Kama (22), Sing Kaewphu (20) and a male teenager.

Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) secretary-general Phongsaphat Phongcharoen and Metropolitan Police Commissioner Khamronwit Thupkrachang visited the site of the arrest after the raid was carried out.

According to ONCB records, the drug arrest is considered the biggest ever made. The narcotics found in the room were reportedly brought in just the night before the raid.

Officials say the dealers apprehended are likely members of the northern drugs network that got its drug supply from dealers under Lieutenant Colonel Yise, a prominent dealer in Thailand's neighboring country. According to officials, the room was being used as a transit point, before the drugs get distributed further.

All the 3 men arrested claimed they were only keeping watch of the cache and that they had rented the room for 3 months.

Officials say they will examine the CCTV footage from the building's surveillance cameras to find out more about the others involved.


-- NNT 2013-05-22

[ashleyshaw1982]

RIP

[jalansanitwong]

yeah right....." theyre not our drugs.....we are just innocent people hired by gangsters to watch over 1.5 billion baht cash worth of meth and ice"

i never realised major drug dealers were so trusting in people.

[CTO]

Think about it, do people really think some young punks could negotiate and finance a hoard of drugs that big?

You don't think that someone higher up in a gang than these punks who hasn't been caught or even suspected of existing may have been the real financier/mastermind?

[hyperdimension]

Methamphetamine is not a narcotic drug. Stop using the word "narcotics" to refer to drugs in general, whether illegal or legal, as it makes you look stupid and/or ignorant. Narcotics are sleep-inducing and/or pain relieving drugs. The word comes from ancient greek for "benumb". There are many legal narcotics around, such as Hydrocodone and Oxycodone.

Call drugs "drugs", or illegal drugs "illegal drugs", or by their specific identifiable name, e.g. "methamphetamine".

Edited May 22, 2013 by hyperdimension

[justaphase]

^^ Of course.. but that still doesn't mean they're innocent.

With the biggest haul in history they're sure to get the death penalty.

The teenager (probably 19, so quite missleading really) will just get 70 or 80 years or so.

The way it works here.. you buy the drugs from the army, the police get you.. you buy from the police and the army get you.. lose lose LOSE!!

[hyperdimension]

Officials say the dealers apprehended are likely members of the northern drugs network that got its drug supply from dealers under , a prominent dealer in Thailand's neighboring country.

So is Lieutenant Colonel Yise the kingpin?

[geovalin]

A movie about Lieutenant Colonel Yise, please! Kind of Apocalypse Now.

Edited May 22, 2013 by geovalin

[bobl]

Methamphetamine is not a narcotic drug. Stop using the word "narcotics" to refer to drugs in general, whether illegal or legal, as it makes you look stupid and/or ignorant. Narcotics are sleep-inducing and/or pain relieving drugs. The word comes from ancient greek for "benumb". There are many legal narcotics around, such as Hydrocodone and Oxycodone.

Call drugs "drugs", or illegal drugs "illegal drugs", or by their specific identifiable name, e.g. "methamphetamine".

We're not in ancient Greece.

In modern use, the term "narcotics" has been adopted to a sense of "any illegal drugs" since 1926. Perhaps best not to misquote etymology sites and leave out the last paragraph to suit your agenda, whatever that is.

[JeremyBowskill]

What is interesting to me is the way certain drugs appeal to certain nations and not so much to others. For example in Asia methamphetamine is very popular, but in England for example people don't seem to really like the stuff, xtc, cocaine, heroin and ketamine are popular but not the dreaded methamphetamine. I can understand the attraction to methamphetamine in some Asian countries, like Japan for example where the pace of life is much faster, and it would make sense that a speedy type stimulant may be seen to help with the hectic pace, but Thailand with its less frantic pace would seem to fit something more like Opium or even Heroin by nature.

Any insight anyone?????

[hellodolly]

Methamphetamine is not a narcotic drug. Stop using the word "narcotics" to refer to drugs in general, whether illegal or legal, as it makes you look stupid and/or ignorant. Narcotics are sleep-inducing and/or pain relieving drugs. The word comes from ancient greek for "benumb". There are many legal narcotics around, such as Hydrocodone and Oxycodone.

Call drugs "drugs", or illegal drugs "illegal drugs", or by their specific identifiable name, e.g. "methamphetamine".

Defensive aren't we.

How do you classify alcohol? It can relieve pain.

[webfact]

Police perform Bangkok’s biggest drug bust, seize 4.5 million meth pills
By Coconuts Bangkok



BANGKOK: -- At 2pm yesterday, Metropolitan police arrested three men after they found 4.5 million methamphetamine pills and 60 kilograms of crystal meth in the men’s possession.

During the raid at an apartment on Soi Phokaew in the Bueng Kum district, police also discovered four guns and several rounds of ammunition. The three suspects told police that they were only hired to watch over the drugs.

Full story: http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2013/05/22/police-perform-bangkok%E2%80%99s-biggest-drug-bust-seize-45-million-meth-pills


-- Coconuts Bangkok 2013-05-22

[hellodolly]

^^ Of course.. but that still doesn't mean they're innocent.

With the biggest haul in history they're sure to get the death penalty.

The teenager (probably 19, so quite missleading really) will just get 70 or 80 years or so.

The way it works here.. you buy the drugs from the army, the police get you.. you buy from the police and the army get you.. lose lose LOSE!!

Yes I was wondering if there had been 1 and 1/2 billion baht worth of drugs go missing from the drugs collected by the BIB.

Just another case of Low level people in the industry getting caught. I can't understand the problem with not catching a high level personage in the trade.

All they have to do is look in to their police stations and head quarters.

Edited May 22, 2013 by hellodolly

[meatboy]

with all the drugs that are entering thailand who the hell is taking them there's not a week goes by without a big drugs bust,bring back thaksin i say,but there again they are all innocent.

[apalink_thailand]

Well done RTP !! Nice job !

[apalink_thailand]

What is interesting to me is the way certain drugs appeal to certain nations and not so much to others. For example in Asia methamphetamine is very popular, but in England for example people don't seem to really like the stuff, xtc, cocaine, heroin and ketamine are popular but not the dreaded methamphetamine. I can understand the attraction to methamphetamine in some Asian countries, like Japan for example where the pace of life is much faster, and it would make sense that a speedy type stimulant may be seen to help with the hectic pace, but Thailand with its less frantic pace would seem to fit something more like Opium or even Heroin by nature.

Any insight anyone?????

Meth keeps narcolepsy at bay.

[apalink_thailand]

^^ Of course.. but that still doesn't mean they're innocent.

With the biggest haul in history they're sure to get the death penalty.

The teenager (probably 19, so quite missleading really) will just get 70 or 80 years or so.

The way it works here.. you buy the drugs from the army, the police get you.. you buy from the police and the army get you.. lose lose LOSE!!

Yes I was wondering if there had been 1 and 1/2 billion baht worth of drugs go missing from the drugs collected by the BIB.

Just another case of Low level people in the industry getting caught. I can't understand the problem with not catching a high level personage in the trade.

All they have to do is look in to their police stations and head quarters.

The Kingpins and upper levels of the organisations do not involve themselves in the day to day transportation of drugs. This is common throughout this global drug trade.

[chrisinth]

Again, well done to the BiB!

Even though it is still a drop in the ocean in the big picture, it is a pretty big drop and the ripples are going to upset a lot of people in the chain of distribution.

Dee Mak!

[JeremyBowskill]

What is interesting to me is the way certain drugs appeal to certain nations and not so much to others. For example in Asia methamphetamine is very popular, but in England for example people don't seem to really like the stuff, xtc, cocaine, heroin and ketamine are popular but not the dreaded methamphetamine. I can understand the attraction to methamphetamine in some Asian countries, like Japan for example where the pace of life is much faster, and it would make sense that a speedy type stimulant may be seen to help with the hectic pace, but Thailand with its less frantic pace would seem to fit something more like Opium or even Heroin by nature.

Any insight anyone?????

Meth keeps narcolepsy at bay.

Might have a point, but then why do the Japs love it?

[CTO]

Wikipedia seems to have summed up the term quite well, it's not a good term and pretty much means any banned drug.

Narcotic

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the drug classification. For the scuba diving reference, see Nitrogen narcosis. For the sedative agent, see Sedative. For pain control medications of both narcotic and non-narcotic varieties, see Analgesic. For the album by Muslimgauze, see Narcotic (album).

Heroin, a powerful opioid and narcotic.

The term narcotic (pronunciation: /nɑrˈkɒtɨk/, from ancient Greek ναρκῶ narkō, "Ι benumb") originally referred medically to any psychoactive compound with any sleep-inducing properties. In the United States it has since become associated with opioids, commonly morphine and heroin and their derivatives, such as hydrocodone. The term is, today, imprecisely defined and typically has negative connotations.^[1][2] When used in a legal context in the U.S., a narcotic
drug is simply one that is totally prohibited, or one that is used in
violation of strict governmental regulation, such as heroin or morphine.

From a pharmacological standpoint it is not a useful term,^[3]
as is evinced by the that gives to ardent spirit and wine their
intoxicating power; while the narcotic principle to opium and tobacco
imparts similar properties. In popular language, alcohol is classed
among the stimulants; and opium and tobacco among the narcotics; which
are substances whose ultimate effect upon the animal system is to
produce torpor and insensibility; but taken in small quantities they at
first exhilarate. And since alcohol does the same, most medical writers,
at the present day, class it among the narcotics. |Edward Hitchcock,
American Temperance Society (1830)^[4] |}}

Statutory classification of a drug as a narcotic often increases the
penalties for violation of drug control statutes. For example, although
federal law classifies both cocaine and amphetamines
as "Schedule II" drugs, the penalty for possession of cocaine is
greater than the penalty for possession of amphetamines because cocaine,
unlike amphetamines, is classified as a narcotic.^[5]

[hyperdimension]

In modern use, the term "narcotics" has been adopted to a sense of "any illegal drugs" since 1926. Perhaps best not to misquote etymology sites and leave out the last paragraph to suit your agenda, whatever that is.

It's the authorities who have misused the term "narcotics", and this misuse alone is just one piece of evidence that supports the notion that they have little clue about drugs and their effects, whoch is a concern because they make the laws surrounding drugs. Those who work in medicine or pharmacology would never use the term "narcotics" to refer to drugs in general, only those with sleep-inducing properties, both legal and illegal.

Here is an excerpt from the page What is a "narcotic" drug?:

What is a "narcotic" drug?

The first thing you should understand about the word "narcotic" is that it is used incorrectly more than it is used correctly. One good, quick way to tell whether someone actually knows anything about this subject is to listen to their use of this word. If they tell you that marijuana, cocaine, and meth are "narcotics" then count them among the vast legions of totally clueless people on this subject.

The word "narcotic" comes from the Greek word "narkos", meaning sleep. Therefore, "narcotics" are drugs that induce sleep. Specifically, that means the opiates such as heroin, morphine and related drugs. This is the correct meaning, so you should accept no other.

Cocaine and meth are not "narcotics". They are "stimulants", the exact opposite of a "narcotic". They cause people to be more awake and more active, not sleepy. Calling them :"narcotics" makes as much sense as calling coffee a "narcotic".

The classification of other drugs such as marijuana, alcohol, and others is open to question. (That is a subject for another page.) Some might call them "tranquilizers", "depressants", or even "hallucinogens". Marijuana and alcohol may even have a tendency to induce sleep at times. However, calling them "narcotics" simply shows a lack of understanding of the different effects.

The problem is that US Government officials, and others who enforce and support drug prohibition, tend to refer to all illegal drugs as "narcotics". They do that for three major reasons.

Edited May 22, 2013 by hyperdimension

[hyperdimension]

Defensive aren't we.

How do you classify alcohol? It can relieve pain.

My understanding is that alcohol is more commonly classified as a depressant.

[lee b]

Bet the maid was on a high cleaning there room !!

[62strat]

Semantics and clarity of speech seem to preoccupy many members... I suppose we have a rather large group of English teaching members, (then our countries of origin) thinking about language every day. Many threads become lectures to the class or corrections to printed news reports...

Edited May 22, 2013 by 62strat

[transam]

There must be a very unhappy bunny somewhere out there after losing that lot. ....................

[boone57]

To the narcotics intellect: Don't be miserable in a world full of people less fortunate, be thankful you are a superior. I have always felt that there are three kinds of people in this world. People smart enough to be winners, people to stupid to realize they are losers, and then people like me, smart enough to realize they are losers but to stupid to do anything about it.

Pertaining to the topic: I agree it is probably a terminal point for the "illegal drugs". I can't vision a customer sitting on a plastic wrapped bail while someone wieghs out his/her dime bag.

[Donnie Brasco]

Hey guys, just for laughs check four or five pills from the middle of *each* of those bags.

[julemanden]

^^ Of course.. but that still doesn't mean they're innocent.

With the biggest haul in history they're sure to get the death penalty.

The teenager (probably 19, so quite missleading really) will just get 70 or 80 years or so.

The way it works here.. you buy the drugs from the army, the police get you.. you buy from the police and the army get you.. lose lose LOSE!!

Nobody can be sure of anything in this country as long as you can pay your way out.... End of story!!!!

[epicstuff]

Methamphetamine is not a narcotic drug. Stop using the word "narcotics" to refer to drugs in general, whether illegal or legal, as it makes you look stupid and/or ignorant. Narcotics are sleep-inducing and/or pain relieving drugs. The word comes from ancient greek for "benumb". There are many legal narcotics around, such as Hydrocodone and Oxycodone.

Call drugs "drugs", or illegal drugs "illegal drugs", or by their specific identifiable name, e.g. "methamphetamine".

that is some major hair splitting .. I agree I dont know why our american cousins like the word 'narcotic' so much, even to have a narc squad.... they are responsible for spreading the language everywhere else. I think however the terminology of 'sleep inducing' could be applied or infered to 'mind altering'

Either way it didnt really make anyone look stupid other than yourself for knit picking so much Boy this is a crazy place, not enough to do...

[thhMan]

Well done and Bravo... Lets hope they can nab the leaders