40 million baht worth of ya baa seized

[webfact]

40 million baht worth of ya baa seized



BANGKOK: -- Narcotics police seized 200,000 methamphetamine (ya baa) pills worth about 40 million baht in street prices and arrested four men in Bangkok and Samut Prakan Sunday.

The suspects were identified as Monthin Rithrat, 51; Prachak Pangthong, 60; Thaweesak Iamvichit,43 and Jirapat Kittithamkul, 21.

Acting on a tipoff that Monthien, a known drug trafficker, and his gang members would deliver a huge drug haul to customers in Bangkok and neighbouring provinces, undercover police teams from the Office of Narcotics Control Board were ordered to closely monitor Monthien’s activities on Sunday.

A team tailed an Isuzu pick-up in which Monthien, Prachak and Thaweesak were travelling from Tesco Lotus outlet in Bang Yai to a point where Thaweesak disembarked and boarded a parked taxi.

The two cars then headed toward Rama II road and were stopped by a group of police and army troops at the Kanchanapisek expressway plaza in Samae Dam district. A search of the taxi uncovered 200,000 ya baa tablets wrapped in plastic bags.

Monthien’s confession led to the subsequent arrest of Jirapat who was waiting in a car at Bang Bo toll gate of outbound Bang Na-Trat expressway.

ONCB secretary-general Pol Gen Pongsapat Pongcharoen said that this particular drug consignment came from the drug factory run by Lt-Col Yee Tze in Burma. The drugs, he said, were old and rewrapped and pumped the “999” trademark.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/40-million-baht-worth-ya-baa-seized/


-- Thai PBS 2014-06-23

[shirtless]

Personal use 500bht fine.

[dddave]

Sounds like a pretty good example that there are police who care about doing the job they are paid to do despite pressures from all directions.

[ratcatcher]

I suppose given the fact that Yu Yee, the ex model got 15 years for 250mg of coke lite, I am sure these guys will get at least 200 years each in prison?

[ChrisY1]

Whatever we may go on about....this is a great drug bust.......and due respect to the cops overseeing this bust.....good work, and hopefully many more will follow.

[Chao Lao Beach]

Nice to have it off the streets where Me / You / Your other half will have to deal with these druged F@kced morons. I bet many crims are crapping them selves.

Gezz, ther has been alot of law enforcement going on in the last month.

Edited June 23, 2014 by Chao Lao Beach

[BSJ]

It's good to see the narcotics police are doing a good job.

[hyperdimension]

Waste of (American) taxpayer money. Though the Thai government are more than happy to receive millions of dollars every year from the US government, of course.

e.g.:

The ONCB received 4,329,000 USD of Financial Support from the US Government 1999

The ONCB received 6,103,238 USD of Financial support from the US government 2000

Are you Americans happy that your tax dollars are being wasted fighting the failed war on drugs in foreign countries?

1) Bilateral Cooperation USA
Since 1974, the US government has annually provided financial support through the Narcotics Affairs Section (NAS) to the work of narcotics control in Thailand under the bilateral agreement between USG and RTG. US-Thaibilateral cooperation in narcotics control are in the four program areas of narcotic crops control, demand reduction, law enforcement, and regional narcotics control assistance.

Source: International Cooperation

Edited June 23, 2014 by hyperdimension

[noitom]

Thais long to appear that they are controlling flow of drugs and laundered money. But the Thais have failed to ever arrest and bust a Thai Mr. Big or a Thai banker. Rather they shield the bankers from any effort to expose money laundering transactions and instead "ask the to explain."

[sirchai]

Monthien’s confession led to the subsequent arrest of Jirapat who was waiting in a car at Bang Bo toll gate of outbound Bang Na-Trat expressway.

" Has Herewith Lost His Right To Live A Life As A Human Being.".

Or:

A Free Ride.....

Edited June 23, 2014 by sirchai

[Robby nz]

Thais long to appear that they are controlling flow of drugs and laundered money. But the Thais have failed to ever arrest and bust a Thai Mr. Big or a Thai banker. Rather they shield the bankers from any effort to expose money laundering transactions and instead "ask the to explain."

Now the PT Government is out of the picture and their (thinkers) hand picked police chief is sitting at his new inactive post then it would seem that the shields are being removed.

This is month number one give it another and then we will see who is running for the border.

The senior police certainly have good incentive with so many already gone and if you look at the video now doing the rounds on facebook it looks very much like another police general is on his way.

[UbonRatch]

I haven't seen 1 public burning of drugs seized by police for over a year! One wonders... not.

[jope]

Thais long to appear that they are controlling flow of drugs and laundered money. But the Thais have failed to ever arrest and bust a Thai Mr. Big or a Thai banker. Rather they shield the bankers from any effort to expose money laundering transactions and instead "ask the to explain."

Now the PT Government is out of the picture and their (thinkers) hand picked police chief is sitting at his new inactive post then it would seem that the shields are being removed.

This is month number one give it another and then we will see who is running for the border.

The senior police certainly have good incentive with so many already gone and if you look at the video now doing the rounds on facebook it looks very much like another police general is on his way.

Just do a search on TVF. Plenty of busts reported for 2013. Just business as usual (congrats anyway). But if the thought that the arrest was made due to the new old order makes you happy (currently a very fancy word), please, be my guest...

[jope]

I haven't seen 1 public burning of drugs seized by police for over a year! One wonders... not.

I would agree (to the not wondering I mean ). Out of curiosity: is that a regular thing in Thailand? I remember seeing such a public burning on the news once, but that was ages ago.

[surangw]

"Acting on a tipoff that Monthien, a known drug trafficker," the agents were kept busy while the informant's drugs got past the check point ?

[jope]

"Acting on a tipoff that Monthien, a known drug trafficker," the agents were kept busy while the informant's drugs got past the check point ?

Good point!

[EyesWideOpen]

It seems every big drug haul at the airport was made possible by a tip from an informant.

Current thinking is sacrifice the mule and some drugs, and while the police are high

fiving themselves, the really big shipment slips by. Wonder if it is the same deal here.

Just have a hard time believing in drug busts by informants.

[BlueSkyCowboy]

Whatever we may go on about....this is a great drug bust.......and due respect to the cops overseeing this bust.....good work, and hopefully many more will follow.

WHY the big fuss???

[BlueSkyCowboy]

Waste of (American) taxpayer money. Though the Thai government are more than happy to receive millions of dollars every year from the US government, of course.

e.g.:

The ONCB received 4,329,000 USD of Financial Support from the US Government 1999

The ONCB received 6,103,238 USD of Financial support from the US government 2000

Are you Americans happy that your tax dollars are being wasted fighting the failed war on drugs in foreign countries?

1) Bilateral Cooperation USA

Since 1974, the US government has annually provided financial support through the Narcotics Affairs Section (NAS) to the work of narcotics control in Thailand under the bilateral agreement between USG and RTG. US-Thaibilateral cooperation in narcotics control are in the four program areas of narcotic crops control, demand reduction, law enforcement, and regional narcotics control assistance.

Source: International Cooperation

6 million bucks? Peanuts. The DEA, Holders Justice dept etc spend 100's of millions a year, besides the fortune spent on "Reha". Its good for the economy, just like the good wars in Vietnam and Afghanistan etc

[vogie]

I suppose given the fact that Yu Yee, the ex model got 15 years for 250mg of coke lite, I am sure these guys will get at least 200 years each in prison?

Yeah, but for good behaviour, they will out after only 150years

[hyperdimension]

6 million bucks? Peanuts. The DEA, Holders Justice dept etc spend 100's of millions a year

That 6M USD was just for year 2000. I don't know how much such funding has risen to since then, possibly much more per year. But the U.S. government have been funding their war on drugs in Thailand in various ways for decades, even establishing Thailand's ONCB with their funding:

Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) – established in 1976 by the Narcotics Control Act, B.E. 2519 – in addition to the Thai Border Patrol Police and Royal Thai Police Special Branch, were established with U.S. funding.

The leaked Bangkok embassy cable notes that since 1963 when the US Drug Enforcement Administration’s (US-DEA) predecessor, the Federal Bureau of Narcotics (See: War on drugs a failure says international group), commenced operation in the kingdom the focus has been on counter-narcotics, noting that the US-DEA now maintains several offices throughout the country, as well as in several neighboring countries, “enjoying remarkable freedom of action in-country and high levels of cooperation (including the right to carry weapons and freely conduct investigations, with the RTP [Royal Thai Police] making the final arrests)”.

The leaked cable further states that “this special relationship has benefited American LE [law enforcement] greatly” and that the “U.S. sought to expand this type of bilateral success throughout the region by the launching of the [jointly funded] International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) in Bankok (sic) in 1998.”

Source: Leaked cable shows USA influencing Thai law & justice system for 60 years

Edited June 24, 2014 by hyperdimension

[ableguy]

Whatever we may go on about....this is a great drug bust.......and due respect to the cops overseeing this bust.....good work, and hopefully many more will follow.

But how much will end back on the street ???????

[ableguy]

It blows my mind how so many Thais narc on everyone when they get busted. It's embarrassing.

Back home way more drug busts then in thailand, and it's extremely rare that some rats on other people.

Getting caught is one thing, bein a snitch/rat/narc is another

Ever considered coercion ?????