1.6 million ya ba pills seized by police

[Lite Beer]

1.6 million ya ba pills seized by police

BANGKOK: -- Two suspected drug traffickers and 1.6 million methamphetamine tablets believed produced from the same source which supplied 800,000 pills seized earlier from a narcotic police were presented to the media this morning by Pol Gen Somyos Poompanmuang, the newly-appointed national police chief.

The huge haul of illicit drugs was seized in Boeng Khlong Long district of Bung Karn province about a week ago but the seizure was kept confidential as narcotics police tried to use information gleaned from arrested suspects to bust more members of the trafficking gang.

Using the seized drugs which bear the 999 PAID brandname, undercover police set up a sting operation and contacted two suspected gang members, identified as Sunthorn Sawangpeng and Suchit Nudum, for acceptance of the drugs at a gas station in Wang Noi district of Ayutthaya on August 22.

When the two men showed up to accept the delivery, plainclothes policemen who had been waiting at the gas station pounded on them.

Pol Gen Somyos said that initial investigation showed that the 1.6 million ya ba tablets came from the same source which produced the 800,000 pills seized earlier from Pol Lt-Col Chamnan Poompaichit, former deputy superintendent of Chaiparakan police station in Chiang Mai.

The police colonel has been dismissed from the police service following his arrest.

Police said that altogether five million tablets were believed to be produced from the same source and about two million of them have been seized. All the drugs were believed to be destined for southern provinces.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/1-6-million-ya-ba-pills-seized-police/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=1-6-million-ya-ba-pills-seized-police

-- Thai PBS 2014-08-24

[MaxLee]

Pills pills, and nothing but pills. Dear Nation, please stop telling us about your awesome pills-crackdown.

You're making me sick and boring to my stomach.

[Bernard Flint]

1 FOR YOU 1 FOR ME

[Redhawk]

Competition of the dealers. Everytime something gets seized at least the double amount will find it way through!

[Fiddlesticks]

Lots of talk about all these busts but what would be nice to hear is about the prosecution and sentences handed out (if any ever are) for the offenders. Perhaps if as much hype was given to the sentences as there is to the captures, maybe more drug dealer wanna-bes would think twice. Don't know about you but I question just how effective the justice system is here in Thailand AFTER the bust. My gut feel is that, like all other offenses I hear about, that the perpetrators are granted bail and then they conveniently disappear. Have to remember in Thailand, money talks and the guilty walks.

[clockman]

Follow the money! somebody is funding this.

[DrLom]

"Pol Gen Somyos said that initial investigation showed that the 1.6 million ya ba tablets came from the same source which produced the 800,000 pills seized earlier from Pol Lt-Col Chamnan Poompaichit, former deputy superintendent of Chaiparakan police station in Chiang Mai."

So obviously, Pol Lt-Col Chamnan Poompaichit was caught in Chiang Mai dealing drugs, and was 'relocated' to a desk job in Wang Noi, where he continued operations.

Says a lot for all these transfers from current position to 'inactive post' elsewhere, as opposed to dealing with corruption directly and prosecuting officers as opposed to simply moving them, doesn't it?

[96tehtarp]

The estimated alleged total of the consignment is 5 million tablets. Does anyone know what the cost of production for 5 million tabs would be? AFAIK the required precursor chemicals are quite inexpensive. How difficult will it be for the traffickers to simply cook up another batch?

Edited August 24, 2014 by 96tehtarp

[mickjn]

Great job by the police again well done

[DrLom]

Great job by the police again well done

Which police? The traffickers, or the, in this case, alledged prosecutors?

[clockman]

Because of the slander and libel laws. Justice is a distant bell, rarely heard in Thailand

[ratcatcher]

Follow the money! somebody is funding this.

Go ask Alice.

[FangFerang]

Same, same ...but with a twist. Now the confiscations will really stop this trafficking. Yeah....right.

Maybe next week.

[Thaimaishoe]

Lots of talk about all these busts but what would be nice to hear is about the prosecution and sentences handed out (if any ever are) for the offenders. Perhaps if as much hype was given to the sentences as there is to the captures, maybe more drug dealer wanna-bes would think twice. Don't know about you but I question just how effective the justice system is here in Thailand AFTER the bust. My gut feel is that, like all other offenses I hear about, that the perpetrators are granted bail and then they conveniently disappear. Have to remember in Thailand, money talks and the guilty walks.

Nope, the sentencing and incarceration rates are completely unimportant in the thought process of the drug dealer wanna-bes. Say what you want about the US courts and prison system, there is one thing they do like a sonofabitch... and that's lock people up - especially for drug offences. And yet there has never been a shortage of drug dealers, or drugs for that matter, regardless of how many are taken off the streets. Furthermore they don't send drug dealers to Club Fed resort prisons, like they send bankers and stock brokers to. No drug dealers go to Federal Pound me in the A$$ prisons.

The threat of jail time is enough dis-incentive to the likes of you or I, but neither of us sees even the remotest possibility of prison in our future (at least I sure don't), but the sea of drug dealer wanna-be's see it as inevitable anyway, no matter if they deal drugs or not.

There is too much money to be made from the trade.

[NeverSure]

Lots of talk about all these busts but what would be nice to hear is about the prosecution and sentences handed out (if any ever are) for the offenders. Perhaps if as much hype was given to the sentences as there is to the captures, maybe more drug dealer wanna-bes would think twice. Don't know about you but I question just how effective the justice system is here in Thailand AFTER the bust. My gut feel is that, like all other offenses I hear about, that the perpetrators are granted bail and then they conveniently disappear. Have to remember in Thailand, money talks and the guilty walks.

Nope, the sentencing and incarceration rates are completely unimportant in the thought process of the drug dealer wanna-bes. Say what you want about the US courts and prison system, there is one thing they do like a sonofabitch... and that's lock people up - especially for drug offences. And yet there has never been a shortage of drug dealers, or drugs for that matter, regardless of how many are taken off the streets. Furthermore they don't send drug dealers to Club Fed resort prisons, like they send bankers and stock brokers to. No drug dealers go to Federal Pound me in the <deleted> prisons.

The threat of jail time is enough dis-incentive to the likes of you or I, but neither of us sees even the remotest possibility of prison in our future (at least I sure don't), but the sea of drug dealer wanna-be's see it as inevitable anyway, no matter if they deal drugs or not.

There is too much money to be made from the trade.

I partly agree. What it does do is discourage the potential casual user who doesn't see prison in his future. That would be the person with a good career and solid life who has a lot to lose. It doesn't work all of the time of course, but it slows it down.

[moe666]

Lots of talk about all these busts but what would be nice to hear is about the prosecution and sentences handed out (if any ever are) for the offenders. Perhaps if as much hype was given to the sentences as there is to the captures, maybe more drug dealer wanna-bes would think twice. Don't know about you but I question just how effective the justice system is here in Thailand AFTER the bust. My gut feel is that, like all other offenses I hear about, that the perpetrators are granted bail and then they conveniently disappear. Have to remember in Thailand, money talks and the guilty walks.

Nope, the sentencing and incarceration rates are completely unimportant in the thought process of the drug dealer wanna-bes. Say what you want about the US courts and prison system, there is one thing they do like a sonofabitch... and that's lock people up - especially for drug offences. And yet there has never been a shortage of drug dealers, or drugs for that matter, regardless of how many are taken off the streets. Furthermore they don't send drug dealers to Club Fed resort prisons, like they send bankers and stock brokers to. No drug dealers go to Federal Pound me in the <deleted> prisons.

The threat of jail time is enough dis-incentive to the likes of you or I, but neither of us sees even the remotest possibility of prison in our future (at least I sure don't), but the sea of drug dealer wanna-be's see it as inevitable anyway, no matter if they deal drugs or not.

There is too much money to be made from the trade.

I partly agree. What it does do is discourage the potential casual user who doesn't see prison in his future. That would be the person with a good career and solid life who has a lot to lose. It doesn't work all of the time of course, but it slows it down.

Slows what down, how long has the war on drugs been going on, yes very successful NOT. I cam to Thailand in 1998 I remember reading a story in the Bangkok post about a couple who were busted driving a SUV belonging to a army officer with over a million ya-ba pills inside, they figure the army officer fled to Burma. NOTHING HAS CHANGED, and it defiantly has not slowed down although keep telling yourself that if it feels good

[Thaimaishoe]

Lots of talk about all these busts but what would be nice to hear is about the prosecution and sentences handed out (if any ever are) for the offenders. Perhaps if as much hype was given to the sentences as there is to the captures, maybe more drug dealer wanna-bes would think twice. Don't know about you but I question just how effective the justice system is here in Thailand AFTER the bust. My gut feel is that, like all other offenses I hear about, that the perpetrators are granted bail and then they conveniently disappear. Have to remember in Thailand, money talks and the guilty walks.

Nope, the sentencing and incarceration rates are completely unimportant in the thought process of the drug dealer wanna-bes. Say what you want about the US courts and prison system, there is one thing they do like a sonofabitch... and that's lock people up - especially for drug offences. And yet there has never been a shortage of drug dealers, or drugs for that matter, regardless of how many are taken off the streets. Furthermore they don't send drug dealers to Club Fed resort prisons, like they send bankers and stock brokers to. No drug dealers go to Federal Pound me in the <deleted> prisons.

The threat of jail time is enough dis-incentive to the likes of you or I, but neither of us sees even the remotest possibility of prison in our future (at least I sure don't), but the sea of drug dealer wanna-be's see it as inevitable anyway, no matter if they deal drugs or not.

There is too much money to be made from the trade.

I partly agree. What it does do is discourage the potential casual user who doesn't see prison in his future. That would be the person with a good career and solid life who has a lot to lose. It doesn't work all of the time of course, but it slows it down.

I think the bleak future faced by habitual drug users, does more to keep the casual user from partaking. A person with a good career and solid life, got there by being able to judge the outcomes of his choices. I think that person, me, chooses not to take drugs because of the loss of the good career and solid life... prison is just the cherry on the top of that cake!

However, you are talking about users. The OP was specifically talking about "drug dealer wanna-bes" and I was as well.

If you want to talk about users I would change my argument to be that you have no right to limit what drugs I can do. People choose to do, or not to do drugs, let them make their individual choice, without the rest of us threatening to incarcerate them if they don't agree with our decision not to!

If you want to win the war on drugs tomorrow the key is to legalize and regulate them. At this point many people would say, yea and tax them. But then you still have a dealer network. I advocate having the Gov. purchase and distribute drugs for free. The money in the drug trade would evaporate. No money, no drug dealers. If they are free, the people who use them will no longer need to burgle houses, prostitute, beg ect. All of the crime committed in order to pay for drugs would evaporate. If there is no money to be made selling drugs - you can't sell what is already free - there is no money fueling drug gangs.

It wouldn't even cost that much to buy all the drugs, certainly not anything like the money being spent to try and stop free men and women from pursuing their own version of happieness. The only reason drugs are expensive is the risk in supplying them. If the only buyer is the Gov. (because there are no more dealers) you kind of have to take the price being offered.

I realize none of this will ever come to pass. The people that make the money off of drug dealing, need it to stay illegal, so the money stays in the game. Even if such a plan were enacted, the first thing that would happen would be for J&J, Roach Roche, Pfizer, and GSK to call a halt to it, because dealing drugs is their game, and now that "These" drugs are legal, it is not the Gov. place to distribute them!!

In short, we're screwed no matter what, so "Bottoms up, folks!!"

[96tehtarp]

"I advocate having the Gov. purchase and distribute drugs for free."

That's an interesting business model. As pointed out there would still be much competition for the distribution network for the free drugs from big pharma. Another problem would occur if the majority of the population opted to take drugs every day and all of the time.

I agree with the poster who noted the mentality of the drug traffickers. Jail time is expected and it's part of the normal course of doing business. Also don't forget that in the West incarceration is a huge for profit business. There is a lot of money being made locking up all the petty drug users.

[surangw]

intercept the drugs, contaminate them, and put them back out on the supply chain.

[Thaimaishoe]

"I advocate having the Gov. purchase and distribute drugs for free."

That's an interesting business model. As pointed out there would still be much competition for the distribution network for the free drugs from big pharma. Another problem would occur if the majority of the population opted to take drugs every day and all of the time.

I agree with the poster who noted the mentality of the drug traffickers. Jail time is expected and it's part of the normal course of doing business. Also don't forget that in the West incarceration is a huge for profit business. There is a lot of money being made locking up all the petty drug users.

Not so much a business model, as a proposed alternative method of dealing with a difficult societal problem. No profit is intended, which is where the real threat from big pharma comes in. If they are not given away free, you still have a traditional market place, and you do not get the knock on benefits of reducing the crimes comitted to pay for the drugs - and all the police required to investigate, courts to try, and jails to house all the offenders.

As for problem #2, I have already said I don't agree that prison is a deterrent for people today, therefore a lack of prison is not a lure. The downsides of a life of drug use are far and away more convincing. By the same token, I think the market for drugs is extremely inelastic, those that are addicted will pay any price, those that are not would not even if they were free. Certainly it is not perfectly inelastic, there will be some who decide to use now that drugs are free and there is no risk of prison, I just think that number will be extremely small. But as I said earlier, that would be their choice, made freely, they will have to live with it.

For societies part, we get to be freed from crimes committed to get the money to buy drugs, which monies are fed into an underground, extremely violent sub-culture, which we also get to rid ourselvs of. Not to mention ridding ourselvs of the rediculous "War on Drugs". For that trade off, I am willing to have the Gov. buy and furnish drugs for free. I can live with that trade off, even if it includes some individuals who would otherwise not have done drugs.

[Thaimaishoe]

intercept the drugs, contaminate them, and put them back out on the supply chain.

There are only 3 problems with that.

1. We already can't intercept an appreciable percent of the drug flow.

2. Do you think what you can buy on a street corner is currently Uncontaminated!??!?!

and assuming you mean to contaminate the drugs with something that will kill the user,

3. According to all the propaganda - the drugs themselves are already killing the users!

I think giving them all the drugs they can do, will accomplish that goal much more effectively than contaminating the miniscule amount we currently intercept.

[nisakiman]

intercept the drugs, contaminate them, and put them back out on the supply chain.

Well you're a nice piece of work, aren't you? Judge, jury and executioner all in one. I don't suppose it ever occurred to you that you might be wrong, did it?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5 million ya ba pills destined for the south? Just how many ya ba users are there down there? When you think about it, it seems like a huge amount. I, a single individual, know quite a lot of Thai people. I'm quite sure that none of them have ever taken ya ba. I have seen a few (not many, and I know the signs) youngsters in bars that may be on it. But really, the percentage of the population who use ya ba must in reality be very small. I would think 5% would be a gross overestimation, and most of those would be occasional users. So 5% of the population is about three million spread across the whole country. Of which a small percentage live in the south. And they were sending FIVE MILLION pills down there?

Something doesn't add up, unless the pills were destined for somewhere else.

[96tehtarp]

intercept the drugs, contaminate them, and put them back out on the supply chain.

Well you're a nice piece of work, aren't you? Judge, jury and executioner all in one. I don't suppose it ever occurred to you that you might be wrong, did it?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5 million ya ba pills destined for the south? Just how many ya ba users are there down there? When you think about it, it seems like a huge amount. I, a single individual, know quite a lot of Thai people. I'm quite sure that none of them have ever taken ya ba. I have seen a few (not many, and I know the signs) youngsters in bars that may be on it. But really, the percentage of the population who use ya ba must in reality be very small. I would think 5% would be a gross overestimation, and most of those would be occasional users. So 5% of the population is about three million spread across the whole country. Of which a small percentage live in the south. And they were sending FIVE MILLION pills down there?

Something doesn't add up, unless the pills were destined for somewhere else.

I'm sure some of the 5 million pills would have easily made it across the border to Malaysia, Singapore and beyond. Sadly it's quite popular for Malaysians and Sigaporeans to travel to Southern Thailand to enjoy the nightlife and take speed. Indonesia is also a huge drug market.

Users of methamphetamine rapidly develop tolerance and often take two tablets for breakfast etc. It's not always so easy to spot a regular user as the obvious signs become less pronounced with tolerance. The Thai appetite for ya-ba tablets could be as high as several million tablets per week. It's very popular. unfortunately.

There have been news reports from Europe where legally prescribed methamphetamine has been increasingly subscribed in alarming numbers. Check out Adderall.

[The Deerhunter]

"but the seizure was kept confidential as narcotics police tried to use information gleaned from arrested suspects to bust more members of the trafficking gang."

Aha. They are learning. Police discretion at LONG last. Not using the Chalerm method "Eight of us will arrive at 6pm disguised as...."

plainclothes policemen who had been waiting at the gas station pounded on them. Very likely!!! (unless they meant "pounced", using the Chalerm terminology in which case they might have had false moustaches and Sherlock Holmes hats..)

Where is that man? I just miss his howler "bon mots" sooooooooo much!!!

[The Deerhunter]

intercept the drugs, contaminate them, and put them back out on the supply chain.

Well you're a nice piece of work, aren't you? Judge, jury and executioner all in one. I don't suppose it ever occurred to you that you might be wrong, did it?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5 million ya ba pills destined for the south? Just how many ya ba users are there down there? When you think about it, it seems like a huge amount. I, a single individual, know quite a lot of Thai people. I'm quite sure that none of them have ever taken ya ba. I have seen a few (not many, and I know the signs) youngsters in bars that may be on it. But really, the percentage of the population who use ya ba must in reality be very small. I would think 5% would be a gross overestimation, and most of those would be occasional users. So 5% of the population is about three million spread across the whole country. Of which a small percentage live in the south. And they were sending FIVE MILLION pills down there?

Something doesn't add up, unless the pills were destined for somewhere else.

I'm sure some of the 5 million pills would have easily made it across the border to Malaysia, Singapore and beyond. Sadly it's quite popular for Malaysians and Sigaporeans to travel to Southern Thailand to enjoy the nightlife and take speed. Indonesia is also a huge drug market.

Users of methamphetamine rapidly develop tolerance and often take two tablets for breakfast etc. It's not always so easy to spot a regular user as the obvious signs become less pronounced with tolerance. The Thai appetite for ya-ba tablets could be as high as several million tablets per week. It's very popular. unfortunately.

There have been news reports from Europe where legally prescribed methamphetamine has been increasingly subscribed in alarming numbers. Check out Adderall.

It is easily several million tabs a week in a population of 65 million. It is epidemic in some occupations and to be found in every part of the kingdom. A farang would probably not know what signs to look for unless he was experienced (health or law enforcement) or a user The distribution net work was tidied up and consolidated somewhat several years ago with a huge cost in lives, so it is a very well organised business now. (P.S. My only recreational drug is Viagra. LOL)

Edited August 25, 2014 by The Deerhunter

[Robby nz]

Lots of talk about all these busts but what would be nice to hear is about the prosecution and sentences handed out (if any ever are) for the offenders. Perhaps if as much hype was given to the sentences as there is to the captures, maybe more drug dealer wanna-bes would think twice. Don't know about you but I question just how effective the justice system is here in Thailand AFTER the bust. My gut feel is that, like all other offenses I hear about, that the perpetrators are granted bail and then they conveniently disappear. Have to remember in Thailand, money talks and the guilty walks.

Nope, the sentencing and incarceration rates are completely unimportant in the thought process of the drug dealer wanna-bes. Say what you want about the US courts and prison system, there is one thing they do like a sonofabitch... and that's lock people up - especially for drug offences. And yet there has never been a shortage of drug dealers, or drugs for that matter, regardless of how many are taken off the streets. Furthermore they don't send drug dealers to Club Fed resort prisons, like they send bankers and stock brokers to. No drug dealers go to Federal Pound me in the <deleted> prisons.

The threat of jail time is enough dis-incentive to the likes of you or I, but neither of us sees even the remotest possibility of prison in our future (at least I sure don't), but the sea of drug dealer wanna-be's see it as inevitable anyway, no matter if they deal drugs or not.

There is too much money to be made from the trade.

I partly agree. What it does do is discourage the potential casual user who doesn't see prison in his future. That would be the person with a good career and solid life who has a lot to lose. It doesn't work all of the time of course, but it slows it down.

Slows what down, how long has the war on drugs been going on, yes very successful NOT. I cam to Thailand in 1998 I remember reading a story in the Bangkok post about a couple who were busted driving a SUV belonging to a army officer with over a million ya-ba pills inside, they figure the army officer fled to Burma. NOTHING HAS CHANGED, and it defiantly has not slowed down although keep telling yourself that if it feels good

The army officer (arrested recently) has been sacked from the army and at present is locked up in a military prison awaiting court marshal.

It was 800,00 pills not over a million.

Edit

It was in fact a police officer not an army officer with 800,00 pills. see BKK post, Drug buster nabbed for smuggling drugs

Edited August 25, 2014 by Robby nz

[rakman]

intercept the drugs, contaminate them, and put them back out on the supply chain.

Well you're a nice piece of work, aren't you? Judge, jury and executioner all in one. I don't suppose it ever occurred to you that you might be wrong, did it?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5 million ya ba pills destined for the south? Just how many ya ba users are there down there? When you think about it, it seems like a huge amount. I, a single individual, know quite a lot of Thai people. I'm quite sure that none of them have ever taken ya ba. I have seen a few (not many, and I know the signs) youngsters in bars that may be on it. But really, the percentage of the population who use ya ba must in reality be very small. I would think 5% would be a gross overestimation, and most of those would be occasional users. So 5% of the population is about three million spread across the whole country. Of which a small percentage live in the south. And they were sending FIVE MILLION pills down there?

Something doesn't add up, unless the pills were destined for somewhere else.

Don't forget all the truck drivers and others who don't want to sleep, or are addicted. It's not 1 pill per person. It's several per day per user per month. You have to have inventory.

[wgdanson]

How can you disguise yourself as a plain clothes policeman?

[Luxfare]

Must be a big crackdown from top to bottom. Got stopped on Saturday morning on Suk road while riding on the back of a moped taxi, they searched my socks, coin pocket everywhere I guess drugs get stored- first search in 3 years of living here and regularly going home at 5-6am.Wasn't too bad except the fact I was so drunk the stop and search started by me getting my leg caught on the bike seat hand rail thus causing me to do a great turtle on his back impression at 5.45 on Sukhumvit Road.....think a dtox is in order.

[vogie]

Follow the money! somebody is funding this.

Go ask Alice.

Alice Alice, who the f#{$ Alice?