Couple busted in Isaan with 150 kilograms of heroin

[webfact]

Huge heroin haul busted in Northeast

BANGKOK: -- A major bust of heroin was made in Loei province Tuesday with the seizure of more than 150 kilos of heroin and a large number of methamphetamine.

The haul is the largest amount ever recorded in the Northeast.

The drugs are believed to be connected to a Malaysian middleman who then sends them on to third party countries in Europe.

The seizure also indicated that drug traffickers are shifting narcotics transportation routes from the North through the northeast provinces.

Arrested are Nattaboon Burirat and his wife Onanong Keawkhao.

The couple, residents of Surat Thani province in the South, were arrested while trying to evade arrest by police officers at a police checkpoint at Loei Wangsai sub-district in Phu Luang district.

The vehicle driven by the couple approached the road-block at approximately 2.30 am where police officers asked to check the contents of fertilizer bags carried in the automobile.

As one bag was being offloaded to be checked the suspects sped off and the police gave chases and alerted all checkpoints to watch for the escapees along the route.

Seeing no possibility of escape, the suspects disposed of the fertilizer bags and parked their vehicle and covered it with a large piece of cloth before hiding out the undergrowth alongside the road.

However they eventually discovered and arrested.

Police discovered more than 300 blocks of heroin weighing more than 155 kg as well as 52,000 methamphetamine tablets concealed within the bags of fertilizers.

It represents the largest bust of heroin in the northeastern region and the suspects later admitted that they have been transporting narcotics on many occasions in the past almost all destined for a client in Hat Yai district in Songkhla province.

Deputy commissioner of Region Four Police Pol Lt-Gen Dechnarong Suthicharn-bancha, said “Under normal conditions, police authorities are reluctant to release the monetary value of the drugs as we do not want it to serve as an enticement for others to become mules or traffickers. But unofficial street value puts the amount of drugs at around 1.2 million Baht per block of heroin. Should the drugs make its way to its final destination in European countries this value then increases a hundred folds.”

An officer of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) revealed that of the six provinces neighboring the border with Lao, Loei province has become location of choice for traffickers to bring in drugs into the country.

Only recently, a major bust carried out by provincial police authorities yielded one million methamphetamine tablets.

He said upon leaving Loei, the drugs are usually transported on the route to Petchabun province which passes through Bangkok to its final destination in the south.

Tests carried out on the heroin shows that they were of the highest quality (grade 4 heroin) but had been mixed with a certain amount of grade 3 heroin to reduce its overall potency.

Authorities believe that the narcotics were to be sent to a Malaysian middleman before being finally being sent on to clients within Europe who have high purchasing power.

The officer said an important Malaysian middleman is the key link between clients in Australia, Europe and the USA.

Authorities believe he has strong connections to narcotic syndicates in Thailand and is the individual who places orders for heroin which are produced in countries neighboring Thailand’s northeastern borders.

Authorities are adamant that this recent bust of a major heroin shipment does not reflect the narcotic situation in Thailand as the number of heroin users in the country is relatively minute.

They say that most of the heroin sold in the country comes in powder form but cross border narcotics trafficking usually involve blocks. It can be thus concluded that Thailand is being used an important transit route for heroin to be shipped abroad.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/huge-heroin-haul-busted-northeast/


-- Thai PBS 2014-09-03

[Patje]

[shirtless]

They are in the misery business now they can be miserable

[Seastallion]

Great. Get that <deleted> off the streets.

Odd that the mules on the one hand claimed to be very experienced, yet on the other hand got caught for being stupid and flighty.

[BSJ]

That middleman needs to be identified, arrested, given a fair trial in the morning and executed in the afternoon.

[bdenner]

I would have thought that with a bust of that size they could 'turn' the mules and set up a sting to catch bigger fish.

Short term gain but still long term pain!

[NongKhaiKid]

That middleman needs to be identified, arrested, given a fair trial in the morning and executed in the afternoon.

Another great idea to be copied from China !

The man is said to have strong connections to narcotic syndicates now wouldn't it be nice to be told just who they are connected to ?

[NongKhaiKid]

Sorry i am slightly wrong as the Chinese system used to be trial and verdict in the morning, appeal and denial in the afternoon and execution the next morning.

In the early '90s as a ' humanitarian ' gesture the Chinese authorities stopped charging the family of an executed prisoner for the cost of the bullet used in the execution.

[otherstuff1957]

150kg!!!! that is a huge amount of heroin. According to a quick google, the biggest heroin bust ever was in San Francisco in 1991, when a shipment of about 500 kg being shipped from Thailand was seized.

If this figure is correct, this must be one of the top 10 biggest busts ever. I'd be willing to bet that the reporter either mixed up his units or slipped a decimal point.

[otherstuff1957]

Oops... my quick search produced outdated info. There have been several busts since then that have been in the multi-ton range.

[bapoboy]

Thailand nr 1, europe nr 2. haha

[alfalfa19]

150kg!!!! that is a huge amount of heroin. According to a quick google, the biggest heroin bust ever was in San Francisco in 1991, when a shipment of about 500 kg being shipped from Thailand was seized.

If this figure is correct, this must be one of the top 10 biggest busts ever. I'd be willing to bet that the reporter either mixed up his units or slipped a decimal point.

You are absolutely correct. This is a massive haul, especially since it is the high grade heroin, grade 3 and 4. However, I am sure that some clown will make a post saying it's not really that big of a bust.

[ezzra]

I'm disappointed, I expected to a group picture showing a dozen or so smiling, high ranking police

officers, their full names, ranks and origin... I have been robbed of 10 minutes of reading trivial

information one usually one get with such bust....

[96tehtarp]

That was a nice bust.

[nsimmons]

Before the Taliban, Afghanistan produced 600 Tons of Heroin per annum. The Taliban reduced it to about one ton per annum.

The Yanks go in, and now, last year, they produced 800 tons. Some cynics say "mission accomplished"!

IE

Edited September 3, 2014 by nsimmons

[swifty5x5]

I thought someone said Isaan wouldbe drug free by now?

[monk213]

Great. Get that <deleted> off the streets.

Odd that the mules on the one hand claimed to be very experienced, yet on the other hand got caught for being stupid and flighty.

That may seem like a lot but it will be a minor dent in the drug world, it is impossible to get rid of illegal substances and is always going to be a losing battle however hard a government tries.

[gchurch259]

I'm disappointed, I expected to a group picture showing a dozen or so smiling, high ranking police

officers, their full names, ranks and origin... I have been robbed of 10 minutes of reading trivial

information one usually one get with such bust....

Not a good idea to show faces of those actually involved in the bust. This could get them killed as people dealing at this level are usually pretty bad and revenge to them is sweet !! Just look at the news and how Mexican Gangs take care of business.

[monk213]

I'm disappointed, I expected to a group picture showing a dozen or so smiling, high ranking police

officers, their full names, ranks and origin... I have been robbed of 10 minutes of reading trivial

information one usually one get with such bust....

Not a good idea to show faces of those actually involved in the bust. This could get them killed as people dealing at this level are usually pretty bad and revenge to them is sweet !! Just look at the news and how Mexican Gangs take care of business.

Since when have the BIB ever cared about people in such a situation? In fact when have they ever cared about people on a regular basis? Even without showing their faces the people above them in the underworld will know who they are and will know they have been caught. That amount of smack and yaba missing from someones business doesn't just go unnoticed

Edited September 3, 2014 by monk213

[Loles]

Congratulation for Police.

150 Kg Heroin are a really huge quantity and will disturb so much the owner. SOM NAM NA idiots.

I guess this couple don't have to pay for their accommodation a while.

[JimmyTheMook]

That's a lot of #4.

[Assurancetourix]

A nice bust for a car...

A so little bust if u compare with what was every month in the Air America airplanes during the war against China and after against Vietnam...

I know what about I write.

[empireboy]

Before the Taliban, Afghanistan produced 600 Tons of Heroin per annum. The Taliban reduced it to about one ton per annum.

The Yanks go in, and now, last year, they produced 800 tons. Some cynics say "mission accomplished"!

IE

Some might argue that the yanks only went into Afghanistan to get the production volumes back up! And that the CIA black ops are primarily funded by drug production globally... Make interesting movies scores anyway!

[DLock]

I'm just waiting on the usual idiots proclaiming that the Government should "legalize, control and tax it" in order to cut out the manufacturing, dealers and couriers.

I always like their stupid posts.

[happysanook]

Holy jesus mother and Mary. That is a shit pile of heroin. Street value about $20 million USD at least.

[happysanook]

I'm just waiting on the usual idiots proclaiming that the Government should "legalize, control and tax it" in order to cut out the manufacturing, dealers and couriers.

I always like their stupid posts.

And here I was waiting for the idiots to come along and say, "let's keep it illegal". True ignorance. Get educated on this subject.

[asdecas]

Where is Police Captain Chalerm when he is needed?

[poweratradio]

Cut properly #4 volume can be increased 10 fold for the streets and retail over $100 million usd.

[whaleboneman]

150kg!!!! that is a huge amount of heroin. According to a quick google, the biggest heroin bust ever was in San Francisco in 1991, when a shipment of about 500 kg being shipped from Thailand was seized.

If this figure is correct, this must be one of the top 10 biggest busts ever. I'd be willing to bet that the reporter either mixed up his units or slipped a decimal point.

You are absolutely correct. This is a massive haul, especially since it is the high grade heroin, grade 3 and 4. However, I am sure that some clown will make a post saying it's not really that big of a bust.

Haha. You were right - see post 22

[wabothai]

The Malaysian better pack his bags, his superiors sure want to eliminate him now .he 'll be smart to surrender to Thai police!

As lang as there is a demand there will be supply.