Phuket, Phang Nga Police make five meth arrests in four days, haul valued at B2.5mn
Darawan Naknakhon

PHUKET: The Phuket Drug Suppression Unit of the Provincial Police has revealed details about five recent drug arrests that scored the state more than 4,000 meth pills and nearly 10 grams of crystal meth, a haul valued at about B2.5 million.

The sting operations leading to the arrests and drug seizures were carried out between August 26 and August 29, under the command of Pol Lt Col Prawit Engchuan, by the order of Maj Gen Phachara Boonyasit and Pol Col Pinit Sirichai, provincial police commander and vice-commander, respectively.

The first suspect, Mr Jiraro “Bung Deh” Kohkawee, 41, was arrested at 9.30pm on August 26 inside Soi Cherng Talay 12 in Thalang after he was caught in possession of 50 Ya Ba (meth) pills.

The second suspect, Ms Piyanuch “Jang” Saladtuk, 32, was caught with just over a gramme of Ya Ice (crystal meth) at 5pm on August 27 in the area of Soi Baan Kaek in Si Sunthon sub district’s Moo 8.

A third meth meth related arrest was made at Si Sunthon’s Moo 2 at 6.45pm on August 27 when police detained Mr Somyot “Jeed” Sukkit, 37, also in possession of just over a gramme of Ya Ice, along with six B500 notes, which prompted police to charge him with “intent to sell the schedule 1 drug”.

The fourth and largest arrest was made in conjunction with Phang Nga police on the afternoon of August 28, when undercover officers arranged to purchase a large sum of meth from a woman dealer, Ms Pornthip “Joom” Srimuang, 45, in Phang Nga Town, where they arrested her in possession of 1,000 Ya Ba pills.

A subsequent search of a house in the Ban Lumwa village of the Takua Tung district, north of Phuket, uncovered 3,000 more Ya Ba pills, which were seized, along with a mobile phone, black PCX-150 Honda motorbike, 14 B,1000 bills, in addition to 10 B100 bills.

Police said the seizure was worth more than B2.5 million, and charged Joom with possession and intent to sell a schedule 1 drug, likewise.

Later that night, police honed in on their fifth meth suspect in four days, a military ranger volunteer (OrSor TorPor) named as 25-year-old Tikkhamporn Prayuraphan, who was caught with 7.74 grammes of crystal meth at 1.30am in the early hours of August 29 in front of the Phuket Bus Station in Rassada.

Lt Col Prawit confirmed that the initial smaller busts in Phuket ultimately led to the bigger sting operation in Phang Nga.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-phang-nga-police-make-five-meth-arrests-in-four-days-haul-valued-at-b2-5mn-53877.php

-- Phuket News 2015-08-30

But these are just pawns. Follow the money. Somebody is the banker. But as Thailand is awash with laundered money!

But these are just pawns. Follow the money. Somebody is the banker. But as Thailand is awash with laundered money!

They don't "follow the money" here - they only follow the competition, and then arrest them.

B2.5 million ??? For that measley lot. Which planet are these guys from? 10grams of Ice & 4000 yaba tablets. You could buy that lot from the change most of us have in our back pockets. Jeeezus

I think the police need a calculator. Yaba retails at 300 Baht a pill on the high end, 50 Baht on the low end.