Malaysian drug smuggling gang busted at Prachuap Khiri Khan railway station

[webfact]

Malaysian drug smuggling gang busted



PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN: -- A combined force of narcotic suppression, railway, highway, crime suppression, and local police last night encircled a Bangkok-Butterworth express train at Prachuap Khiri Khan railway station and arrested seven Malaysian suspects and seized a large cache of "Ice" drugs weighed 75 kilogrammes worth 148 million baht.

The Malaysian drug trafficking suspects said they bought the drugs for two million baht from a Thai northern town.

They said the drug could fetch up to four million baht a kilogramme in Malaysia.

They said they were only couriers and were paid only 25,000 baht a kilogramme to take them back across the border.

According to JS 100 Radio, the seizure of the huge cache and the Malaysian gang followed the arrest of nine other Malaysian suspects in Hat Yai, and other southern towns.

Investigation and confession by these suspects led narcotics suppression police to plan the arrest of other accomplices who would return to Malaysia on the Bangkok-Butterworth train with the drugs.

The drugs seized on board the train last night were wrapped in a small pack of one-kilogramme each, totalling 75 packages.

All the suspects were being brought to Bangkok for a press conference, expected today.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/156650


-- Thai PBS 2016-03-24

[webfact]

Thailand arrests 15 Malaysians, seizes crystal meth on train

BANGKOK (AP) — Thai police said Thursday they arrested 15 Malaysians trying to smuggle millions of dollars of crystal meth and heroin stashed in luggage on a train bound for Malaysia.

Police said the seizure included 226 kilograms (498 pounds) of crystal meth and 8 kilograms (18 pounds) of heroin. The meth, also known as "ice," has an estimated street value in Thailand exceeding 452 million baht ($13 million), said police Col. Putidej Boonkrapueh. The drugs were destined for Malaysia, where the street price is double, and for other markets, police said.

Police Lt. Gen. Thitiraj Nhongharnpitak called the seizure a "huge bust" at a news conference where the drugs were spread across large tables in a variety of packages, including many wrapped up like children's presents in paper with teddy bears and hearts.

Thitiraj, the commissioner of Thailand's Central Investigation Bureau, said authorities acted on a tip that couriers would attempt to transport a large quantity of drugs by traveling from the Thai capital to Malaysia on Wednesday.

He said the narcotics had come from northern Thailand but declined to discuss other details about the operation.

Northern Thailand is a known trafficking route for drugs coming out of Myanmar, which is Southeast Asia's largest producer of methamphetamines and heroin.


-- (c) Associated Press 2016-03-24

[webfact]

74kg of ice worth 300 million baht seized on train south of Hua Hin
Thaivisa Reporters



PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN:-- Seven Malaysian men allegedly transporting a huge haul of Ya Ice amphetamines were arrested in a dramatic blockade set up at Prajuab Railway station, reports Thaivisa News.

The Bangkok to Butterworth express on Wednesday evening was halted in the daring operation as local police and railway officials stopped the train and found drugs with a street value of nearly 300 million baht in one of the carriages.

Acting on a tipoff, Prachuap Khiri Khan officers with help from the station master and railway police stopped the train at the station and mounted a search. In car number seven they found seven Malaysian men mingled amongst other passengers on their way home and a total of 74 packets of drugs weighing a whopping 74 kilograms.

Initial investigations revealed that the men had bought the drugs in northern Thailand for two million baht a kilo and had been paid 25,000 baht a kilo to transport the drugs. The haul was worth 148 million baht in Thailand but has a value twice that in Malaysia.

The gang was remanded in custody as investigations continue.


-- 2016-03-24

[Tchooptip]

Someone somewhere had big money to invest, but the choice was not good this time!

[robertthebruce]

That's there life sorted now.....End off..

[Lupatria]

Good to know that once again no Thai was involved in the deal...

The king pin (seller), the owner of the kitchen and the cooks are probably Lao or Khmer. Is Saul Goodman already spinning the case?

[ExpatLife]

Goodbye life, it is NEVER worth it under any circumstances

[dotpoom]

Someone somewhere had big money to invest, but the choice was not good this time!

I would hardly call 2MB a big investment?

[JimHuaHin]

Sugar!!!

"74kg of ice worth 300 million baht seized on train south of Hua Hin"

I know the drought is getting worse, but Baht 4.05 million for a kg of ice; how much is water now?

[luckyman]

That's there life sorted now.....End off..

Yep indeed it is especially if they extradite the lot to Malaysia, cant believe they would risk the death penalty by taking a train unless some high officials over there were paid off big time

[Tchooptip]

Someone somewhere had big money to invest, but the choice was not good this time!

I would hardly call 2MB a big investment?

Once again someone who does not read OP properly (sorry) 2MB a kilo

arrested seven Malaysian suspects and seized a large cache of "Ice" drugs weighed 75 kilogrammes worth 148 million baht.

Initial investigations revealed that the men had bought the drugs in northern Thailand for two million baht a kilo and had been paid 25,000 baht a kilo to transport the drugs. The haul was worth 148 million baht in Thailand but has a value twice that in Malaysia.

[Kabula]

Not only do they wreck the people's lives, they lost their lives, probably never experiencing freedom again. Years ago I traveled to Pablo Escobar's bombed out lake home a few hours north of Medellin, Columbia and saw many islands with mansions that were empty because most of the cartel members were dead. Most drug dealers/mules/soldiers, have a short life span or spend the remainder of their lives behind rebar cages or cold concrete. The lucky ones have to spend the rest of their lives on the move while hiding. As time moves on they get addicted to their own poison and wished they were dead while thinking how they lost their families, business and life!

[monty1412]

I cant help wonder why such a large quantity of drugs was in one shipment and on a train ..... I know Im supposed to voice conspiracy theory here but this doesn't make sense ..... if you were transporting nearly USD 10 M of drugs with 7 people surely you would split up the modes of transport, the old stuff them in the spare wheel of the tyre of a car or SUV ruse , hide them in the door trims etc etc.... put another way drug lords and big buyers dont run their business by being stupid......why would they do one consolidated shipment like this........... of course if this is all legitimate and a true drug bust then great to get that crap off the streets and in that case I do hope they offer the couriers a sweet deal to help them track back to the kingpin and get it at the source but I just wonder why such a huge consignment was in one lot, one mode of transport with all the gang on the train....maybe I need to go back to my " what really happened to MH370" book....

[FredNL]

PM Prayut reveals high speed rail link to be funded by Thai government alone...

[bark]

Sugar!!!

"74kg of ice worth 300 million baht seized on train south of Hua Hin"

I know the drought is getting worse, but Baht 4.05 million for a kg of ice; how much is water now?

What a funny joke. I wish I was as smart as you to think of it. Oh sorry I did think of it but then I good down and saw my stupid cat eating a fur ball, and thought. " don't even think about typing that joke, or all of Thai Visa will think I am 3 years old " .

[Lamkyong]

mmmmmmmmmmm i smell pg tips

[Lamkyong]

That's there life sorted now.....End off..

That's there life sorted now. snorted

[Stardust314]

Rice..??

[Happy Grumpy]

The ice has been released on bail.

[gandalf12]

And who did they buy it from?

[Nemesis7]

what if they are sentenced the same as it would be in Malaysia? Death penalty?

[tuanku]

1 kg of ice is only 8 baht in 7-11. There's something wrong with this story.

[tuanku]

I buy my ice in 7-11 for only 8 baht per kilo. There is something funny about this story.

[movsrus]

This is a classic trafficker scam. Someone let out the word there was a big shipment of ice on the train knowing every BIB and cop in the area would be there to get his picture in the newspaper. The big shipment is on the next couple of trains which are carrying a lot of dope knowing the cops are already occupied with the photo opportunity and it is much safer to move quantity because they won't get caught.

I'll bet if they ever do an analysis of this bust the dope is not very pure and is adulterated with fluff to make the weight. This happens frequently in the southern states of the US as the traffickers will give up a load of coke every once in awhile to take the heat off the major traffic routes.

[Brer Fox]

For every one of these failed smuggling attempts how many are successful? Many is my guess. Typically this one was only brought down because of a tip off rather than cunning Thai detective work.

[tomyumchai]

Someone somewhere had big money to invest, but the choice was not good this time!

I would hardly call 2MB a big investment?

a kilo........ and there was 73 more....... i wouldnt mind 148 million baht to invest somewhere

[SOTIRIOS]

...........always pretending it's only 'the other guys'......