Thailand: Massive raids lead to seizure of US$85 mil worth of drugs

THAI police have seized drugs worth Bt 3 billion (US$85 million) in three major drug busts over last week, national police chief Pol General Chakthip Chaijinda told a press conference at the Royal Thai Police head office in Bangkok.

The raids also led to the arrest of suspects allegedly linked to Laos drug kingping Xaysana Keopimpha, according to the Bangkok Post.

Xaysana was detained last month and his arrest triggered a series of raids and arrests of people suspected of involvement with his transnational drug network.

Chiang Rai resident Chatree Sae-hur, 24, was arrested in possession of 5.8 million methamphetamine pills and 20 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, known as “ice”, in Lampang’s Thoen district last Friday.

The suspect refused to stop at a police checkpoint in Lampang and sped away in his pickup truck, sparking a chase which ended with police shooting the vehicle’s tyres, said Pol Maj Gen Thanai Apichatsanee. Two of Chatree’s accomplices escaped on foot into surrounding woods.

In another case, Natthapong Thongsuk, 21, Thiwakorn Panchandee, 23, and an unidentified 17-year-old male accomplice were arrested in possession of 279,760 methamphetamine pills, 16.5kg of crystal methamphetamine and 3.2kg of ketamine last Thursday in Bangkok. Police also seized three motorcycles.

The three allegedly worked for a drug-trafficking network led by a woman identified only as “Jeh Muey” that distributed drugs in Bangkok’s Thon Buri district and nearby provinces, according to Pol Maj-General Wutthipong Phetchkamnerd.

Wutthiphong said the arrests were made following the capture of Natthaphol



“Boy” Nakkham, who is believed to be linked to the Xaysana drug network. Police are looking to arrest more people, he said.

In a third case, Metropolitan Police Area 8 commander Pol Major General Samrit Tongtao said police arrested three suspects on Saturday found to be in possession of 80kg of crystal methamphetamine and 7.2kg of heroin at a house in Bangkok.

Pol General Chakthip, claimed about 70 percent of all of the seized drugs were destined for neighbouring countries.

The Royal Thai Police have hailed the raids as a major success in the their ongoing anti-drug drive.

Despite former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra launching a bloody crackdown on drugs back in 2003, Thailand has continued to suffer with rife drug use.

The war on drugs, aimed at suppressing drug trafficking, killed more than 2,800 people according to Reuters, but only led to a growing number of drug users and jails struggled to cope with the influx of inmates.

The number of inmates jailed for drug convictions has almost doubled over the past decade, Thai Department of Corrections figures showed, a result of unsparing sentencing that puts even petty users behind bars.

The failure of the crackdown has led policy makers to rethink their strategy leading amendments to the drug law that reduce penalties and ensure more proportionate sentencing. The amendments were adopted on Jan 16.

“We need to change sentencing and make a distinction between small and big time dealers,” Klong Prem prison commander Thawatchai Chaiywat told Reuters. “Thailand thinks prisons are a panacea for all crimes, including drug crimes.”