Bt285m worth of assets, 2m meth pills seized in four drug operations
Police have arrested alleged drug kingpins and major financiers as well as seized 2.1 million methamphetamine pills, 1,590 kilograms of marijuana and 2.5kg of cocaine in drug operations nationwide.
Pol Colonel Chalermkiart Sriworakhan, deputy police commissioner, and Narcotics Suppression Bureau commissioner Pol Lt-General Sommai Kongwisaisuk held a press conference at the bureau on Wednesday to announce the success of the operations, which lasted from February 19 to Tuesday.
Chalermkiart said police had searched 91 areas nationwide during the period and seized drugs worth Bt440.4 million.
He said two guns were also seized with 10 rounds of ammunition; 24 cars and three motorcycles; nine houses and condominiums, and four plots of land; Bt1.5 million worth of gold ornament; and Bt1.8 million in cash. The total assets were worth Bt285.515 million, he said.
He added that the operations focused on four major drug networks.
In a crackdown on the first network, police arrested Thai-speaking Indian businessman Harpreet Singh at his Bangkok home on Tuesday.
He is accused of being a major financier for drug operations. Police planned his arrest after five drug suspects were earlier arrested in Khon Kaen with 400kg of crystal meth.
Sommai said police had been monitoring Singh’s activities for 20 years, adding that he had acted as the financial centre between major drug buyers and sellers and helped to launder money.
Singh denied the charges but failed to explain how he had acquired his assets.
In the crackdown on the second network, police arrested Thirapol Charoensawat, 31, for allegedly selling drugs in Songkhla.
In an operation against the third network, police arrested Wanchalerm Kamolert and Natthawut Nilthad, who are allegedly major drug dealers.
Police planned their arrests after they detained several drug dealers in Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi and Rayong. The information provided by the suspects led police to seize the assets of Wanchaerma and Natthawut in 10 areas.
In an operation against the fourth network, police arrested Pol Senior Sgt-Major Jitraphanu Suwanwakul, a police officer in the Kamphaeng Phet police head office.
He was arrested under an arrest warrant issued on January 12 for allegedly selling drugs in Phitsanulok. His assets worth Bt7 million were frozen.