Police arrest drug suspect, alleged Army accomplice

Niphon Kanchart, 54, was arrested yesterday morning at a housing estate in Pathum Thani province with Bt303,500 in cash. He admitted to owning or transporting the drugs – 71 kg of crystal methamphetamine, or “ice”, and 3.8 million amphetamine tablets worth around Bt1 billion in total – which were found at a home in eastern Bangkok that he rented from an actress.
With the military’s cooperation, police identified another suspect, Major Piyanat Jatejamras, an Army engineer attached to the Third Army Area in the North, who they said had issued military permits allowing Niphon to drive through police checkpoints within the capital and along routes between Bangkok and the North.
The case began when police attending the scene of a road accident, in which a Toyota sedan crashed into a wall on an eastbound expressway section, found a large quantity of drugs inside the car. Searching the sedan, police found a number of documents and a notebook computer leading to Niphon.
Among the documents were permits issued to Niphon by the Internal Security Operations Command, which offered a non-military course attended by him. Niphon later got to know Piyanat and the pair had since worked for drug agents in the North, police said. In a statement given to police, Niphon said he was paid Bt24 million for transporting the drugs to Bangkok, where they would be picked up by a man known only as Chen.
Police quoted Niphon as saying he had stopped acting as a drug courier in 2006, then resumed the activity in late 2010, when he worked together with the officer. Niphon said he normally received Bt0.50 for each tablet and Bt5,000 for every kg of “ice” delivered.
Army spokesman Colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd said police would soon detain the major after the Army gave initial approval for a joint investigation, and finally for detention under police custody.
He said Lt-General Pitiphak Pomnark, a commander under ISOC, only signed approval for the permit to be issued to Niphon for attending a course, and had nothing to do with him dealing drugs.
Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung said a crackdown would soon be carried out against government officials involved in drug dealing or who utilise fake permits or identity cards.