14 arrested in major drug operation

Deputy police chief General Pongsapat Pongcharoen yesterday said the narcotics suppression operation had netted 1,146,524 amphetamine pills, five kilograms of methamphetamine and an unknown amount of cannabis.

Among those arrested were alleged members of the Oros gang, a prominent drug dealing operation.

Pongsapat said the gang must be destroyed and police would arrest the rest members as soon as possible.

Pol Maj-General Chartri Paisarnsin, the Narcotics Suppression Bureau 4 commander, said in one case officers arrested six alleged offenders and seized 1 million amphetamine pills, one car, two trucks and six mobile phones at several locations in the southern provinces.

Chartri said police learned a major drug dealer network in the Northeast was transporting drugs to the South, so last Tuesday police located vehicles used to transport the drugs and arrested the alleged offenders in Phatthalung. 

Based on information obtained from the first case, police arrested more suspects accused of transporting drugs at Surat Thani and Chumphon, he said.

He said police then arrested three suspects last Thursday who had allegedly tried to smuggle drugs to the South and seized 144,000 amphetamine pills, five kilograms of methamphetamine, one car and two mobile phones.

Pol Lt-General Rewat Klinkesorn said the other case resulted in three suspects being arrested last Wednesday as they allegedly attempted to buy drugs.

Police seized 524 amphetamine pills and cannabis. 

All of the suspects are alleged members of the Oros gang.

As a result of the third case, police arrested two suspects and seized 94.5 grams of methamphetamine in a sting operation.