Major drug ring busted, police say
The Narcotics Suppression Bureau has shut down a major drug-trafficking ring, arresting six alleged members in Samut Songkram and Nakhon Pathom and seizing more than 400,000 methamphetamine pills.
The arrests, culminating an April 27 sting operation, were announced at Narcotics Suppression Division 4 on Tuesday morning.
The suspects were identified as Jakkri Oonsamran, 31, Wanchalerm Nakphakdee, 29, Serin Yaphetnoi, 32, Thannakorn Soomthong, 32, Sanit Issa-ard, 34, and Chutima Thekong, 19.
NSB officers seized 401,531 meth pills, eight mobile phones, an SUV, a pickup truck, a sedan car and a 9mm pistol. Police later froze the suspects’ assets, including four more vehicles and bank accounts collectively containing Bt4.5 million.
Division commander Pol Maj Gen Dussadee Chusangkij said police had decided that Wanchalerm led the gang smuggling the drug from the North and undercover officers contacted him to make a purchase.
After two attempts to do so failed, Wanchalerm allegedly agreed to sell 400,000 meth pills to the undercover agents for Bt12 million on April 27. He and Jakkri allegedly met the officers at a fast-food restaurant in the Central Salaya shopping mall in Nakhon Pathom.
Dussadee said Wanchalerm and Jakkri saw the money and told the undercover officers to pick up the drugs at a petrol station in Samut Songkram’s Amphawa district.
Police arrested four suspects at the petrol station and the other two suspects at food outlet. Dussadee said police found 1,531 more meth pills at Serin’s house.