More than Bt300-million of drugs seized in Nakhon Pathom raid
Deputy national police chief Pol General Torsak Sukwimol on Wednesday led a raid on a townhouse in Nakhon Pathom province suspected of being a hideout of one of the country’s largest drug gangs, seizing narcotics valued at more than 300 million baht.
Torsak had earlier been appointed as Thailand’s new commissioner-general of the Royal Thai Police (RTP). He will succeed Pol General Damrongsak Kittiprapas, who will retire by the end of September.
Four suspects, two males and two females, residing in the townhouse in Muang district were arrested. Fifteen million tablets of methamphetamine, 443 bars of heroin, 420 kilograms of crystal meth, and other narcotic substances were found on the premises.
“Police officers have been tracking this gang for over 2 years based on intelligence that they import drugs from neighbouring countries and store them here in Nakhon Pathom,” said Torsak at a press conference held just before midnight on Wednesday.
The national police chief-in-waiting added that the raid on the 2-storey townhouse started at around 7.12pm Wednesday as officials learned that suspects planned to move the drugs later that night.
Participating in the operations were officials from Provincial Police Region 7, 191 Police, the Narcotics Suppression Bureau, and the Office of the Narcotics Control Board.
“Drugs have become increasingly cheaper in Thailand and cost less than 10 baht per tablet now,” said Torsak.
“Police have been combating the influx of drugs from neighbouring countries, especially in Chiang Mai’s Mae Ai district and Chiang Rai’s Chiang Saen district, which quickly spread to other parts of the country,” he said, adding that the military conflict in Myanmar has accelerated drug movements to Thailand.
“This bust is not a celebration of my promotion. We have been working on this for over two years,” Torsak said.
