Police in Northern Thailand Seize Mass Quantity of Speed Pills in Three Drug Busts

LAMPANG – Authorities in the Northern Province of Lampang have arrested five people and confiscated 900,000 speed pills and almost 250 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine worth about 500 million baht in two separate cases over the weekend.

The seizure, one of the biggest reported in the province, was the result of a joint crackdown by local police, officers from Police Region 5 Bureau, and troops from Surasakmontri military camp.

In the first case, 900,000 speed pills and 199kg of ya ice were seized from three suspects, police said Monday.

The suspects were identified as Weerapol Worachanpensri, 19, Jue sae Lao, 22, and his younger brother Kang sae Lao, 19. Mr Jue used a car to transport the drugs while the other two used motorcycles to scout for police checkpoints.

Police became suspicious when Mr Weerapol’s phone kept ringing during a search at a checkpoint, and spotted a car and another motorcycle not far from the checkpoint. The car drove away when police approached them.

Mr Kang, who was on the other motorcycle, was detained for questioning while police radioed colleagues and stopped Mr Jue’s car shortly after.

After intensive questioning, Mr Jue took police to the spot where he dumped the drug. The speed pills and crystal meth were found in 12 sacks dumped near a creek.

The suspects claimed they were hired for 450,000 baht by an unnamed Hmong villager to deliver the drugs from Chiang Rai to Ayutthaya. They were paid 30,000 baht to cover transport-related expenses.

In another case, authorities confiscated 50kg of crystal methamphetamine from a pick-up truck at a checkpoint and arrested Wichet Nanglae, 24 for questioning.

Mr Wichet said he was transporting manure from Chiang Mai to Nakhon Sawan, but an X-ray examination revealed 50kg of ya ice was hidden among the fertiliser.

Also on Monday, the Narcotics Suppression Bureau announced the arrest of eight people and seizure of 300,000 speed pills and 857kg of marijuana in two other cases.

In the first case, methamphetamine was found in a car driven by 50-year-old Somporn sae Lim which was hidden in a modified liquid petroleum gas tank, police said.

The other case involved the seizure of 857 bars of marijuana. The five suspects involved were arrested in three separate locations in Bangkok and Phetchaburi. Three vehicles, eight mobile phones and 27,000 baht in cash were also seized, authorities said.