Six Arrested in Two Separate Drug Bust in Chiang Rai, 5 Million Speed Pills and 200kg Ketamine Seized

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CHIANG RAI – Local and Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB) police have conducted two separate raids netting a total of 5 million methamphetamine pills, 200 kilograms of ketamine and one kilogram of crystal methamphetamine.

 

In the first arrest, 4.11 million methamphetamine pills, or ya ba, and 200kg of ketamine were found at a house in Mae Sai district, and two men arrested.

In the second operation, four parcels being shipped via a private courier in Chiang Rai city were intercepted, and four men arrested. The boxes contained 890,000 ya ba pills and 1kg of crystal methamphetamine

Local and Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB) police raided the house in Mae Sai district early on Thursday after being tipped off that a large shipment of drugs had been taken to a shophouse in tambon Wieng Pang Kham.

They found many sacks stacked in a room, and others already loaded on the back of a pickup truck. Altogether 4.11 million methamphtamine pills were found in the sacks. Another 200 packets labelled as tea were found to contain 200kg of ketamine.

Two men were arrested at the house. They were identified as Supachai Rungrueng,31, and Kittipong Phanchomphu, 24. The pickup truck and four mobile phones were also seized as evidence.

An initial investigation found the drugs had arrived at the house from the border, with the planned destination Phrae province.

The investigation was being extended.

Authorities also learned that drugs would be sent via private courier. Officers were stationed to observe activities at Siam First, which runs a long distance coach service between Chiang Rai and Bangkok.

Two men entered, wanting to send four boxes of goods addressed to Sarin Ritsakul, whose mobile phone number was given. When they left, the two men were followed. Other members of the team inspected the boxes and found 440 packets holding 880,000 methamphetamine pills, and 1kg of crystal meth.

The two men, identified as Sivarn Singkhunthod, 20, and Worawong Tahom, 20, were followed to Mae Fah Luang airport where they met two other men — Sitthichok Boriboon, 28, and Sahaphap Piyarat, 24. All four were arrested.

Pol Maj Gen Thanai Aphichatseni, chief of the NSB’s drug trafficking suppression division, said Mr Sitthichok confessed to having accepted the job of moving the drugs from tambon Nang Lae in Muang district. He asked friends to join him, offering them 100,000 baht each.

The men took a bus from Bangkok to Chiang Rai, rented a room in a hotel and packed the drugs. Two men were assigned to take the drugs to Siam First for shipment.

Mr Sitthichok said it was the third time he had accepted this kind of job.

All the arrested men were charged with possession of illicit drugs.