Three Thai Policemen Sentenced to Life in Prison for Drug Dealing

CHIANG RAI – Three policemen have been sentenced to life in prison for drug dealing, using a police vehicle to make deliveries, in 2012.

Eight people, five of them policemen, were arrested on Dec 13, 2012 for dealing one million yaba pills and carrying firearms without appropriate reason.

They used a police-marked pickup truck to deliver the pills from Doi Tung district, Chiang Rai province, to a customer in Bangkok but were arrested en route in Ayutthaya province.

The Criminal Court on Tuesday sentenced to death Pol Sub Lt Jittipong Sochai, a former suppression sub-inspector at Uan police station in Nan province, Pol Sen Sgt Maj Attapol Kamsaen and Pol Lt Col Thammanoon Nakbua for dealing drugs.

The court also handed down a 6-month jail term on them for carrying firearms in public places.

But since they gave useful testimony, the court reduced the sentence by a third to life in prison.

As for the other two policemen, the court said it was not clear from the witnesses and evidence of the case that Pol Sen Sgt Maj Sakkapong and Pol Sen Sgt Maj Nonthawat Pansa had been involved in the drug dealing.

However, they were found guilty of carrying firearms in public places and given a jail term of six months, reduced by a third to four months on useful testimony.

Two of the three civilians, Vicharn Laomi and Venjaporn Tiangkinnaree, were sentenced to death while Udomsak Sae Tern was acquitted on unclear evidence that he had been involved.