Large hauls of illegal drugs seized

BANGKOK, Sept 18 (TNA) – The anti-narcotics police seized a huge haul of 10 million meth pills, 37 kg of heroin, hidden in a pick-up truck in Sukhothai province while 917 kg of marijuana and 2 kg of crystal meth were confiscated in another two separate cases. Pol Maj Gen Chalermkiart Srivorakhan, deputy national police chief told the press conference on Tuesday that about 10 drug traffickers were arrested in three major drug busts. The first case involved the drug network of Prawit Sae-ma. He and three associates were arrested after the police discovered 10 million meth pills and 37 kg of heroin in the pick-up truck on a by-pass road in Sukhothai province. The drugs were covered with sacks of chicken droppings. The suspects confessed to transporting the drug from the northern province of Chiang Rai to customers in the central province of Ayutthaya. In another case, the police and customs officials arrested the drug ring of Theerasal Saensanoh. He and five others colluded in trafficking narcotics from the northeastern province of Bueng Kan to the southern province of Satun. The police searched three suspicious vehicles on the Mittrapab highway in Udon Thani and found 917 kg of marijuana. In the last case, an African drug suspect was arrested at a hotel in Bangkok’s Phra Khanong area with 2 kg of crystal meth or ice hidden in a briefcase, bound for a customer in New Zealand. Pol Lt Gen Sommai Kongwisaisuk, chief of the narcotic suppression bureau said most illegal drugs are destined for other countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia. Thai police have to work with foreign agencies to prevent illegal drug production and trafficking. He said Thai and Malaysian police earlier shut down a drug factory in Penang. This year, Thai police confiscated 65 million meth pills, 6,000 kg of ice, 990 kg of heroin, 100 kg of cocaine, 9,300 kg of marijuana in 2,018 cases. About 118 million baht were seized. (TNA)