LAMPANG: Authorities in Lampang arrested five people and confiscated 900,000 speed pills (ya bah) and almost 250 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine (ya ice) worth about B500 million 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 ya bah pills and 199kg of ya ice were seized from three suspects, police said yesterday (Nov 19).
The suspects were identified as Weerapol Worachanpensri, 19, Jue sae Lao, 22, and his younger brother Kang sae Lao, 19. Jue used a car to transport the drugs while the other two used motorcycles to scout for police checkpoints.
Police became suspicious when 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.
Kang, who was on the other motorcycle, was detained for questioning while police radioed colleagues and stopped Jue's car shortly after.
After intensive questioning, Jue took police to the spot where he dumped the drug. The ya bah pills and ya ice were found in 12 sacks dumped near a creek.
The suspects claimed they were hired for B450,000 by an unnamed Hmong villager to deliver the drugs from Chiang Rai to Ayutthaya. They were paid B30,000 to cover transport-related expenses.
In another case, authorities confiscated 50kg of ya ice from a pick-up truck at a checkpoint and arrested Wichet Nanglae, 24 for questioning.
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 yesterday, the Narcotics Suppression Bureau announced the arrest of eight people and seizure of 300,000 ya bah pills and 857kg of marijuana in two other cases.
In the first case, ya ice 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 B27,000 in cash were also seized, authorities said.
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