ONE of Phuket's biggest methamphetamine hauls came today with officers seizing 30,000 ya bah tablets.
The breakthrough arrest followed Phuket's biggest cocaine seizures in the same week.
Nabbed was Pakbhum Praynga, 31, who admitted that this was the fifth time he'd attempted to ship a large quantity of illegal tablets from Phuket to Trang province. The previous four times, the drugs had gotten to their destination.
This week's hauls raise questions about Phuket as a certain hub for illegal drug transfers and possibly as a place where methamphetamine is produced and distributed throughout the region.
Khun Pakbhum was nabbed at his apartment in Phuket City, close to FC Phuket's Surakul Stadium home, about 8am today, with the box of drugs that he intended to put on a bus for Trang.
He told the Phuket governor's team of officers, who carried out the arrest, that he had picked up the tablets from five locations around Phuket on instructions that came over the telephone, and his fee for the task of sending the haul to Trang was to be 50,000 baht.
The governor's officers were acting on a tip-off, as police were also acting in successive days earlier this week when they arrested Swiss expat resident Peter Balmer, 47, and Pimpisa ''Ja'' Pangyota, 38, with six kilos of cocaine at Phuket airport.
The pair admitted to being drug mules who had flown in to Phuket airport on separate flights from Brazil via the Middle East and Kuala Lumpur.
Today a media presentation at Provincial Hall in Phuket City was told that Khun Pakbhum was free on bail of 200,000 baht over an alleged drugs offence from last year.
It appears the cocaine this week was on its way to be distributed in Bangkok, and that Phuket was simply the most convenient and potentially ''safe'' place to bring it into Thailand.
However, police believe there is greater likelihood that Phuket could be a source where large quantities of methamphetamine are produced.
The breakthrough arrest followed Phuket's biggest cocaine seizures in the same week.
Nabbed was Pakbhum Praynga, 31, who admitted that this was the fifth time he'd attempted to ship a large quantity of illegal tablets from Phuket to Trang province. The previous four times, the drugs had gotten to their destination.
This week's hauls raise questions about Phuket as a certain hub for illegal drug transfers and possibly as a place where methamphetamine is produced and distributed throughout the region.
Khun Pakbhum was nabbed at his apartment in Phuket City, close to FC Phuket's Surakul Stadium home, about 8am today, with the box of drugs that he intended to put on a bus for Trang.
He told the Phuket governor's team of officers, who carried out the arrest, that he had picked up the tablets from five locations around Phuket on instructions that came over the telephone, and his fee for the task of sending the haul to Trang was to be 50,000 baht.
The governor's officers were acting on a tip-off, as police were also acting in successive days earlier this week when they arrested Swiss expat resident Peter Balmer, 47, and Pimpisa ''Ja'' Pangyota, 38, with six kilos of cocaine at Phuket airport.
The pair admitted to being drug mules who had flown in to Phuket airport on separate flights from Brazil via the Middle East and Kuala Lumpur.
Today a media presentation at Provincial Hall in Phuket City was told that Khun Pakbhum was free on bail of 200,000 baht over an alleged drugs offence from last year.
It appears the cocaine this week was on its way to be distributed in Bangkok, and that Phuket was simply the most convenient and potentially ''safe'' place to bring it into Thailand.
However, police believe there is greater likelihood that Phuket could be a source where large quantities of methamphetamine are produced.
Good job Phuket police. This drug is very addictive and now taking over the USA.
Posted by GiantFan on May 12, 2011 16:44