B125m of south-bound narcotics seized in Chumphon

B125m of south-bound narcotics seized in Chumphon

Authorities present eight suspected drug traffickers at the Chumphon provincial police headquarters on Monday. They were allegedly arrested with 400,000 speed pills and 260kg of marijuana worth over 125 million baht. (Photo by Amnart Thongdee)
Authorities present eight suspected drug traffickers at the Chumphon provincial police headquarters on Monday. They were allegedly arrested with 400,000 speed pills and 260kg of marijuana worth over 125 million baht. (Photo by Amnart Thongdee)

CHUMPHON - Authorities in the southern province of Chumphon have seized marijuana and methamphetamines with a market value of 125 million baht from eight suspects, including a couple with two-year-old girl, before delivery to buyers in the South.

The two groups of alleged traffickers were arrested at the same checkpoint on the main southern highway, Phetkasem, in Pathiu district on Sunday evening. Chumphon authorities presented the suspects and drugs in a press conference at the provincial police head office on Monday.

The first group of six men from the Northeast were arrested with 260kg of marijuana at about 5pm on Sunday. The suspects were identified as Sangkhom Phromdee, 43, Winyu Thongthip, 36, Woraphop Maichai, 38, and Chaipacha Jaikaew, 36, all from Ubon Ratchathani, Wirat Mongkholsiri, 48, from Kalasin province, and Weera Chomdon, 34, from Nakhon Ratchasima province.

They were travelling in three separate vehicles.

Mr Sangkhom and Mr Wirat were stopped first at the checkpoint in tambon Khao Chairat. A search found nothing illegal but they aroused suspicion by ignoring repeated phone calls.

Police discovered two other suspects following in a second vehicle, and another two in a third vehicle, a Toyota Wish carrying the 260kg of marijuana.

The six told police they were hired for 100,000 baht to deliver the marijuana from the northeastern province of Nakhon Phanom to a buyer at a petrol station in Tha Sae district of Chumphon.

Two other suspects arrested on Sunday were a couple from the southern province of Pattani.

Nasi Bueraheng, 32, and his wife Sabeeroh Jehmae, 27, were arrested with four black plastic bags containing 400,000 speed pills covered with sacks of salt on their 10-wheel truck at the same checkpoint at about 6pm on Sunday.

They said they were paid 300,000 baht to transport the pills from Samut Sakhon province to Pattani. Social workers took their two-year-old daughter from them and were to contact their relatives to take the child.

The retail price of the marijuana was estimated at 5.2 million baht and the methamphetamine at 120 million baht.

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