Pair arrested on sleeper train, B50m drugs seized

Pair arrested on sleeper train, B50m drugs seized

This team of police seized additional crystal methamphetamine from the Songkhla home of a couple caught on a sleeper carriage of an expressway train heading to the South. They also seized a locked bag containing drugs worth about 50 million baht. (Photo taken from the Narcotics Suppression Information Centre facebook page)
This team of police seized additional crystal methamphetamine from the Songkhla home of a couple caught on a sleeper carriage of an expressway train heading to the South. They also seized a locked bag containing drugs worth about 50 million baht. (Photo taken from the Narcotics Suppression Information Centre facebook page)

A couple have been arrested and more than 150,000 speed pills and 6kg of crystal methamphetamine with a street value of about 50 million baht seized from them while traveling in a sleeper carriage of an express train heading to the South.

Arthit Thipwasri, 32, a native of Songkhla and his 17-year-old female companion were present at a media conference at the Railway Police Division on Tuesday, along with the drugs.

The pair were travelling on Express Train No37 from Bangkok to Sungai Kolok on Sunday night when they came to the attention of railway police. The train was approaching Thung Song railway station in Nakhon Si Thammarat at the time. 

The officers became suspicious of the pair, who were on the 10th sleeper carriage, and asked to search their travelling bag, which was closed with three padlocks, Pol Maj Gen Sommai Kongwisaisuk, deputy commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau, said.

The couple were unwilling to let the police search the bag. While the officers were questioning them, someone phoned Mr Arthit and through him offered a 500,000 baht bribe in exchange for their release, said Pol Maj Gen Sommai.

The phone caller had said he would first transfer 200,000 baht into a bank account held by the 17-year-old suspect, and the remaining 300,000 baht after the pair were released.

The police pretended to accept the offer, then took the suspects to their house in tambon Khohong in Songkhla’s Hat Yai district and searched it. 

They found one bag containing 710 grammes of crystal methamphetamine, or "ya ice", and one digital scale in their bedroom.

Neighbours told police that the pair sold somtam and roast chicken in Hat Yai before disappearing from their house for more than two months. When they returned home, they had purchased some land and built a new two-storey house, according to Thairath Online.

Railway Police Division commander Jirasant Kaewsaeng-ek said drug gangs used trains for smuggling as it was easier for them to escape. Railway police were aware of this and had tightened their counter measures. Officers were trained to notice the behaviour of those involved in drug smuggling.

The railway police chief said northern and southern railway routes were often used for drug trafficking.

The couple told police that they had been hired by a friend for 100,000 baht to pick up the locked bag at Sam Sen railway station and deliver it to a customer in Songkhla, Pol Maj Gen Jirasant said.

The suspects claimed they did not know what was inside the bag. Police said it contained 78 packaged holding s  156,000 methamphetamine pills and 6kg of crystal methamphetamine with an estimated street value of 50 million baht.  In addition they confiscated a Honda car with a Songkhla licence plate, 50,000 baht cash and 150,000 baht in a bank account used for an attempted bribe, a digital scale, five bank account books and two mobile phones.

Police charged them with having illicit drugs in possession with intent to sell and attempting to bribe the  officers before handing them over to the Narcotics Suppression Bureau.

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