Five suspected drug traffickers linked to Myanmar narcotics kingpin Lt Col Yi Se have been arrested in Chachoengsao with authorities seizing 200,000 methamphetamine tablets.
Chanthayaporn Khunnaen, 53, Pisit Khongpao, 44,Khanchai Maomeesee, 34, Thotsapol Ngam-osa, 37, and Sarawut Tiyawat, 32, were caught separately in the eastern province on Wednesday afternoon and taken for a news conference at the Narcotics Suppression Bureau on Thursday.
Seized from them were 100 bundles of speed pills, two cars and six mobile phones.
NSB commissioner Pol Lt Col Rewat Klinsesorn said the arrests followed information that the suspects were involved in illicit drug trade in the East. A police officer later posed as a drug buyer to contact the gang for the purchase of drugs worth 7.5 million baht.
The gang had asked the buyer to bring the money to the Robinson department store's Chachoengsao mall branch on Wednesday afternoon. Ms Chanthayaporn and three suspects showed up allegedly to receive the money before asking the buyer to pick up the drugs from Mr Sarawut on Riam Thang Duan Road off the Bangkok-Chon Buri motorway in Bang Pakong district of Chachoengsao. Police then moved in to arrest the suspects.
Pol Lt Gen Rewat said the suspects were members of a drug network linked to Myanmar drug gang leader Lt Col Yi Se.
The confiscated drugs had been smuggled from the North into the East for sale in Chon Buri and Rayong, said the NSB chief.
The investigation would be extended to find more suspects in the illicit drug trade, he said.