ANG THONG – A convicted drug offender who was formerly a school teacher was found dead in an apparent suicide in his cell overnight after being arrested again, police said on Thursday.

Pol Lt Col Seree Songkit, the superintendent of Sam Ko district police in Ang Thong province, said Harnsak Boonprasert, 53, committed suicide. He believed he was stressed by the prospect of  having to serve time again.

Harnsak, a former teacher, was previously convicted of possession of illegal drugs and spent 10 years in prison. He was released in mid-2011.

Recently, police received information from teenagers that Harnsak was selling methamphetamine pills, or yaba, to them. Police then found 176 speed pills in his home and arrested him on Wednesday night.