A raid yesterday at a condo in Bung Kum district netted Bangkok's largest-ever single seizure of drugs, police say.
Officers seized about 4.5 million methamphetamine pills and 60kg of crystal methamphetamine worth around 1.5 billion baht, Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) secretary-general Pol Gen Pongsapat Pongcharoen said.
Police and anti-drug agents display part of the methamphetamine cache found in suitcases in the Bung Kum district condo. (Post Today photo)
Acting on a tip-off, police raided rooms 302 and 320 of Peera Phokaew Mansion in Soi Phokaew and found the drugs hidden in a wardrobe.
Police arrested three suspects during the raid _ Suthichai Kama, 22, Sing Kaewpu, 20, and a 16-year-old boy.
Pol Gen Pongsapat said the suspects were hired to watch over the drugs, which he said had been brought to Bangkok from Chiang Rai by the Wa drug network.
Police also yesterday launched a crackdown on a major drug trafficking gang in Bangkok. They detained one suspect, and seized assets worth more than 50 million baht.
Police arrested Thanyaporn Khanankhaeng, 36, wife of gang leader Kosin Chuchai, 31, Pol Gen Pongsapat said.
Seized during Ms Thanyaporn's arrest in Klong Sam Wa district were 59 bullets, 76 bottles of liquid methamphetamine, a fake Narcotics Suppression Bureau ID card, and a press card identifying Mr Kosin. Police also seized three cars, 7 million baht stored in 13 bank accounts, three houses in Bangkok and one garage in Pathum Thani.
Police would continue to track Mr Kosin and at least 10 other suspects involved in his drug network.
They expect to seize more assets which could take the value of their haul to 100 million baht, Pol Gen Pongsapat said.
Mr Kosin is known to have run his drug gang from Klong Toey market but later moved to Min Buri district, Pol Gen Pongsapat said.
Investigators learned the gang had hired people to open bank accounts to store money earned from the drug trade, he said.
Mr Kosin faces an arrest warrant and should turn himself in, Pol Gen Pongsapat said.
Ms Thanyaporn claimed not to know where her husband was and said she had no idea that he was involved in selling drugs.
Police seize suitcases in a raid on Peera Phokaew Mansion in Bung Kum district where they found 4.5 million methamphetamine pills and 60kg of crystal meth worth around 1.5 billion baht. SURAPOL PROMSAKA NA SAKOLNAKORN