Chiang Mai: Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB) police have seized drugs and assets worth over 100 million baht from two separate drug trafficking gangs based in the North.
Deputy national police chief Pol Gen Somyos Pumpanmuang and Chiang Mai governor Wichien Putthiwinyu yesterday presided over a press conference discussing the capture of the two gangs.
The first arrest took place on Saturday at Wat Bot district in Phitsanulok. NSB police seized 610,000 methamphetamine pills hidden in a pickup on its way to deliver cargo of drugs to customers based in the South.
Police said the drug dealers recently diverted their trafficking routes via Phitsanulok and Uttaradit through Bangkok to the South. This decision is in order to avoid Phaholyothin Road, linking the North with Bangkok.
The suspects are Panya Songprasitthiphol or Sae Khong, 39, Koh Harnsathawong or Sae Wa, 30, and Sawasdee Assawawitthayapinyo or Sae Harn, 28.
All of them come from Nan’s Wieng Sa district and Tak’s Mae Sot district.
NSB police said the suspects were relatives and had allegedly been involved in drug trafficking together for many years.
Shortly after the arrest of the three suspects, police questioning determined they had used their drug money to between them buy 21 houses, seven luxury cars and four motorcycles worth about 50 million baht.
All of the assets allegedly acquired from the trade of illegal drugs have been seized.
Police are now investigating the bank accounts of the alleged drug dealers because they believe the suspects may have deposited up to 50 million baht into their accounts.
In the second case, NSB police arrested two suspected drug traffickers on Chun-Chiang Kham Road in Phayao on Sunday.
The suspects were later identified as Waranpat Pathumpairoj, 34, and Prapassorn Korsamphan, 25.
Police intercepted a shipment of 350,000 methamphetamine pills, which had been hidden in a nearby pickup truck.
The suspects allegedly confessed they had transported the drugs from Chiang Rai’s Wieng Pa Pao district and that they intended to sell them to their customers based in Sukhothai.
Police also seized assets bought with the drug money worth an estimated five million baht.