Drug authorities have confiscated assets worth 110 million baht from the houses of drug dealers on Saturday.
Authorities have seized assets worth 110 million baht from drug dealers' houses in Bangkok and Nonthaburi on Aug 2, 2014. (Photos by Apichit Jinakul)
Some 100 officials from the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) and police searched on Saturday five houses and a condominium unit in Nonthaburi province and in Sai Mai, Sukhumvit 48 and Dong Muang areas in Bangkok, according to Permpong Chaovalit, secretary general of the office.
"The raid was an attempt to bring down the drug network of Daeng Saadpoom or Tib Lek, a murder suspect detained at Bangkok's Klongprem Central Prison," said Mr Permpong.
Mr Daeng started out as a small dealer in Wat Makok community who also distributed to a drug ring in Sai Mai district.
He later became a major wholesale dealer who smuggled drugs from the North.
Mr Daeng subsequently bought a house in Nonthaburi under the names of his wife, son and mother.
"The raid was the result of the arrests of two gang members who received packages by mail containing a total of 142,000 yabaa and ice pills from a company in Chiang Rai. The Narcotics Control Board Office seized assets worth 20 million baht in this case," he said.
Mr Daeng's network also imported drugs from neighbouring countries to be sold in Bangkok and the suburbs.
The officials seized assets worth 80 million baht from Mr Daeng's house in Laddarom housing estate in Nonthaburi, including land title deeds, gold, amulets, cars and bank passbooks.
At his 67-year-old mother's house, the officials seized 25 million baht worth of assets including three cars.
She denied any knowledge of her son's business. Her husband was also convicted of drug dealing and is still in prison.
Mr Daeng's family members can claim the assets if they have evidence of purchases, he said.
The office had been investigate Mr Daeng's network for three years before making the move today, Mr Permpong said.
The drug police will make more arrests of people linked to the network based on the money trail and the office will file charges and seize their assets later.