Police have busted a gang selling marijuana online in Bangkok's Thong Lor area, arresting 12 men during raids in the capital city, Pathum Thani and Ayutthaya.
Pol Lt Gen Pakkapong Pongpetra, chief of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, and investigators from Thong Lor police announced the details on Tuesday.
In the first raid, Thong Lor police arrested a man identified only as Bank, 27, and eight associates, and seized 3 kilogrammes of dried marijuana and 1kg of hed mao (hallucinogenic mushrooms), at a car care shop on soi Ramkhamhaeng 24/3 in Hua Mak area of Bang Kapi district, Bangkok.
In the second operation, Diew, 24, was apprehended with 1.5kg of dried marijuana in the car park of a shopping mall in Pathum Thani province.
Later, officers arrested Boss, 29, with 2kg of dried marijuana and seven marijuana plants at a house in Sam Saen area of Phaya Thai district, Bangkok.
The investigators moved on and arrested a Chinese man, identified only as Yinma, 36, with 1kg of dried marijuana at a house in Bang Pa-in district of Ayutthaya. They also seized 317 marijuana plants from a commercial building in Bang Kapi district of Bangkok. The seized drugs were worth about 6 million baht, according to police.
Pol Lt Gen Pakkapong said the arrests followed an investigation by Thong Lor police into reports tourists staying in the area purchased marijuana online.
The marijuana had been advertised on a Line Chat group called “Heaven Herb’’, which had about 6,000 members, the Bangkok police chief said. It was set up by ID Line user @heavenherb.
Their inquiries led to the arrest of Bank and his accomplices at a car care shop in Bang Kapi. The extended investigation led to the arrest of Boss and Diew.
During interrogation, Diew allegedly said he had purchased marijuana from a Chinese national. This led to the arrest of Yinma and the seizure of 317 marijuana plants found on the second and third floors of a commercial building in Bang Kapi, Bangkok police chief said.
Yinma told police he had grown the plants inside the building and dried them for sale.
He could produce 10kg of marijuana a month. His customers were Thais and foreigners, with deliveries to 30-40 customers a day. He had sold marijuana to 5,000-6,000 customers before being caught.
Media reported him as saying he could earn about 700,000 baht a kilo.
All suspects were charged with illegal possession of marijuana with intent to sell. Yinma was also charged with growing the plants.
Metropolitan police give details of the arrest of 12 suspects - one Chinese man and 11 Thais - for selllng marijuana online, during a media briefing on Tuesday. (@thaimetropolice Facebook page)