Police have arrested six members of a drug network in the North with monthly sales estimated at 40 million baht, and seized assets worth 5.7 million baht.
The six suspects worked for the drug network operated by Boonmee "Jae" Phromma, who was caught last year, Pol Lt Gen Amphon Buarupporn, chief of Provincial Police Region1, told reporters.
Four women were arrested - Wilaporn Tuagwitthayakul, Myanmar national Nang Pyan, Mong Sae Lee, and Jiraporn Pathaweechutima - and two men, Chalermphol Tuangwitthayakul and Wichai Jabu. They were charged with colluding in money laundering.
Seized from them were three cars, two motorcycles, a house in Mae Sai district of Chiang Rai, four bank accounts, five ATM cards and other valuables, with a combined value of about 5.7 million baht.
Pol Lt Gen Amphon said narcotics suppression police under Provincial Police Region 1 had arrested drug network leader Boonmee and two accomplices, Naruebet Srisuwan and Anuwat Suksud, in possession of 140,000 methamphetamine pills in Singburi province on Oct 7 last year.
Investigators learned that Mr Boonmee had a woman accomplice, Sawittree Iemsa-ard, who set up bank accounts to receive money from drug customers. Ms Sawittree was later arrested along with Chatchana Taengthong, who bought drugs from Mr Boonmee, Pol Lt Gen Amphon said.
They also learned that Mr Boonmee’s drug network ran a grocery business in Myanmar and soil trucking businesses as fronts for his drug trading.
Acting on further evidence, they obtained court arrest warrants for the six new suspects and raided five locations - in Mae Sai in Chiang Rai and Chiang Dao district in Chiang Mai - and took them into custody.
The network had about 40 million baht in circulation each month, the regional police chief said.