The Criminal Court yesterday jailed Suban Mahachanont, a 58-year-old former parliamentary candidate for the Thai Liberal Party, for 50 years for colluding last year in the trafficking of 985 kilogrammes of crystal meth to the Philippines.
His three co-conspirators -- Joi Sae-Fong, 62, and two Chinese nationals, Huang Guoxiong, 25, and Zhou Qingchu, 45 -- were found guilty of colluding to acquire drugs and attempted smuggling.
The court at first sentenced the two Chinese to death for masterminding the plot and handed life sentences to Mr Suban and Mr Joi but it commuted the sentences because the defendants had provided useful evidence to prosecutors.
Suban: 50 years for colluding
The death sentences were reduced to life in prison and the life sentence to 50 years. Prosecutors said the two Chinese travelled to Thailand to acquire a large amount of crystal meth, a powerful, highly addictive methamphetamine colloquially referred to as "ice" and "yaba", and send it to the Philippines.
The court heard the two Thais colluded in booking containers for the drugs to be shipped to the Philippines in June 2019.
The Chinese hid 985 1kg bags of crystal meth in shoe boxes and chopstick packages and put the entire contents into containers which Suban and Joi had booked for them.
However, a major fire at the port in Laem Chabang district of Chon Buri meant the container never left.
Officials were then tipped off about the shipment, searched the container and found the hidden drugs.