SONGKHLA: Crystal methamphetamine worth about 135 million baht has been seized from a room at a resort in Muang district and four suspects later arrested.
The arrests followed information about a delivery of drugs from Chon Buri province to a customer in Tak Bai district of Narathiwat, Pol Col Phahol Ketkaew, deputy chief of Border Patrol Police Region 4, said at a media briefing on Thursday.
Border patrol police had raided a room at Kaoseng resort in tambon Khao Roopchang in Muang district of Songkhla on Tuesday afternoon following reports that members of the gang had checked in there.
There was no-one in the room, but there were several sacks found to contain 135kg of crystal meth worth about 135 million baht, Pol Col Phahol said.
The officers later tracked down four suspects and arrested them in Songkhla and Nakhon Si Thammarat provinces. They seized two cars and four mobile telephones as evidence.
Police held three men - Withoon Wichianpong, 23 of Chon Buri, Akkhawin Sawad-aksornchuen, 22 of Chon Buri, and Panupong Permcharoen, 32 of Samut Sakhon - and a woman, Orawan Thuenbamrung, 24, of Bangkok.
Mr Withoon was caught in his car at Samrong junction in Muang district of Songhla. Mr Akkhawin was arrested when his car was stopped near a convenience store in Ratthaphum district of Songkhla.
Mr Panupong and Ms Orawan were tracked to Hat Yai bus terminal and later taken from a passenger van at a security checkpoint in Chulabhon district of Nakhon Si Thammarat around 10.20pm on Tuesday.
During questioning, the four allegedly confessed to having been hired by a man identified only as Boy, alias Tee, in Chon Buri. The drugs were intended for delivery in Tak Bai district of Narathiwat. Someone was supposed to collect the consignment from the resort room.
They said they were being paid 300,000 baht.
The four were held in police custody for legal action on drug charges.
The investigation was being extended.