SONGKHLA: Two drug traders were arrested with 72,000 methamphetamine pills in Hat Yai district of this southern province on Sunday morning, police said.
Pol Caol Thanawat Sengsui, chief investigator of Muang police station, said the two suspects were arrested during a raid on a house in Moo 6 village in tambon Khuan Lang by police acting on information from informants.
He identified those detained as Kanet Choosuwan, 25, from Songkhla's Khuan Niang district, and Athirat Promkong, 24, from Songkhla's Rattaphum district.
Only 37 meth pills were found in a search of the house. But during an interrogation, he said, Mr Kanet confessed that a large quantity of meth pills had been buried in the ground behind the house of his aunt at Moo 1 village in tambon Thung Tam Sao, Hat Yai district.
In a subsequent search, police unearthed 72,000 meth pills.
According to police, Mr Kanet said that on Nov 7 while he was walking past house No 755/52 on Chuphan road in tambon Khuan Lang, Hat Yai district -- an abandoned house about 300 metres from where he lived -- he noticed a strong smell of methamphetamine from the house.
He climbed up and looked over the wall into the house and saw many black plastic bags. He went inside the house and stole three bags containing the 72,000 meth pills.
Pol Col Thanawat said it was the same house searched by narcotic suppression police on Nov 9. In that search, the police arrested a suspect, Fakruding Samae, with 120,000 meth pills.