PHUKET: Police have impounded numerous assets worth a total of 113.41 million baht in several provinces, suspecting they were acquired with drug proceeds by a major gang.
The impounded assets included a house and a land plot worth 1.2 million baht in Chiang Rai province; a car, a house and a gun worth 8.1 million baht in Bangkok; three companies, a restaurant, a rubber plantation, two shops and two houses worth 62 million baht in Phuket; and three cars, three motorcycles, two land plots, two houses, a housing estate and six backhoes worth 42.11 million baht in Narathiwat, according to Pol Gen Montree Yimyam, special advisor to the Royal Thai Police Office.
Speaking at the Provincial Police Region 8 on Sunday, Pol Gen Montree said the asset seizure resulted from an investigation into a narcotics racket after the arrest of two drug traffickers last October.
Rukman Wa-ngo and Jamuharusee Binja-arong were arrested with one kilogramme of crystal methamphetamine and 1.39 million speed pills on a road in tambon Nong Sai of Phun Phin district, Surat Thani, on Oct 14, 2021.
Later police arrested their accomplices, Atchariya Chalaemwaree and Latthi Pinket, with 200,000 speed pills and 300kg of crystal methamphetamine at a house in Prawet district, Bangkok, on Nov 14, 2021.
Police then examined their money trails and impounded the assets on suspicion that they were acquired to launder drug money, Pol Gen Montree said.
The drug network was extensive, its money was spent on many assets and police were hunting for more accomplices, he said.