The deputy director of a school in Nonthaburi and his close associate have been arrested for allegedly selling illicit drugs to customers, mostly civil servants.
Sretthayos “Jae Keng” Khumnark, 42, deputy director of a well-known school in Pak Kret district of Nonthaburi was arrested with Kritchaphat “Top” Udomanuphapsuk, 37, a Bangkok resident, at a condominium room on Rattanathibet Road in Muang district of Nonthaburi on Tuesday night, said Pol Maj Gen Theeradet Thumsuthee, investigative commander of the Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB).
The duo were wanted on an arrest warrant issued by the Bangkok South Criminal Court in June 2021 for illegal possession of Category 1 drugs (crystal methamphetamine) with intent to sell. The same court issued another warrant in October 2021 for illegal possession of Category 1 drugs (methamphetamine) for sale and use.
A criminal record check showed that Kritchaphat was indicted on drug charges in at least four cases between 2014 and 2021 in areas under the jurisdiction of Sutthisarn, Bang Phongphang and Thung Mahamek police stations in Bangkok.
Police initially pressed charges of colluding in illegal possession of crystal methamphetamine or “ice” with intent to sell. Seized from the room were two sachets of “ice”, 31,500 baht in cash, five bank passbooks showing 1.3 million baht in circulation during the past three months, 200 condoms, 100 packs of lubricant gel, 50 packs of Viagra and other items.
The arrest came after MPB investigators learned that there was a venue in Nonthaburi where men, many of them civil servants, gathered to take drugs and have sex with other men, said Pol Maj Gen Theeradet.
Officers search the room of the two suspects in Nonthaburi and seize drugs and other items. (Photo supplied/Wassayos Ngamkham)
According to the police investigation, a person named “Top”, claiming to a cardiologist, had duped some male medical personnel into taking drugs that he claimed to be “tonics” for their health. The victims subsequently became addicted and were also duped into making videos. The bogus cardiologist was then able to blackmail them out of millions of baht, investigators said.
Police later found that the wanted man was in fact Kritchaphat, who was the subject of two arrest warrants for drug offences, said Pol Maj Gen Theeradet.
The investigation subsequently learned where Kritchaphat held his drug parties. When they raided the room on Tuesday night they also found Sretthayos, said to be the leader of the gang.
Both men denied any involvement in illicit drugs, despite the search evidence to the contrary, said Pol Maj Gen Theeradet. Urine tests on the pair were also positive for drug use.
During questioning, Sretthayos admitted he was a civil servant at a school in Pak Kret district. He said he began taking drugs in the middle of last year and later started purchasing them for sale via Twitter. His customers were teenagers and civil servants in the Rattanathibet area.
He told police that he and Kritchaphat had become close last year and that the latter often came to his room. He reportedly said he asked “Top” to sell drugs.
Kritchaphat confessed to all charges. He said he held an engineering degree from a university in the Rangsit area and worked as an organiser for a year before pursuing a master’s degree at a university in the Pathumwan area. He then worked at an insurance firm and later started taking drugs. In 2014, he served 15 months on jail for drug offences, he said.
After his release from jail, he could not find a job and had to sell drugs. He had two doctor boyfriends but the relationships did not last.
He insisted he had not swindled money from the doctors but that they became addicted to drugs that he brought for them.
The arresting team handed the two suspects over to police at the Rattanathibet station for legal action.