Drug suppression police have arrested 42 suspects and seized more than 37 million speed pills, almost one tonne of crystal methamphetamine and other drugs in 15 major cases from April 29 to May 15.
Pol Lt Gen Samran Nuanma, an assistant national police chief, led a briefing on Thursday to detail the operations that led to the arrests and seizures at various locations across the country.
Authorities seized 37,286,000 speed pills, 942 kilogrammes of crystal meth, 80kg of heroin and 70kg of ketamine, he said. Also seized from the 42 suspects were 25 cars and pickup trucks and 3 motorcycles.
In the first case, a man and a woman were arrested after 11.95 million speed pills were found hidden in their pickup in Wang Noi district of Ayutthaya. The drugs had been smuggled from northeastern province of Nakhon Phanom. The suspects were identified only as Theeraphat and Nongnut.
In the second case, Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB) police and officers from other agencies arrested Sunate, the driver of a truck loaded with molasses, at a vehicle inspection checkpoint in Tha Sae district of Chumphon after 5 million speed pills wee found hidden in the truck. Another suspect, identified only as Disawat, who was driving a pickup to scout the route, was arrested in Lang Suan district of the southern province.
The drugs were being smuggled from the North to deliver to dealers in the South, said police.
In the third case, two men, identified only as Ramen and Natthaphol, were apprehended in Nakhon Sawan after 2.9 million speed pills and 150kg of crystal meth were found hidden inside their pickup. The drugs, smuggled from Mae Rim district of Chiang Mai, were destined for Saraburi.
In the fourth case, police arrested two men — Jetsada and Surachate — in Sri Satchanalai district of Sukhothai and seized 1.25 million speed pills found hidden inside their car. Another accomplice, identified only as Thotsaphon, was arrested at a drug checkpoint in the same district. The three were about to deliver the drugs to a client in the Central Plains.
In the fifth case, three men and three women were arrested at a vehicle inspection checkpoint in Chumphon after one million speed pills were found hidden inside their vehicle.
In the sixth case, three young women were arrested in Tak after 202,000 speed pills were found hidden in one of the two cars they were driving.
The remaining suspects and other drugs were seized in Nakhon Sawan, Ayutthaya, Chiang Mai and other central and northeastern provinces, said Pol Lt Gen Samran.