SURAT THANI: Four drug couriers have been arrested and 250 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine seized from a container truck during a police search in Tha Chang district of this southern province.
The drugs, which police said were destined for export and could fetch 100 million baht, were packed in fertiliser sacks and hidden under baskets of fruit in the truck.
Highway police officers arrested the driver of the six-wheel truck in tambon Khlong Sai of Tha Chang district after stopping it for a search at about 4pm on Friday. They had been alerted earlier by drug suppression police to intercept the southbound vehicle.
The driver reportedly told police that a Toyota with three people on board led him along the route. The officers then radioed their colleagues to locate the car, which was subsequently intercepted. Three more people were arrested.
The four suspects — three men and one woman — were the truck driver Suwan Buasri, 28; Theeraphat Thammachot, 23, driver of the car; Suraphon Iem-aksorn, 66, and his wife Sujira Iam-aksorn, 58.
During questioning, Mr Suwan said he had smuggled the drugs from the northern province of Chiang Rai and was to deliver them in Songkhla province. From there, they were expected to be sent to another country, according to police.
All four suspects have been charged with colluding to have illicit drugs in their possession. The arresting team is coordinating with narcotics suppression police to take custody of the suspects and the seized drugs.
Officers unload fertiliser sacks filled with crystal methamphetamine from a truck in Surat Thani. (Photo: Supapong Chaolan)