Thirteen people were arrested in Bangkok's Phra Khanong district over the weekend for selling illegal drugs to tourists along Sukhumvit Road.
The arrests are part of a crackdown on drug peddlers who operate in Bangkok's inner-city areas, in particular, in the Nana neighbourhood that straddles Klong Toey and Watthana districts, according to Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB) commissioner Pol Lt Gen Santi Chaniramai on Monday.
Of the 13 suspects arrested over the weekend, 11 hailed from several countries in Africa, including Nigeria and Ivory Coast, while the remaining two suspects were Thai citizens.
The suspects, who were arrested at two separate locations in Phra Khanong district, were caught with 61 grammes of cocaine in their possession. They have been charged with illegal possession of a Type-2 narcotic with intent to sell.
The group, according to the police, is known to frequent pavements in tourist hotspots, where they would ask passers-by if they want to buy some cocaine or crystal meth.
In an unrelated development, Pol Lt Gen Santi said the NSB managed to foil a major drug smuggling attempt on Sunday.
After receiving tip-offs from local informants, officials successfully intercepted a large haul of drugs as they were being transported from Chiang Rai to the South.
The haul, which contained 478,000 methamphetamine pills and 30 kilogrammes of ketamine, was moved in a convoy of three cars.
When police stopped the vehicles for a check at a petrol station in Nakhon Si Thammarat's Ron Phibun district, the suspects attempted to flee the scene.
Two managed to escape, while one man was taken into custody, Pol Lt Gen Santi said.
Meanwhile, on Friday, the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) arrested five people in connection with the smuggling of 1.65 tonnes of crystal meth worth at least 20 million baht.
The drugs were hidden in 33 cotton rolls found at a warehouse in Bangkok's Rat Burana district.
ONCB secretary-general Pol Lt Gen Phanurat Lukboon said the network behind the smuggling attempt is using Thailand as a transit country and that the drugs are actually intended to be shipped to other countries in the region, including Australia, South Korea and Japan.
