Arresting officers bring out suspects
and confiscated drugs for the media to record.
Patcharapol Panrak
Najomtien Police turned a bust for three ya ba tablets
into the largest-ever seizure of methamphetamines in the police station’s
history.
Chonburi Region 2 Police announced Nov. 26 that officers
at the Sattahip substation had arrested members of a long-pursued
drug-dealing ring and confiscated nearly 60,000 ya ba tablets and more than
70 g. of ya ice.
The breakthrough began with the simple drug possession
arrest of Wasant Sapchalerm, 35, who was caught with only three pills. Under
questioning, Wasant reportedly was found to be connected to suspected drug
kingpin Thanagrit “Ek Bupha” Tepwoung, who allegedly moves 360,000 packs of
methamphetamines per shipment to sell in the Pattaya-Sattahip region.
With the help of informants and undercover officers,
police parlayed Wasant’s information into a string of arrests for increasing
amounts of drugs. In the following days, officers arrested Adirek Srikaew,
35; Kamthorn Sang-ngern, 38; Wicharn Thongsum, 37; Sunthorn Chiarasuk, 27;
and Jariya Pitisa, 27, on charges of possessing various amounts of ya ba, ya
ice and marijuana. All, are suspected of belonging to the Ek Bupha drug
ring.
Investigators had hoped the arrests would lead them to
Thanagrit - who has 18 motorcycles and five cars registered in his name,
supposedly for his dealers to use - but when they stormed T&G Apartments in
Central Pattaya, they instead uncovered the alleged dealer’s drug
storehouse.
Inside, officers arrested Hassachai “Mon” Chuachart, 25,
and seized a briefcase containing 59,945 ya ba tablets and 70 g. of ya ice.
They also recovered a loaded 9 mm Glock handgun. The Huay Yai man confessed
to working for Thanagrit, saying he was paid to keep watch over drugs
brought down from Bangkok.
Thanagrit remains at large, but Region 2 Police Commander
Lt. Gen. Tha-ngai Prassachaksattru said the Najomtien Police Station’s work
has put a serious dent in his operations. Tha-ngai praised the
investigators’ work and lauded members of the public who helped the
investigation.
