IN ONE of the largest drug busts in recent months in Surat Thani police seized 1.199 tons of Ice (crystal methamphetamine) hidden in sacks containing cow dung with this being worth approximately 600 million baht, PostToday reported this afternoon (July 12, 2020).
Deputy Police Chief Pol. Gen. Suchat Theerasawat flew to this southern province to inspect and announce the seizure of the large amount of drug, packed in 30 bags, and a six-wheel truck together with Pol.Maj. Gen. Aphichat Bunsiroj, deputy director of Region 8 Police, and Pol.Maj.Gen. Thakul Netpookkarna, chief of police in Surat Thani.
Three suspects were arrested, all of them from Trang province, namely Mr. Suvit Nungsong, 43, Mr. Somporn Chaiphakdee, 50, and Mr. Somsak Soonthornnon, 56, who is a member of a well-known family in this southern province.
Pol. Maj. Suchart Kueachim, an inspector at Phunphin Police Station in Surat Thani, together with his team had mounted a security check at the stretch of Highway 41 going through this district when the stopped the six-wheel truck with the stickers bearing the name Numchai Transport Company, registered in Trang, on it as it was heading further south.
Suvit was driving the truck with Somsak sitting next to him and when questioned they told the police they were taking cow dung from Bangkok to the South.
Police became suspicious as to why cow dung had to be brought all the way from Bangkok to the South so opened up the sacks. In each of 30 sacks were 40 well packed and rectangular bags, each holding one kilogramme of Ice, with the name Guanvinwan in Chinese characters on them.
Both were immediately arrested as was Somporn, the owner of the truck, in Trang.
Upon being questioned Suvit said Somporn has contacted him to transport the drug, with this being his fourth run and for each run he was paid 100,000 baht. During the first three runs the drugs were collected from northern Bangkok but this time it was from Samut Sakhon province with delivery to be made near in the port in Satun province.
Police said the drug was to be sent to a neighbouring country and if it had reached the destination the value would have jumped to 3.6 billion baht.
CAPTION:
Senior police officers with the large amount of Ice they seized. Photos: PostToday
