3 drug runners arrested on Mekong river bank

ACTING on a tip-off Nong Khai police arrested three drug traffickers moments after they had collected sacks packed with 400,000 tablets of methamphetamine, worth 12 million baht, that a boat from Laos had dropped off on the Thai bank of Mekong river, Matichon newspaper said this evening (Sept. 8).

Pol. Maj. Gen. Puttipong Musikul, commander of Nong Khai provincial police, and Pol. Col. Surakit Kuankruea, head of investigation at Nong Khai provincial police, on Tuesday night led a team of policemen to lay in wait at a spot in Hat Kham subdistrict, Mueang district, that they were informed drugs from Laos would be dropped off.

At around 8.30 p.m. a pickup truck drove up and two men got off and walked to the river bank while the third man drove the vehicle up and down the adjacent road.

Soon afterwards a boat from Laos dropped off some sacks and quickly sped back to the neighbouring country. The two men collected the sacks and walked towards the pickup truck at which point policemen moved in to arrest them. Upon seeing the policemen they got frightened and ran off but were caught.

Another police team then arrested the pickup truck driver. Found in the vehicle was a handgun, five .38 and two .45 bullets, in the glove compartment.

Police identified the suspects as Mr. Seksan Utama, 39, Mr. Adisorn Luang-pongphan, 26, and Mr. Ekaphan Tansinon, 27.

Seksan told police that he was acquainted with a Laotian man, Mr. Kong, whose real name and surname he did not know and who contacted him via Facebook. This man had hired him several times to pick up and deliver drugs to customers at various points in Udon Thani and nearby areas.

He was paid 5,000 to 10,000 baht for each delivery but got caught this time.

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The arrested drug suspects and haul of meth pills seized in Nong Khai. Photos: Matichon