POLICE announced that a checkpoint set up by joint-operation between Hat Yai local police, Narcotics Suppression Bureau and Office of the Narcotic Control Board captured and seized a huge lot of heroin and amphetamine pills, or yaba, worth over 100 million baht from Chiang Mai’s Hmong drug dealers on Friday (Nov. 24).
Deputy Commissioner Pol.Maj.Gen. Daoloy Mueandet, Superintendent Pol.Col. Kittichai Sangkhathawon from Hat Yat in Songkhla province, 3 policemen from Narcotics Suppression Bureau 4 and officers from Narcotic Control Board 5 joint-announced the success of interception and confiscation of one of the biggest lot ever of narcotics in southern part of Thailand containing 248 blocks of heroin weighted 99 kilograms and 6,000 pills of yaba.
The success of this massive capture was the result of continual investigation and tracing the Hmong drug dealing gang since they had left Mae Rim district in Chiang Mai province. As soon as the police learned about the upcoming transportation of a massive amount of narcotics and the handover to be organized in an area within Hat Yat district in Songkhla province, they were even more cautious and strengthened the security checkpoints in, out and around the Hat Yai city.
Then the officers noticed a suspicious pickup truck turned away into an unnamed alley prior to the police checkpoint location in Hat Yai’s Khlong Hae discrict, which is known as an alternate route to Hat Yai city.
Officers had followed just to find 3 abandoned plastic crates in the unnamed alley. Under the lids, all the crates contained the same content: A big sack with separated heroin blocks and yaba inside hidden under piles of used clothes.
Pol.Maj.Gen. Daoloy had the forensic officers from the Police Forensic Science Center 9 collect evidence, such as suspects’ fingerprints, as well as order the inspection of CCTV recordings of all possible suspects’ escape routes.
The updated investigation has also revealed the traffickers and recipients’ identities. Arrest warrants are in the process of being issued.
The arresting team also told the reporter that these heroin blocks were the biggest seizure in Southern part of Thailand in many years. The traffickers were Hmong people from Chiang Mai province, the receivers had to pick the parcel up from Ra-ngae district in Narathiwat province.
Should this trafficking had succeeded, these drugs should reach many big dealers in neighboring countries in which the price could go up tens of times more.
CAPTIONS:
Top: Police inspecting plastic crates full of heroin and yaba, Photo: komchadluek.net
Inset: Police display the huge amount of drugs they seized in Hat Yai. Photo: komchadluek.net
By Piboon Awasdaruharote
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