NSB drug raids yield weed, meth

Four suspects were arrested in Bangkok yesterday and charged with trading marijuana and methamphetamine using social media as a platform, while another two suspects were apprehended in Lampang on suspicion of dealing meth pills, police said.

The first four were detained yesterday after two raids were carried out by a combined force of soldiers and officers from the Narcotics Suppression Bureau.

One of the targets was a house in Sai Mai district and the other a property in Klong Sam Wa district. Pol Lt Co Thitisawan Utthanaphon, chief of Narcotics Suppression Division 4, Sub-division 1, said authorities had been hunting for the online drug-trading gang for several months. They were found to have used Facebook and Line to trade narcotics before mailing the illicit goods to their clients, he said.

In the Sai Mai raid, Mak Wachara-kiatsophon, 24 and Saknarin Watchara-kiatsophon, 27 were caught while in the Klong Sam Wa operation, Adisak Misakul, 19 and Parinya Tacharoenmuang, 19 were arrested, according to Pol Lt Co Thitisawan.

About 10 kilogrammes of packed marijuana that was ready for delivery was seized in the first raid, he said. Mr Mak and Mr Saknarin were charged with possession of Type 5 narcotics (marijuana) with intent to distribute, he said.

In the Klong Sam Wa raid, 1,052 tablets of methamphetamine and a homemade handgun with two bullets were seized. The suspects were charged with possessing Type 1 narcotics (methamphetamine). Mr Parinya faces an additional charge of possessing an illegal firearm and carrying it with him in public.

In Lampang, in the North, soldiers and police in Chae Hom district raided a house early yesterday after receiving a tip-off from a teenager. Suchat Ounchai, 41, was arrested while attempting to flee and 981 methamphetamine tablets were seized, police said. Earlier, a 14-year-old male suspect detained previously at a drugsuppression checkpoint told police he had bought some drugs there.