B2bn of ‘ice’ found in raid

Two men were arrested in Bang Pa-in district of Ayutthaya yesterday for having 700kg of crystal methamphetamine, or “ice”, in their possession with a street value in excess of 2 billion baht.

The pair, later identified as 26-year-old Rewat Jaidee and Nattapol Kaewhetpong, 24, were in possession of the drugs when they were nabbed while driving a pickup truck from a warehouse in Soi Limkimchiang of tambon Chiang Rak Noi about 1am.

Police said the two suspects had driven from Talad Thai market in Pathum Thani’s Klong Luang district at 10pm on Wednesday to receive the narcotics at the warehouse before selling them to customers in Bangkok and its surrounding provinces.

Officers followed the vehicle until it was about to leave the warehouse then conducted a stop and search. The ice was found stuffed inside 700 bags hidden under agricultural produce.

More bags containing the drug were hidden in another car parked inside the facility.

Pol Gen Chalermkiat Sriworakan, the deputy national police chief, said police received a tip-off that the drugs were due to be smuggled to neighbouring countries, which led to the arrests.

He said the drugs network used a Wa minority group along the Thai-Myanmar northern border to help smuggle the narcotics. He has ordered investigators to expand their probe and said more arrests were almost a certainty.

Meanwhile, Justice Minister ACM Prajin Juntong ordered the Office of the Narcotics Control Board yesterday to conclude its report on the case for legalising marijuana for medical use by Oct 12 before the cabinet has its say.