Police in the southern province of Chumphon have arrested 4 people in possession of 400,000 methamphetamine pills. The Narcotics Suppression Bureau says they were acting on a tip-off from a “concerned citizen”, who claimed that a significant number of methamphetamine pills were being trafficked to southern Thailand.
Officers stopped a pick-up truck and a car at a checkpoint on Petchkasem Road (also known as Highway 4), which connects Bangkok and Chumphon. Following a search, police detained 3 men and 1 woman, and confiscated 400,000 methamphetamine pills. According to a Phuket Express report, the suspects said they had travelled from Northeastern Thailand.
The suspects have been named as 42 year old Supot Sangprajong, 35 year old Puwadon Longguea, 46 year old Suwit Raksachon, and 34 year old Nitayanart Raksachon. All four face charges of possessing Category 1 narcotics with intent to sell.
Recently Thailand’s public health minister proposed a change to the drug laws that would declare possession of any more than one methamphetamine pill would be punishable. Statistics show that hundreds of thousands of Thais would risk going to jail if a draft ministerial regulation is enacted. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has declared a fresh ‘war on drugs’ in Thailand.
The draft regulation, which classifies anybody caught with two or more methamphetamine pills as a drug trafficker, was completed on February 2. The proposal will be sent Cabinet for consideration this month.
SOURCE: The Phuket Express
