Drug busts in Nakhon Si Thammarat and Songkhla | Bangkok Post: breakingnews

Yaba, ya ice busts in South

Police on Friday arrested three people in a sting operation in Nakhon Si Thammarat province and seized 15,590 methamphetamine pills worth about 4.6 million baht on the street, four cars and 100,000 baht cash.

Pol Maj Gen Ronnapong Saikaew, superintendent of Nakhon Si Thammarat police station, said the three suspects - Somyos Sangleng, 25, Theera Ruanphet, 49, and Anusara Chaiya, 32 - ordered the drugs from a convict (name not given) who was recently transferred from Nakhon Si Thammarat Central Prison to Bang Kwang Central Prison on the outskirts of Bangkok.

According to the suspects, the convict would send his men to deliver the drugs to them at specified areas and the drugs would then be sold to their clients in Nakhon Si Thammarat and Surat Thani provinces.

Mr Somyos told investigators that he used to deliver about 60,000 yaba pills a night.

Ms Anusara said the convict in Bang Kwang Central Prison usually phoned her and told her the place and time of delivery.

In Songkhla province on Friday morning, police arrested a drug gang in a flat unit, and seized a total of 222 grammes of crystal methamphetamine.

Pol Col Adirek Buraheng, chief of Hat Yai police, said police acted on a report of drug activity at the flat.

In the raid, police arrested Sarawuth Nimnual and Patipol Panjasuwan, both aged 22 , and found 47.5 grammes of ya ice worth 140,000 baht on the street, two digital scales and equipment for administering drugs.

After questioning the two men, another suspect was arrested by an officer who posed as a buyer. The suspect, who had 100 grammes of ya ice in possession, was named as Pramote Konglab, 32.

Police later arrested a 17-year-old boy in connection with the drug gang. The teenager had 24.5 grammes of crystal meth in his possession.

Mr Pramote confessed to police that he received the drugs from a drug network based in Songkhla prison.

Police were able to seize an additional 50 grammes of ya ice hidden in another flat unit in Hat Yai, after Mr Sarawuth made a confession.