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Drug raid in Phuket: Four arrests and 3.1 kg of cocaine seized!
Four foreigners were arrested in Phuket and over 3.1kg of cocaine was seized. Drug ring under new investigation.
Drug raid in Phuket: Four arrests and 3.1 kg of cocaine seized!
There was a major crackdown on drug trafficking in Phuket on February 17, 2023. In a carefully planned operation by the Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB), a total of four foreign suspects were arrested and more than 3.1 kilograms of cocaine were seized. The whole thing happened on the orders of Lieutenant General Achayon Kraithong, who led the investigation at the top of the NSB hierarchy.
The collaboration was broad-based. In addition to the NSB investigators, the Phuket Provincial Police under Major General Sinlert Sukhum and the Narcotics Suppression Police Division 4 under Major General Teera Thongrayap were also involved. Officers had received tips about cocaine being sold to tourists at popular entertainment venues in Phuket.
From Patong to the airport
The officials' first great successes were seen directly at Phuket Airport. A Brazilian man was intercepted there with 3.1 kilograms of cocaine in his luggage. The drugs were linked to the same network and were intended to be sold to reach tourists in the area. This proved to be a door opener for further investigations: a Nigerian suspect was located and arrested. This arrest ultimately led to the investigation expanding to include additional suspects in the drug trafficking network.
Meanwhile, an inspection took place at an entertainment center in the Bangla area of Patong. Two additional suspects were caught during this operation. A Nigerian citizen was caught with around one gram of cocaine and charged with unlawful possession of a category 2 narcotic. Another foreign suspect also came into focus because of his illegal stay in Thailand.
Continuation of the fight against drugs
Lieutenant General Achayon announced that the NSB will continue its counter-narcotics activities in economically lucrative and tourist regions of Thailand. In this context, investigators were tasked with expanding the investigation and identifying additional suspects in order to dismantle the entire network.
The NSB is also making an urgent appeal to the public: Anyone who has information about drugs or suspicious people should urgently contact the hotlines 1599 or 191 or the nearest police station. We saw a similar bout of drug-related crime last December when a Thai national and a British national were arrested in an undercover operation in Patong for cocaine possession.
Overall, this incident shows how seriously the authorities in Phuket are taking the fight against drug-related crime and that they have a good knack for ensuring safety for tourists and locals.