9-5-2024 (BANGKOK) Thai authorities have apprehended four alleged drug smugglers and seized a staggering 1.4 tonnes of heroin. The illicit narcotics, believed to have been smuggled across the Mekong River from Laos, were discovered in a residential property and a nearby rubber plantation in Sangkhom district.
The dramatic raid unfolded on Wednesday night when local officers from the Na Ngiew police station and border patrol police descended upon Phukhao Thong village in tambon Ban Muang. Acting on intelligence gathered through a meticulous investigation, the law enforcement agencies had reason to believe that a substantial quantity of smuggled drugs was being harboured at a house in the district.
Upon arrival at the scene, the officers encountered a suspicious sight – four men ferrying cardboard boxes into the premises. Their suspicions heightened, the officers swiftly moved in and discovered that the 20 boxes contained a cache of heroin, according to Pol Lt Gen Sarayut Sanguanphokhai, the commissioner of Provincial Police Region 4.
The four suspects, identified as Niyom, 54, Sarawut, 39, Prasit, 53, and Pratho, 48, were apprehended on the spot, their alleged involvement in the drug smuggling operation laid bare.
During the subsequent interrogation, the suspects divulged that additional quantities of heroin were concealed in a nearby rubber plantation. Leaving no stone unturned, the officers promptly conducted a search of a makeshift shelter within the plantation, uncovering nine more cardboard boxes.
In a shocking revelation, the combined haul from the 29 boxes amounted to a staggering 208 packages, containing a total of 1,404 kilogrammes of heroin, as confirmed by Pol Lt Gen Sarayut.
The suspects’ statements painted a vivid picture of the intricate smuggling operation. According to their accounts, the heroin was ferried across the Mekong River by Lao nationals aboard a motorboat, reaching the riverbank at Phukhao Thong village. From there, the Thai suspects reportedly took custody of the contraband, transporting it to the house while awaiting further distribution.
Faced with overwhelming evidence, the four men now face charges related to the smuggling of Category 1 drugs (heroin) into the country and illegal possession of narcotics. They have been handed over to the Na Ngiew police station, where legal proceedings against them are set to commence.
