6-6-2024 (BANGKOK) Authorities have arrested a 53-year-old woman with hearing impairment, unveiling an intricate network that allegedly exploited individuals with disabilities to evade law enforcement. The Metropolitan Police Bureau revealed the startling details of the operation on Thursday, shedding light on the cunning tactics employed by the suspected drug syndicate.
According to officials, the suspect is believed to have been utilizing individuals with speech and hearing impairments to deliver drugs to customers, capitalizing on the assumption that their involvement would be less likely to raise suspicion or implicate the broader network in case of an arrest.
The sting operation, which took place on May 10, involved undercover officers posing as customers and ordering crystal methamphetamine via the Line application from a vendor. The drop-off point was set at a deaf community in Bang Kapi district, a strategic location chosen by the suspects to further conceal their illicit activities.
As the operation unfolded, a Thai man, allegedly carrying a bag of drugs, arrived at the designated location and was swiftly apprehended by the officials. During questioning, it was revealed that the suspect, identified as Phatrasin (last name withheld), was unable to speak but could hear and communicate through hand signals, highlighting the intricate web of individuals involved in the drug trade.
Pol Maj-Gen Teeradej Thumsutee, commander of the bureau’s investigation division, acknowledged the challenges faced by investigators due to the communication barriers posed by the suspects’ disabilities. “It took the police nearly two weeks to find out that he had got the drugs from Prayoon (last name withheld), a deaf woman who lives with her mute boyfriend in the Rama IX area,” he stated.
Undeterred by the obstacles, authorities tracked down Prayoon to a deaf community in the area and arrested her. During the investigation, they uncovered contact information in Prayoon’s mobile phone for other suspected drug mules, as well as photographs of drug parties held within the community, exposing the extent of the syndicate’s operations.
In a startling admission, Prayoon reportedly informed officials that she did not coerce anyone into working for her and that all her contacts had volunteered to deliver drugs to her customers. However, she revealed that her drug supplies originated from a man and a woman known only by their nicknames, “Tor” and “Fon,” believed to be significant players in the drug trade in the Rama IX area.
The authorities have vowed to continue their crackdown on the drug syndicate, determined to dismantle the network and bring all those involved to justice, regardless of their abilities or disabilities.
Prayoon now faces charges of conspiring with more than two individuals to commit serious narcotic crimes and selling drugs, marking a pivotal moment in the ongoing battle against the illicit drug trade in Bangkok.
