NAKHON PHANOM: A local fisherman was arrested with more than 400,000 speed pills seized from his boat and his house in Ban Phaeng district of this northeastern Thai province on Friday.
Army rangers and officers from concerned agencies arrested Pichai Sathee, 57, a resident of Pak Huai Muang village in Ban Phaeng district, following the seizure of speed pills from his house and his boat.
One sack containing speed pills was found inside his house. A second sack was found hidden in his long-tailed boat moored along the Mekong River. In total, 422,000 speed pills were seized, Lt Wanchart Mueanpuen, commander of Army Ranger Task Force 2101, said on Friday.
The arrest came after investigators monitored Mr Pichai’s activities for several months. He was suspected of being part of a transnational drug trafficking network that smuggled speed pills from Laos into Thailand. Under the guise of working as a fisherman, he allegedly used his boat to transport drugs and stored them at his house and on his boat.
During questioning, Mr. Pichai said he lived alone and worked as a fisherman. He confessed he was connected to a drug trafficking ring in the area, initially as a user and later as a transporter, lured by the promise of easy money.
He claimed this was his first time smuggling drugs and said he was paid only 1,000 baht for the job. However, authorities were skeptical, believing he may be linked to a larger network due to the large volume of drugs involved.
Officers were now working to trace the financial backers and other individuals connected to drug smuggling. Measures were being implemented to monitor and prevent drug smuggling activities along the Mekong River, particularly among local fishermen who may be exploited by trafficking syndicates.
Army rangers and officers from concerned agencies search the house of Pichai Sathee, 57, a local fisherman, and find a sack containing speed pills. Another sack containing illicit drugs was found in his boat. In total, 422,000 speed pills were confiscated. (Photo: Pattanapong Sripiachai)