Two men arrested on trafficking charges after Bangkok-bound pickup pulled over
Metropolitan police intercepted nearly 1.4 million methamphetamine pills in a pickup truck approaching Bangkok on Friday.
The bust took place on Tiwanon Road in Nonthaburi, Pol Col Theeradej Thammasuthee, chief of Crime Suppression Division sub-division 6, said on Saturday.
Chaikup Taemdee, 41, and Suwicha Musikakun were taken into custody after 1,395,000 methamphetamine pills were found in the Toyota pickup they were driving.
The arrest was part of a larger sweep ordered by the Royal Thai Police ahead of the general election on Sunday and aimed at taking down the so-called “A-kuay” narcotics network, Pol Col Theeradej said.
Information leading to the bust was obtained after a previous arrest, in which suspects had pointed out a network starting in Ayutthaya that delivered drugs to inner Bangkok.
A police officer questions the two suspected drug traffickers at the Metropolitan Police Bureau on Friday. (Photo supplied/Wassayos Ngamkham)
Mr Chaikup confessed to police that he was paid 50,000 baht per trip and provided his cohort with 10,000 baht. Both have been sent to the Narcotics Suppression Bureau for legal action.
Mr Chaikup was previously arrested in 2007 for possession of narcotics, records showed.