Racing car mechanic arrested with 1.18m meth pills

Racing car mechanic arrested with 1.18m meth pills
Police with two power generator boxes found to contain 1.18 million meth pills, found on a pickup from Chiang Mai they stopped at a petrol station in Muang district, Sing Buri province, on Aug 11. The driver was arrested. (Photo supplied)

A mechanic who soups up cars for racing was arrested on Friday in possession of 1.18 million methamphetamine pills at a petrol station in Muang district, Sing Buri province.

He was taken into custody by investigators of the Bangkok metropolitan police, and about 10 million baht worth of his assets were later impounded for examination.

Pol Maj Gen Teeradet Thamsuthee, commander of the Metropolitan Police Bureau’s investigation division, said the suspect, Jirasak “Kan” Boonchai, 42, ran a garage in Mae Dai district, Chiang Mai province, that modifies cars for racing.

His arrest followed a two-month expanded investigation by metropolitan police following several major drug seizures in Bangkok.

On Aug 11, police followed an Isuzu pickup travelling from Chiang Mai, and intercepted and searched it at a PTT petrol station in Muang district of Sing Buri. 

The vehicle was carrying two boxes intended for power generators. However, the generators had been removed from their casings and replaced with packages containing 1.18 million meth pills. The driver, Mr Jirasak, was arrested.

Police subsequently searched Mr Jirasak’s house in Mae Ai district, Chiang Mai. They impounded 11 cars and four motorcycles for examination, on suspicion they had been acquired with the proceeds of the drug trade.